How Wide Should Pinus mugo Be at Five to Six Years of Age?
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years ago
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FrozeBudd_z3/4
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4Related Discussions
Your aging and winter gardens
Comments (65)Now 77 years old and now diabetic 2 (but I can eat fruit and I do have a lot of fruit). Waiting 2 more weeks before I start indoor grow light seeds, winter sowing seeds, salad seeds in heated mini greenhouse. Replaced mini greenhouse by myself and covered edges with many rolls of UV film. Sprayed chairs and ornaments with UV spray. Sprayed rusting items like dog pen for blueberries and metal ornaments with WD40. Chairs must have 2-3 bricks on them to keep them from blowing down in the wind. Laid black plastic film to replace so called landscape fabric that loves weeds. Poly film and clover are great aides to prevent weeds. I have a giant leaf blower and shredder that is now hard to lift - so I got a light weight leaf blower and blew away most of the oak leaves and nuts near the back of the house and the wind moved more for me. In spring my ex son in law will trim the too tall again so-called dwarf apricot and plum trees for me with my new electric chain pole saw. The peaches, nectarines, and mini apples are short enough. I have watering lines for sprayers and emitters and use timers. I laid out a hose line with switches from the center sprinkler so I could hand water if needed (2 times so far after water lines drained for winter) and to spray the fruit trees - now both are super easy jobs. It now takes less than 5 minutes to spray the 14 fruit trees using a hand sprayer (wonderful invention) - hah!. I also have a mister in case I overheat in the summer. I will have to prune the brambles and remove dead food crops from tubs later - but that is easy with a hand pruner. I have large trash cans with drainage slits placed at every end of the back yard for yard and garden debris until they either compost or go into the trash. Planting food crops in tubs is so easy and so is picking them. Back yard getting really gorgeous all year long. Have colored chairs, colored tubs, colored and white solar lights (getting more this week), colored and green foliage (dwarf conifers, some evergreen sedums, strawberries/blueberries/brambles turning color - earlier EAC was vivid red). I have solar and non-solar ornaments with more coming this week. I even recently added fake flowers for some tubs - crazy but it looks good this winter. Front yard dwarf japanese maples and azaleas turning color. The 2 giant oaks dropped their nuts and leaves again but not as bad as in previous years. The city just added a sidewalk so that is less area to take care off. In spring I will have lots of bulbs and flowering bushes and trees. In summer I will have food crops and flowers. In fall I will have food crops, flowers, and fall foliage. In winter dwarf conifers, sedums, and food crops in the GH. Life is good and gardening is now super easy. I find it hard to believe what I used to do when i was in my 20s - like try to garden in clay in the country and carry water from a creek a long distance away....See MoreLayout version five million and six
Comments (36)The Maytag fridge you found will look very nice in your kitchen. : ) I don't blame you a bit for wanting to stick with induction, and had to laugh at you cursing an old stove twice on cleaning days. If you decide to keep the hoosier and original pantry cupboards, I think it makes the a lot of sense to switch to an induction range with the oven underneath it. This gives you the most counter space possible, which you could really use. I think your plan on Sun, Nov 30, 14 at 21:41 is a pretty good layout in terms of counter space and placement of items. I'm a bit nervous for you in how you'll feel working in the corner by the fridge, especially if for some reason you put in an even deeper fridge later on. It could feel constrictive, like you are working in a deep dark hole. : ( Is it possible to sink the fridge into the hall wall a bit so that the fridge doesn't stick out quite as much? That would help things. I'd replace the 24" drawers next to the stove with an 18" cabinet and edge the stove down toward the door those 6" just to get a wee bit more space between the stove and the fridge. I don't think the person standing at the stove will collide with back door users if the stove is just a few inches closer to to the back door. The big sink with 2 faucets helps with handwashing and such, but it doesn't put a sink closer to your prep area. You'll still be carrying dripping, wet veggies and meat (if you eat it) back and forth to the stove. You'll still be crossing the path of someone coming in and out of the door while you're carrying boiling water to drain, those types of things. Sometimes that's the nature of old houses we know and love, just make sure you are ok with the compromise. Now, if you still want wall ovens, a prep sink, and some landing space for the fridge, you could do something like this, but it's at the loss of the Hoosier, and maybe even the ironing cupboard turned spice cabinet. (Boo-hooo-hooo! I really like those features.) I think you can get a similar flavor and feel with newer cabinets made to the same style, though. ...I'm not sure how the door to the dining room will mix with the door of the fridge, either. This plan doesn't have is a dedicated pantry. Hmph. It does give you lots of work counter, a prep sink that's safer to use, and no giants hovering over you while you cook (No fridges or ovens in your head, shoulder, or elbow space.) And no island. ; ) Are you ok doing all of your work facing a wall, especially as your kids get older and are helping you more in the kitchen? T...See MoreNew Windows~What's Your Experience?Tell Me Like I'm Six Years Old
