I never should have planted those

my dogs love the hakonechloa grass. Which is by the front door. I spread 8 yards of heavy wet compost today my husband had it weighted when he bought it and it was 5 tons. I don't think that there are too many muscles that don't hurt tonight. I have 4 drawings that I need to do and I end up not doing any. I got half of one done this morning. Oh American Idol is on gotta go Heidi

Way to go, Helga. I mean.... Heidi!! Ouch! That's a heavy load of compost.

I think I need 20 more yards at least and I don't think it is going to be any lighter. What we will do for a beautiful garden. I haven't mulched in probably 10 years. I haven't worked in my garden this much in years either but with people in here all the time I need to put more time in the garden. I had done the ostrich scene for too many years.. My head in the sand. I think I have almost tackled most of the euphorbia next I want to get the yellow hops. The problem is that I have a nice purple clematis in it and a honeysuckle in it. I'm going to try.. Heidi

What is the deal with the dogs & the Hakenochloa grass? My dogs ravage mine & I'm running out of containers to plant them in.

well the downside of haveing 5 dogs and stinky compost you can't watch them all we were up half the night throwing up fine black compost. Butter miss tattle tale had to jump on the bed then off seemed like for hour trying to tell me Jessie had a tummy ache. I finally got up and let her out . Hopefully it will rain soon and wash it out some

You know, we have a lot of girl power (and some manpower, too) represented in these forums. And we all know how to do the stuff, and enjoy doing it. Would it ever work to have work parties at each other's places?

I have noodled this very idea for the last 2 years - wish there was a real nice "virtual" resolution to the distance factor.

Yeah, true that many of us live a bit far apart. Point taken there.

I love the idea of having work parties at each others' homes - might have to be slumber parties as well??? I'm a bit stuck at home right now, but the dream is alive!

Pencil me in...I would LOVE it. My only drawback is work work and other commitments (dog/SAR wise) on occasional weekends. Otherwise, I'm good to go!

I'd love it, but would have to limit my time to day trips - I'm the only caretaker of my pack of 5 . . .

Sounds like fun and I work on your side, Put it out on the thinking table for all. Planning time?

All the jimjams! Too cute.

I'm in, have mantruck will travel!

If I could car-pool with someone to a work party, I'd be more than happy to go work in one of our garden's. Whose would it be? I vote for Carole's garden once Steve is a little stronger. Holly

I'd love to do this, and I think MHF has a fabulous idea. I'd like it even better if I could meet up and carpool partway if we're all heading north? Y'know, I don't know if I've ever really gardened WITH other gardeners-unless you count trail maintenance?

I could catch a few people on the way from here to there. I don't think there's anyone west of me...Let me know and I'm on the way!

I'm on your way Outta, Have "station wagon will travel" I think we are to only ones on this side? Have no Man Truck ( well kinda do,but don't trust it to far from home)
Yes Carole's

That would be soooo cool. And there's nothing more exciting than an opportunity to ride in/work with/ know a gal with a mantruck. That just sounds good . . .

You are all so wonderful - if Steve does get stronger, you can bet I will take you up on your offer to come here!!!!!

Bless your hearts!!

This could actually go somewhere! Some of us couldn't do the jammies thing, but that's fine. I was thinking that each of us has landscaping projects that could use a lot of hands and since none of us is Beth Chatto (see other thread which I do not currently have the link to) we do not have a staff of gardeners to do our bidding. Hiring a staff is out of reach for most of us, even if we could find anyone we could trust to do it the way we wanted it done. So that leaves us to either rely on ourselves and our spouses, or to rely on each other and our gardening community. I got to thinking of it when Heidi was posting about spreading all of her mulch. If 5 people had been spreading that mulch, it would have been done a lot sooner. And there isn't anyone in this group who doesn't know how to spread mulch, or can't learn it in 5 minutes. Plus, each person here would actually CARE whether the crowns of the plants were covered up or whether they stepped on plants. Try teaching that to a team of hired hands.

Distance will be an issue for some people since the closer together people live, the easier it would be. If the person who needs assistance, or would just love the company, agreed to provide caloric intake and drinks, it would be a party. Maybe what we should do is post a thread where people who want to have a work party can 'advertise' what they are going to do and when they are going to do it. then people who want to help can post to that thread. it will never be possible for everyone to make it, but if even one or two people come, it will be fun and it would be helpful. I'll be one of the first ones because I want to get my backyard finished this year, and that's a big one! We're talking many, many yards of soil and compost, and many much planting!

