Garden Projects #6

We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1188013/#new

this is why my only fert is aged horse manure. Don't have to worry about killing something.

Jan

This project was due.Its the replacement of the combined pavers and bluestone walk to the front door that we inherited 4 years ago.
RiverBirch was lifting everything.
The hammock wasnt fitting into the back yeard so it was prked on a temp. pad of bluestones given to me 2 years ago.
This is the new hammock pad plus cherry tree removed and new DL and Clem garden. DD found extra pavers on Craigs List free.
Somehow plus math ability,she was able to fit everylast piece in. SIL is a total gem of a guy.
They are taking the day off.
I got 6 bluestones and added them to paths in the gardens.
https://picasaweb.google.com/jgentle4/FrontWalkRemakover?authkey=Gv1sRgCMyllp7ArrH7Ow

love the hosta garden path!!

Thanks Allison.The mulch path is so narrow I wont be able to get a cart in. There are also lots of iris ret. in thereI almost put stone on them.
I need aides so I wont step on stuff in Aopril

Love the stone work!

This should end the stone paths.We are out of bluestone.

LOL

Patti, DG just ran an article, I think yesterday, about Imprelis. Sounds like serious stuff.

Lucy, it's not Norway pines but Norway spruce, and those are gorgeous and not invasive like the Norway maples. Maybe you were getting them confused with Norway maples?

Great job, Jo! It's looking good.

No projects getting done here, but I did about 1 1/2 hours of weeding this morning beginning at 10, and then I was too hot to do anymore. I was drenched in sweat. Went in and cooled off and changed my clothes. Had some lunch and watched some TV. Went out later to do some watering. Was about 100 at that time, and felt like an oven, but my poor potted plants were dying of thirst. Went in again to cool off, then back out around 5:30ish to do some photography and tag some daylily clumps for my sale tomorrow. Was going to do some mowing around 7:30ish, but decided on more watering instead, as I hadn't gotten to my plants in the front. After tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 80's the rest of the week, and that'll feel wonderful after 90's to 100.

Karen

Just got back in finally got my rhodies pruned a little wanted to make sure they weren't touching the house and have to trim the 1 that blocks the window...drives me crazy that they planted it there...I may eventually rip it out

I was pretty busy this afternoon. After work (I got home around 3:30) I went out into the back 40 (as I call it) and did some serious weeding. That whole area is overrun with tradescantia, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke ), blackberries and golden rod. There are tall phlox, tall bearded irises and daylilies in those beds, but they get choked out by everything else. I came in around 5:30 or so, maybe closer to 6:30, as a storm was approaching. Good thing, as we got a downpour shortly after I came in. I would have liked to get more done, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

Tomorrow I may have some friends coming over to view the gardens and take pictures. They will come tomorrow or Sunday. I'm hoping for Sunday, actually, as then I will have more time to get things done tomorrow. Thursday and Friday I don't have time, as I work till 7 and 10 respectively. And Sat. I'm helping my friend Karen dig daylilies for a daylily sale at her house, then work in the afternoon.

Here's a photo of the area I was working on today. I had already done some of it, but had a lot more to do, and still have a lot to do.

Karen

Another view looking at the area to the right in the pic above. This area also has a lot of mint in it. Talk about invasive plants! I've got a slew of them in this area alone! Oh, and there is also lots of quack grass, and anyone who's familiar with that knows just how difficult it is to get rid of.

Karen

This message was edited Jul 26, 2011 7:05 PM

Here is Patches and Jerry supervising my work. Lazy bums! Behind them is a compost area in front of and going to the left and around the Dawn Redwood. Eventually that will become a new bed there once the compost breaks down. I'm smothering out tradescantia that is growing in there.

Karen

Here's a before shot of the path between two beds that are so overgrown with weeds that are enormous that they create a jungle corridor.

Karen

Here is an after shot. You can see that I am in no way finished, but I've gotten most to the tall weeds out from the edges of the beds, and you can now actually see the bed at the far end that has all the echis.

Karen

I should get a shot of me or Dad on this trail to show how tall those weeds really are. Those Jerusalem artichokes are taller than I am!

Another before shot showing the area to the left of the last pic and the trail that leads off in that direction.