Comments (24)Cup of Glad this thread is continuing to get so much traffic. I'm curious first, why are you replacing your windows? I ask because what most people don't realize is in "most" cases the best windows for any home are the ones that were originally installed - The exceptions to that can range from poor quality windows, poor install, failure Think about many homes that were built around turn of the century - 75 -100 yrs ago, how the windows have stood the test of time. Yes, they are not "energy efficient" however, from a proper fit & aesthetic view point they work. I think when the window sales people massage the homeowner on the "efficiency" issue - If you are changing out 16 windows let's say at avg rate of $750/window - for product & install that would be 12K - . The equation the sales people negate to offer said homeowner is what the return on investment would be & how long it would take to get there. I have done this, believe me - It would take most folks 10-20yrs to realize any investment. If you have done your homework & still feel replacement is the way to go - other considerations that should be taken; What is the original architectural render of the home? Can a replacement window capture that? think size/scale - muntins, mullions, configuration, trim, fascia - One can't just figure a one size fit & then install without a compromise elsewhere. Pictures of the exterior of your home in daylight & night help with proper choices. This is where I see many failures. One can have a beautiful 1900 home and take out all windows & replace w/replica vinyl - One could put in custom wood in the same home, but that does not guarantee aesthetically correct rendering. I found looking in window books & catalogs helpful only to a certain degree - I had to make sure the size, material configuration was indeed matching to what the original rendering of the home was (that was only for 4 windows!). Yes, it took some doing - when I finally thought I had it right, my architect friend brought yet another issue to light - "The muntins make the window look squatty" huh? - turns out the configuration of the muntins created a rather horizontal appearance in the individual panes rather than vertical - she was right. BTW we used Marvins - the project was a kitchen gut in 1930 Dutch colonial home. The replacement windows were done because the part of the kitchen we replaced the windows was once a screened in porch and PO put in aluminum picture windows w/side casements on front & back - ALL wrong for the home & unbalanced. Research here and other places led me to the Marvins - very pleased with the product. For the rest of the windows (26) double hung - we considered Marvin's sash replacement product (mentioned above) but do to the scope of our original renovation & cost over runs we decided against this. Instead I found "the window doctor" - yes that is the name of his company. For $200/window he replaced all parting strips, re-weighted where needed, all new roping, repaired chalking - Many of the windows were not operational, painted shut etc. Every window is now operational & they are lovely over 80 yrs young & very fitting to the home. I wish more homeowners would give consideration to rehabbing windows rather than ripping them out for a substandard product. Ok, I'm an old house snob - truth is told Best to you - stepping off soapbox...See MorePinus syl. 'Gold Coin' compared to Pinus densiflora 'Golden Ghost
Comments (36)Yes garcanad regarding the needles; I had run across comments on an old thread from Aug. 2009 (great information form Ken and Coniferjoy, which kept me from acquiring one --- I did acquire your pinus parviflora "Fukai", Ogon Janome", and another "Fukazumi" to add to my collection in the last two years (the blues of needles gives me that cooling effect and soothing effect -- like your second pic planting bed). I felt my "Go Jin" was too lonely of this cultivar (LOL). Limited space also is curbing my acquisition (but it helps allot from yours and others experiences ---HELP allot more). From what I see of your two pics; I love your garden, striking contrast and a soothing combinations of beds. Actually; because our house face south and west, summer sun (excessive unusual past 10 years of temps.) --- I would suffer the same with "Golden Ghost". If I can find one in a one gallon (#1); I might get to experiment in protected and sheltered (high winds), sun and high winds are other factors that I haven't gotten one. Really appreciate you sharing your pic of it. Cheers, p.s.: Thank you...See Morewestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years ago
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