I don't have a mantruck, but I do have an Expedition which seats 7 if I put in the back seat (of course, I have to take out the doggie hotels in order to seat more than 2...and Big Bertha, the Party Barge, does smell a bit like doggie). I, too, could not pull an overnighter, but given enough notice would likely be able to do a Friday or Saturday somewhere. I would certainly welcome the help here, as well! What I want to know, though, is who will be driving to Lauries? ; D

Oh, OUtta, you've missed out on the whole talk of getting Tils a purple bus that flies, she's driving while the others sing tunes in the back! Boy would I love a) to go with to Caroles and plant some trees in the area behind and b) to have all of you here to help with the steps in the wild garden - calorific intake is easy peasy! Boy with barbecue - even have second one for vegetarians! Too well organized that man, need to muss him up a bit.

Big hug and kiss to the lot of you - you just buzz!

I have visions of a late breakfast tea at Caroles and then an army of woman-gardeners pulling out their favorite tools and heading for the yard. I can just hear the pings, thuds, grunts and laughter ('cause we're women and can talk while we work).

We were talking about this at the seed swap. The beauty of having other people help you in the garden is that they are more likely to be focused on their assignments than they are to get sidetracked and each be working on too many projects at once. Or so that's the way I've found it to be.

And working in somebody else's yard, in addition to being very satisfying from a personal perspective, will juice the mind into all sorts of new ideas for ones own. This could be a very, very good thing.

You cannot possibly imagine how much this thread is making me smile!

I am off work the week of Feb. 18 -22, and would be happy to work in any garden given I have a way to get there. To be honest, I do not drive well on busy freeways (grew up in a city with great public transportation, and since learning to drive have lived in an area with 2 lane roads that don't go over 40mph) so I would need a ride to get to many of your homes. I could get pretty easily to Tacoma (Lakewood included), Port Orchard, Shelton or Olympia, or perhaps Poulsbo to catch a ride elsewhere or to pitch in for the day in your yard. Otherwise, a Saturday or Sunday afternoon could work for me depending on the specific date.
I do think Carole has the greatest need given the recent circumstances, but I know it must be hard to do any planning ahead right now. Just wish I had a magic wand to make it different.

It sounds like a plan for us to work in Carole's garden, planting trees and what not, whenever she is ready for that kind of thing. We could make major inroads on reforesting her area. I think we better start collecting trees for her place.

I have a project in the works, too. (I always have a project in the works. Don't you?) . Rachel was over for a bit today and helped me look at the backyard area. It's never been properly planned and done. We have two sheds that I want to landscape around, and that back shrub border needs to be brought out into the yard more before I add anything more to it. The neighbor's cedar trees suck up all the light and all the water, so I was considering putting a berm in that area to give the area more definition, raise the plants up into the light more, and give them a chance to get more water before the cedars grab it all. They are such pig trees in a town landscape. Rachel came up with the same idea that I did, so it must be a good one. The only problem is that I'm going to need about 30 yards of soil by her estimate. She put one in so it's probably a good estimate. I'd like to have a truck drive around back and dump a big load of soil in the area, but a big dump truck will never make it back there. Rachel's mantruck would, but it hauls one yard at a time. I'm thinking maybe someone in the area has a smaller dumptruck that would be able to dump 5 or 6 yards at once. So the project I have involves digging out shrubs (they aren't very mature yet, so that's no biggie), building the berm, and tying the two sheds into the landscape. I don't know when I'm doing it, but I'm hoping it will be late winter, early spring so I can get the shrubs in place while they are mostly dormant.

So what projects do the rest of you have that you need help with? Maybe we can get some things started.

I'd like to come help you with that, Pixy. I can get to Lakewood off the south end ferry from Vashon. Say when and I'll try to get the date free. I had such fun visiting Rachel's garden the other day (practically inviting myself and my family over for tea ) that now I'm getting bold.
My own yard is in a bit of a holding pattern until I come up with a decent plan. I'm gradually building up a few lasagna beds that will take some time, maybe even a year to fully decompose. Our handy unloader thing on the back of our pick-up does help with the hauling of leaves and manure which I am using for this, but it sure takes a while to get enough to cover an area thickly enough. If we were to coordinate a work party at my place some day, I should coordinate it with a sale day at colvos creek nursery, which is across the street. That might lure people on over the water. 'course I always need help with weeding the veggie garden in the summer and with harvesting all the stuff I planted way too much of for one family to consume.

Too much work here - you guys would need to spend a week!!!

Well, Katye, depends on the size of the crew. How's your cooking? ;)

And, Pixy, Would it be OK if I wore something with lots of pockets? Oh, and I'm fairly good at pruning, so I'll just bring my Felcos along just in case you need any pruning assistance (cough, cough)

MHF, that sounds like a good day, too!