Karen

And here's the partially done after shot. There is a junk tree in the bed on the left that is getting too big. I do not know what kind it is. I'm thinking glossy buckthorn, but not sure. It has speckled bark, glossy leaves, tiny, fragrant white flowers that bees love, berries that begin red and turn black. Roots of smaller ones are orange, similar to bittersweet. Not sure about the larger ones. I have a bunch that I have neglected to remove when they were still just seedlings. Now they have gotten quite large and will have to be dug up. I have to dig up these beds anyhow to get all the trad roots out.

Karen

Great job, Karen.....you are a busy bee!

Thanks! I sure am busy.

Karen

love your garden companions. mine are layarounds as well...LOL

Jan

LOL! Thanks! They aren't always laying around. Often they're looking for critters. But I wanted them to stay with me, as Jerry likes to wander off into the woods or across the street.

Karen

Lots of hard work there, Karen. Your gardens are beautiful!

Pam

Thanks, Pam. I enjoy the work, but it wears me out. If I could lose a lot of weight I wouldn't get worn out so easily, or so I imagine. My sister in Texas was told by her doctor that if she got down to a proper weight that she would no longer have back problems, but she still has the problems, even though she got her weight down to 120, which is what I should be. I might still have the problems, but perhaps they would be less so.

Karen

Good for you, karen. Wonderful work.

Thanks, Rosemary.

I got practically nothing done today. I spent some time watering this morning, then put some Bayer fertilizer/fungicide on my roses and some of the peonies that had black spot. I have a couple of gentlemen stop by to purchase daylilies. Then I got going on some weeding and some friends stopped by around noon or so. Before I knew it it was 2:30 and I had to go to work from 3-7. Tomorrow I'll get more done.

Karen

I got a lot more done today. Of course watering consumed about an hour or so of my time, which I'm so sick of doing. We sure could use some rain.

Today I tackled the weeding in my dry garden bed. What a mess it was! I hadn't done it since late spring. Not all done yet, but made some good headway. across the path from that bed I was pulling out Jerusalem artichokes and cutting back blackberries and spirea. I just want to dig the spirea out of there and put in something better. I'm thinking that would be a good spot for my golden chain tree or my peanut butter bush.

Here's a pic of that area before I started.

Karen

And here's a shot of the bed on the right, where the stone walkway is. You can't even see it, the weeds are so bad.

Karen

Some progress is being made here. Still a ways to go.

Karen

Here's an after shot, taken around 5:30 tonight.

Karen

And a shot of the path, looking much better. I cleaned it all of with the hose. Will get more done out here tomorrow.

Karen

Wow....looking very good!

Thanks, Marilyn. I hate to say this, but the geranium you gave me might be dead. I was so tired when I got home that I didn't take the time to take the plants out of my car. Forgot about them on Monday, then Tues. Wed I noticed them in my trunk when I opened it up to put something in there. I was so upset! The daylilies were suffering, too, but I put them in water, and I'm sure they'll be fine, as they bounce back easily. I'm very sad for the geranium, though. So sorry about that. You were very sweet to give it to me. I feel really bad.

Karen

That's OK, Karen...I'll pot some up for you at the next RU!

Looking good, Karen!

Whew, finally got all my daylilies planted from the RU and the co op

Lots more planting to do!!!!

I planted my 3 new heucheras in a shady spot, but I still have a large hole in the sunny front of that border....I'm thinking geraniums......

Thanks, Jen. More watering to do. I just got back from a wake. I didn't mention this before, but our friend Richard, who had been staying with us last year for about 5 months, died. I know I mentioned he was a drug addict. That's what finally killed him, and we were all so sad. There was a great turn-out at the wake. He touched a lot of lives in a good way, even though he had his problems. Everyone was willing to forgive any transgressions he might have made against them. They all knew he was troubled, but he was a very giving, loving and compassionate person, and had the best sense of humor.

Karen

Addictions in any form are bad, but unfortunately many people are fighting them......I'm sorry for your loss......

irises for sunny spot? What else would I suggest. You can use the smaller than TB irises if they would be out of scale for the bed.

So sorry for your loss

Sorry to hear, Karen. Sincere condolences.