Spring / Summer Projects

No Teri, I would have the stones made ahead. All you would be doing is the mosaic, and grout them. I don't think it took me more than an hour to do mine, I had to be quick since I was also the cook.LOL

Ric, Holly, when is your swap planned? I'd love to try and come too with Harry. And, I would love to make a mosaic stone! What a great idea

my watering can project is on hold. I got side tracked in the garden. I'm still getting things in the ground believe it or not. That, and weeding.

A separate day for decorating sounds good!

But I'm open either way. Getting together on an additional date might be difficult for some, given distances.

This message was edited Jun 24, 2014 5:29 AM

Wind, it is planned for Sept 13th. I'll put up threads for the swap later in the summer.

Robin, Holly and I have discussed this and we are planning to set up a work space for the mosaics. If anyone is worried by the time issue, they can come a little early, if they want. Besides, I've always had fun visiting with the others doing the project or craft also. It does not require a lot of time to complete and does not require constant attention, it is done in can be done in steps. Since I was cooking when we did ours, I left frequently and returned to the task. I laid out my pattern, then glued it down, grouted it, and came back a few times to wipe it. Holly estimated 2 hours, but did not include her kibitzing about, and helping everyone else.

Yes, When I thought about it, I realized that it took me 2 hours because i spent a good bit of time cutting glass for people that wanted specific shapes.

great idea for a swap project! I also really love the way you did the ones that were just plopped onto plywood -- what a great idea, much easier to do a bunch that way than trying to use round molds. Stepping stones seem like they could be a bit freeform, anyway!

How thick are they?

Sounds like it will be great fun! :-)

Wow Ric and Holly, those stepping stones turned out really nice!! Heck, I'd love to make some of those just "as-is", without anything on them, the oval free-form ones are fantastic!

Jill, I'd say about 1" in the middle.

ric--

What keeps the poured concrete from sticking to the plywood base?
Do you use something to "oil" it?

G.

Thanks, Ric!

Gita, I see wood used as concrete forms all the time w/ no special prep.. bet it just shoves off once set up.

Critter is right just slides off doesn't stick to the wood

So is anybody else still trying to catch up on "spring planting" as their project this week? Or is it just me? LOL

Oh yes, that would be me, not just the spring planting but the spring weeding, too.

Planted the "First Prize" Rose I bought at HD. It looks better already.

Had to dig up a couple Rudbeckias, yank one Zinnia and hit a pile of Daff. bulbs...
right under the chosen spot. Bulbs....Schmalbs!!! This Rose is a lot more important.

2-days to go--and one of its blooms will pop open. There are 4 more buds...
Hope it is as spectacular as my first one.

You KNOW I will post pictures! Maybe not on THIS Thread..but the Flowers one.

G

Here it is in it's new home...a but leafy surrounds--but it will have to do for now.

Martina's boys were over for a couple of hours putting in some of the shrubs and trees that have been waiting to be planted, including 3 Fothergillia 'Mt Airy'. I spent some time working on a section of the perennial bed. I bought some bagged mulch a while back, and I've been mulching as I weed & plant... that's working better for me than trying to get the whole area ready for mulch before spreading several yards of bulk mulch.. might be worth the extra cost of bagged mulch, at least for an initial layer around the plants.

yup I like how bagged mulch can be moved in chunks, and is contained, VS bulk mulch.

My totally awesome and lovely Ric Da Man design O Fisshul Assper Grass Frame

Wow, is that your asparagus, Sally?

Yup Terri that is how asparagus grows. The cross rails are about 4 feet off the ground. The sprays are airy, stiff, sort of brittle, and heavy if they start to fall down; they need a fairly solid frame

Hey Sally that looks really great!
We have a "small" inside project we will be starting in a few weeks. Not like there isn't enough going on outside. We are putting in a new great room floor. Since we are putting in the new floor might as well paint while we are moving the furniture around before the floor goes in.

Lookin'Good, Sally

looks great, Sally! wow, I had no idea asparagus gets so big.