Sounds like some muscle-building stuff. I'm in for a weekend day!!

My heart longs to go to each and every yard!! As far as my own, I'm really on hold until we find out what's going to happen with Steve. He has an appointment with the oncologist on February 5th to review all that has transpired and talk about possibilities. If his strength has improved, he will hopefully have laparoscopic surgery just to find out precisely what is going on. Then, depending on what is found, potential surgery or treatment of some kind. Bile duct cancer really is a deadly variety, though, so I often remind myself that at best we may just be buying him some time (hopefully some quality time!).

The property in back of me remains for sale and they've been working on it a bit - ie, they actually burned a couple of the piles that remained from the devastation of the tree cutting three years ago (these piles were 15 - 20 feet tall). They've put in some ditches from the road as well. I did hear that the county had a lot of requirements the current owner hadn't met so a potential buyer was demanding he take care of stuff. So I don't know what will happen. Many of the trees I planted last summer (from Poochella in Issaquah) have survived and are doing well . . . they are all in very close proximity to my own property and I doubt the old/new owners will mind. But I guess I need to lay off doing much else - darn it!

As far as my own yard, it's a veritable nightmare of unfinished projects and beds that have gotten out of control. I got outside a number of times today for a few minutes and still enjoyed it even though it's a mess. I didn't do anything, just wandered a bit, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the crisp sunshine.

I fell asleep for a couple hours earlier and now I'm wide awake. Figures!

Well...you all know my sitch as well, just starting out and all. We have one "finished," (for now...the bulb bed with the rocks), one underway (the potager/parterre ~ DH has all boxes built and the area staked out), and one in the planning stages (the arbor over the walk in front of the garage). The most daunting in my mind is the clearing in the QAW. It's pretty well dormant now but still has tons of berries that needs digging out. The nettles have started up yet, so still safe in that arena. *Phew* Gang...we certainly have our work cut out for us...let's get going!

DH is the designated chef in our little familia (he was cook in the Navy and often the cook at the fire stations). He's got two smokers and a large electric grill. I do the baking of sweeties, which I love to make and eat! You name it, you got it!

This message was edited Jan 26, 2008 8:17 AM

It looks like we all have good sized projects that would be faster with help. OUtta, your area looks like the kind where cardboard and heavy mulch may be the way to go. You'd be able to plant faster and it looks great, too. Digging berries out is sometimes an exercise in futility because if you leave any root in the ground, it grows back. Smothering them is better and improves your soil.
Yes, Susy, please bring your pruners and pockets! LOL!
Looks like most people prefer a weekend day due to work. Let's wait to hear from a couple more people and then maybe we can nail down a few dates. Be looking at your calenders in terms of vacations, etc. My thought is that most of these projects are going to want doing in the late winter, early spring.

Mauryhill, your idea about combining with a visit to the nursery is great! I live down the street from Lakewold. That might be a fun visit on the day people are here.

Have mantruck will travel! I can take four passengers, (full size crew cab.) I can do a day event or a sleepover. Weekends are good. My project: I will need help moving dirt (about 15 yards to two new beds that I am making. Where they are located the dirt will need to be wheelbarrowed to the locations not enough room for a bobcat/skidsteer. The food is not a problem, I married a Chef and I'm jewish (love to cook and feed people) enough said!) We have two spare bedrooms and a motorhome to sleep people in! We are also just 2 miles from the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, it's really beautiful in the spring. Rach

I would love to help at any of the gardens but can't due to absolutly no time . I work 7 days a week between landscaping for others and trying to get the nursery ready by myself its tough. I would love to donate plants for carols garden. You all are great most people these days are very self absorbed and would never think of doing something nice for some one just because. My husband and I both saw we need a wife. Neither one of us cook. I can but hate it. Thankgod we have weeks worth of clothes before laundery can be done. All I can do is give plants. Let me know. Also if anyone wants to come here and help for plants that is also great.. heidi

Look out Heidi, we are on our way! Work for plants wahoooooo!

Awww, Heidi. Bless your heart. How sweet is that?

I really only do the nursery to support my habit. I'm just not into being rich. I think I would rather share than sell. As long as I can pay my bills and dig in the dirt with my dogs I'm happy. I have a ton of things that need homes. I don't want to expand the nusery any more even though I have a little bit this winter due to my water problems so I need to make room for more cool plants. In with the new out with the old. Glad to share.

A woman after my own heart. Can't wait to meet you in person.