Spring Projects Anyone?

Wow..........that's a dandy hunk of rock.

I agree with Doc, thats a big rock !

I'll post the glider pic, when it is done, Paul has the frame painted white and the back of the glider has a red coat of plaint now. He is working all week, then will be off next week. This weekend was busy at the VFD, they had a major house fire Sunday and and several medical calls. so things are on hold at our house.
He wants to get some special skim that bonds, type liquid metal, to go over the small pits in the seat. and washers to install on the screws to keep the glider moving freely. Then after it is all painted he will reassemble and all set to go.

Oh FYI I posted some new pictures of my basement seed starting room on a new thread in MA...go to the one on something about "seed starting table" if interested. Heading for the TV and recliner, now.

Chris

Get some rest Ladyg,
You are right Doc that is a dandy hunk of rock. I think he was going to pull it out and stick it in the big rock pile but he dug down along the side more than a foot and didn't find the bottom edge. He only needed a couple of inches to level the RR Tie so he opted to chip out the space he needed. He hit one like that when we put in the pool right where the wall went.

Sorry I missed this but I think you're asking about my photos of the address plaque? The stone plaque isn't up yet, the picture of it was taken in the basement where it was propped up and the project is currently on hold :( Eventually I'll get the post/pedestal built with cement blocks, attach the plaque to the front and then use mortar and rocks from the creek to face the post.

Holly, that IS a big rock! Looks like a lot of work just getting it chipped away to lay the RR tie but definitely easier than digging it out! LOL

Woo-hoo! I'm getting ready to start creating my Clay Pot Lady :) I had been looking for a tree to plant in this new garden and finally bought a Forest Pansy Redbud yesterday. It's a good size tree in a large pot (7 gallon maybe?) so I've also got a huge hole to dig :( I never did get a chance to move the lumber from that area over the winter because of all the snow but late yesterday afternoon Rick helped me move all of those heavy 6x6's and I'm ready to start digging! It's raining right now but I'm hoping we won't get too much rain and I can get the hole dug today. As soon as the tree is planted I'll be ready to set up the willow chair and get my "lady" started! My design has changed a little from last year's idea to put up an arbor here. I'm replacing the tall grass with the Forest Pansy and then using the old fence gate from the nursery as a backdrop for my "lady" :) As soon as I get started I'll be posting photos!

It's done and was sitting on the deck when I got home from work.
We are out of red paint now, I have a metal milk can on the other side of the door that I want painted red. It's nice to set a plant on in the summer.

Ladyg, That looks really good love the red color looks great with the gray siding.

Thanks Holly. I picked out the brightest red I could find. If you're going red go all the way. LOL

LOVE it. I agree about going for it. I need to get in gear and do my chair that came from my Grandma's house.

So Jan...............picture? I always like the garden scene with the lavender/purple chair. Sort of pops but yet relaxing.

It looks just like your glider, but is just a single chair. Right now, it looks ratty, needs cleaning up, sanding, etc.

I don't take pics. Bad, I know.

Chris, Compliments to Hubby, looks like a nice job. That retro look is right back in, good choice. Ric

Love the glider Chris.

Finished my front bed expansion

From the side

Jen your bed extension looks really good. What all did you plant in there?

These are the ones I planted and I still have to decide which bulbs to put in.
GEUM Totally Tangerine
BERGENIA Bressingham Ruby
LOBELIA cardinalis Ruby Slipper
VIOLA Chantreyland
Geranium phaeum 'Samobor'
TROLLIUS LEDEBOURII - Golden Queen

Hey, All!

Look out!!!! Here come the winter temps again!!!!!

SUNDAY and MONDAY nights (here...) are predicted in the mid 30's with possible frost warnings.
Enough is enough---already! Most of us have ALL our annuals planted, many tropicals outside, seedlings
everywhere! Trays of cuttings outside.....(me anyway!).....Bummer!