Yeah, me neither, WOW!!! Heeheeheee "O Fisshul Assper Grass Frame", LOL!!!!

This message was edited Jun 28, 2014 5:38 PM

Nice! My asparagus ferns are fairly upright at the moment, but that's a great idea for keeping them from flopping around. Joyanna has pretty much claimed the bamboo poles for her clubhouse project, though, so we'll see... :-)

I LOVE my asspergrass frame!. The bamboo makes it so attractive!.
Ric thank you ever so much for all your work getting the bamboo down to swap, and getting it picked out for my van. The installation worked just like you said. The hardest part was finding my saw. Took a month X^D

Sally, I've never seen bamboo so huge available anywhere! Why is it called asspergrass? inventor of bamboo framing?

I still have a ways to go on my watering can mosaic... meanwhile, I've lined up another garden project that I've been wanting to do for years: paint an old chair and use it as a planter.

The wicker seat had collapsed many years ago and I did start using the chair the past few years as a planter by shoving a coconut fiber base into the seat. It needs an overhaul though. I plan to paint it pink with green slats or vise versa and fill the seat with dragon wing begonias. I picked up the begonias yesterday.

Here is a before pick of the chair. I'll post the after pick... but don't hold your breath lol

Cool idea, Wind. What a nice use of an aging chair!

Wind, We are the provider of the Bamboo, There is a neighbor (friends of Josh & Courtney)with a very large stand of it. Josh and I usually go down each spring and cut some for the swap. The design for the frame came from Ric he uses it in our Garden to keep the Asparagus upright and out of the way. He also uses a much shorter frame for keeping the Glads off the path to the GH. If you will be able to make it to the Fall Swap we could custom cut some for you, any length you want.

oh geez! I just got asspergrass... ha... sorry! lol I actually thought it was some type of framing name design

very cleaver Ric and Holly. and, thanks Holly, at the moment we don't have any patch left of asparagus. I still love the huge bamboo. Not sure on what else we could use it for? I've never seen it so huge. I did see really humongous bamboo growing in New Orleans one time, but never around here.

some of those poles were close to 2 inches thick , if not that big. So much fun to work with. I saved the cut pieces...need another idea. I might wrap my boring metal mailbox post with some bamboo pieces make it look like a bamboo post. Or a wind 'chime'

Holly, you and Ric are so creative! Very ingenious solutions. :-)

How does the asspergrass frame stand up? Rebar to support the uprights? Crossbars?

I got some daisy-shaped thingies for using instead of lashing... will report on how they work. http://www.kinsmangarden.com/category/Cane-Connectors

Unrelated, but I put 2 of their ultraviolet reflecting thingies on my patio door and haven't heard that awful clunk of a bird hitting the glass since. http://www.kinsmangarden.com/product/Window-Alert-Hummingbird

Cut the post at 45* angle and drive them in a bit. If you remove them every fall they dry out and last for years, if you don't they get a little shorter every year.

thanks!

If you put a piece of wood (something like a short 2 X 4) on the top of the cane and hit it with a hammer instead of just hitting the cane top it will protect the cane top.

yup, just like Ric and Holly said, worked like a charm.

I have to get my fences up! I'm lagging behind, too much to do, and I only have 1/4 of the yew hedge cut.
Here is the cast iron bench I referbed as a Christmas present for Jane. It was in bad shape. I chipped all the scale from it and sand blasted the iron clean. I applied 2 coats of Rust Stop primer, and 2 coats of Rust Stop enamel. The slats I made by ripping PT deck boards and routing the edges. I stained it with 2 coats of sealer stain and assembled it with stainless steel hardware. Afterward I sealed the entire thing with a UV protective lacquer. If I can convince her to move it to the tractor barn from Thanksgiving till Easter it should last for years. You can imagine what I started with by looking at pic 2, the old slats.
I've started making stepping stones for the swap, so LMK if you plan to make a mosaic, so I have enough.

Ric, I really, really would like to make a stone!

Great job on the bench. It amazes me how you and Holly get so much stuff done, wish I were that organized and/or motivated.