What a weird weather system we have had this year!

I just can't beleive we'll have frost here.
~
My neighbor put a real estate sign post in the trash and I swiped it. Now I have an awesome post in my garden. My old mailbox will go on the arm, and it's tall enough to hang a small feeder or potted plant etc under, and even came with two sturdy hooks installed.

I think it goes without saying that Jack Frost will be in and around our area with killing action this weekend. The orchard folks are very concerned. The gardeners who plant before the fifteenth are strictly gamblers. This year it may even show us frost into labor day. That has happened once or twice in my lifetime. I am not putting anything permanently outside yet......wiithout a cover ready to protect them. Mostly I will just bring the few I am hardening off back in the house.

I usually use Mothers Day as my OK to plant annuals even though I know the 15th is our frost date. This year I won't be putting anything in the ground until after the 15th and maybe not then.
Jen they all look good. I should get some violas I like the looks of that Chantreyland. Might save me from buying Pansies every year. I have a bergenia mine is Pink Dragonfly

Love the color combos, Jen.

Gonna get mighty cold.

We are having strange weather patterns, I have held off putting anything out side till Memorial day. Last night was sticking to the TV with high wind warnings and Tornado watches, I guess the street where I work had some trees down, one on a house and the occupants got out.

Jen, love the expanded garden, they are always fun!

We have had severe winds. Lots of limbs broken. Some small garden sheds blown off their perch. Older roof applications may need to be replaced. We lost nothing of value. A couple of pots rolled off the patio edge walls. Could have been a whole lot worse.

We are having high winds here, too. I put all my seedlings in the garage for the day. I won't be planting any of my annuals for a couple more weeks. My Mothers Day gift was installed today. It was from Jamie, a second outside water line over by the driveway where I do my potting and keep my nursery plants. I have wanted one for a long time and it will be so nice. It is only a warm weather line it runs under the house and Ric can easily drain it in the winter. The only other outside line is at the opposite end of the house and dragging hoses around to this end is a pain. I'll post a pic later. Ric got me a really nice 50ft hose, no kink and a new watering wand. Only a gardener would be so excited. WOOHOO!

Thanks, all.

Holly, what great gifts! That water line will be a real blessing.
Paul has to fix mine that leads off the lower deck to the side yard. it always freezes and breaks before he gets it drained. It comes out of the house near the hot tub, but he added a section where it extends out the lattice to the side yard, with a spigot. I told him this time just use a length of short garden hose or if he can get a utility hose (like one to hook up your washer) long enough, add a shut-off valve at the hot tub spigot and in the winter just undo the hose and store it. Everything is behind the hot tub so it is out of the way. Another spring project. LOL

Oh my word, my last post - April 21st!! Anyone wondering where I've been? LOL I don't know why but our spring schedule took a lot out of me this year and I have been MIA! I've been so busy whenever I can find the time to finish up a few projects but have been really bad about taking any pictures. Figured it wasn't worth posting unless I could "show" you what I've been up to. I still don't have any good pictures but these will have to do until I get better ones. :)

My address plaque is still waiting to be installed, project turned out to be more than I could accomplish easily (and quickly!) so I turned to creating my Clay Pot Lady and planting my new Welcome Garden. All of my projects seem to take on a life of their own and this one was no exception! What started as a simple border to display the Clay Pot Lady quickly evolved into extending the border as well as creating another border adjacent to this one! I don't have any pictures yet of the whole area to give you an idea of the scope of this project but for now...my Clay Pot Lady :)

So, whenever it was too hot to work in this garden, or it was raining, I was busy getting my "Trash to Treasure" chairs painted! I'm not sure if I even posted this picture on the MA forum? The chairs I found at the dumpster in February...almost perfect condition other than desperately needing a coat of paint to spruce them up!

I had originally thought about finding a spot in the gardens for them but once I got involved in painting the siding and replanting this area under the deck I thought they would look great here. It's cool and shady here and I sit here often taking a break with the dogs at the end of the day, looking out over the gardens to see what I want to tackle next! I thought about painting them a vibrant blue or funky purple but wimped out and chose a soothing green instead :) There wasn't anything planted under the deck other than the Hostas and Sweet Woodruff planted along the front edge so I added this area to my list of "projects" and filled it with Hostas, etc. in late April. A few more things to accomplish here and I can cross another project off my list. I bought a new light to replace the broken one on the post and lattice that was ordered three weeks ago is finally here and ready to be installed to the right to hide the junk stored on the other side under the deck!

In the center of this garden is a neat little 'garden object' I picked up at one of the shows in April. Our friend, Sandie Markland, always has a wonderful display of her "Stone Spirits" and I've always wanted one. http://www.windsweptcreations.com/Stone_Spirits_44WL.php This year I found a small planter that was within my budget and grabbed him for this new garden area! She had Sedum 'Ogon' planted in it but I thought it looked too "girly" and wanted a funkier look for him! I planted a little grass I love in it, Carex 'Evergold', but I've got to trim his bangs because his eyes are hidden! LOL For now I've just got him sitting on an old log but I'm looking for something a little taller so he won't get lost when the Hostas and Ferns grow larger.

So...now I'm anxious to get started on planting the slope surrounding the steps that were finally finished late last fall! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7351187 I had started to lay the pavers I had picked up around the first of May but almost three weeks later I still hadn't been able to get back to this project!

Last week I finally bit the bullet and decided it was time to "Git-R-Done"! LOL I had permission from our neighbor to grab a "few" stones from the three huge piles he had waiting for a project of his own. I lost count but I think I made at least 5-6 trips to get enough to line the path and terrace the slope! Looking down the steps....

Walk down the steps and take a look back at what it looks like now! I still have more planting to do but the recent thunderstorms have dropped just enough rain to make it impossible to work in the soil :(

A different view....

I've got a few shots a little closer of both sides...

Oops, meant to post this one to show you the new Rock Herons! It's hard to see the little one on the left but I love the taller one. He's tall enough that I can actually see him all the way from the top of the driveway by the house :) I've been lusting for these things ever since last fall and when I realized I might actually have this garden done by the end of the week I decided they would look nice here and ordered them! And the best news? I found them at a different site for $45 less than where I first found them and free shipping to boot :)

The other side of the steps...that poor Hosta at the top of the slope on the right :( I dug it from another area of the gardens to transplant here and it's not too happy with me right now! As soon as the soil dries out a little I'm going to cut back the foliage so it will have an easier time adjusting to its new home.

And a couple more to show you the cool rocks I found in my neighbor's pile :) This one was perfect, almost like a pillar with a flat top! I've had this little cat for over three years and never found a good spot for him in the gardens. He now has a new home and looks perfectly content looking down from his perch :)

Same for this little stone birdbath, almost three years looking for the right spot to display it. I had planned to incorporate it somehow into these gardens and when I found another flat topped rock I knew it was just the right size for it!

Thought for fun I'd post a "before" pic of this area. I've got more planting to do in the weeks to come to connect the adjacent gardens to this new planting but this gives you an idea of what the area used to look like! It took me three long years to finally get it done but it was worth waiting for :)

It won't be long before summer is officially here and we'll need a new "Projects" thread! Not sure what my plan is for the summer. I'd like to at least finish what I've started here but the new "Sun Garden" is begging me to get started on that project. LOL

Really nice Debbie, since Holly and I have "been there, seen that," we can really appreciate how it all fits into the larger picture and the amount of work involved. You've done a great job as usual. No small wonder that you have been MIA. LOL
We've been in Fla. just about a week to help out my dad but get some breaks. We stopped by a really nice home and garden the other day, it turns out the lady was an avid gardener and happy to show us her tropical paradise. To top it all, she's from Pennsylvania, near Erie. Ric