Yesterday it was announced that the 17 YO grandson is coming for a week beginning today. He's driving his mother crazy and she needs a break. I am making a list of work he can do including finishing digging the 2 fence posts for the picket fence accent. This stay will NOT be a "vacation" when he sleeps in, uses all the electronics and is lazy. This will hopefully help him see that ALL families have work and responsibility! He has such a huge case of entitlement and fights his mother on chores and homework yatta yatta.
SOON I will again have a beautiful flower bed.
Fud can be SUCH a motivator! ;-)
~S~
Well... he was at the house for just about 4 hours, he slipped out called his biological father who has NOT been involved in his life. Bio-dad showed up and hauled him off! Bio lives just 1.5 hours away and is a basement dweller living with his mother with no job, never has, not even part time. We have NO idea what the plan is. Does Bio think grandson going to LIVE with him, or take Christmas vacation with him and then ship him back? If our grandson lives with Bio will complete school? Grandson's done nothing but fight it at Mom's and you can bet Bio won't bother!
2 days ago my friend was not paying attention, her rented car was parked in a slightly different place and she backed right over my flower garden. Maybe it won't happen again when the darn picket fence is finally up LOL!
Sounds like she owes you some garden repair time!
OK, I got the email from my son, he will be home for a visit beginning 1/21 until 2/19. I will hire a little help and get that darn picket fence up! We'll be having an open house for him & his wife about 10 days after they get here from China.
Report, please!
~S~
My husband hired a little help for general clean up including some leaves that had gathered, he had the kid finish digging the holes for the posts but unfortunately the kid set the posts and they are not straight and even!!! Thank goodness he didn't know enough to tamp it down etc so I have already tested one and I can move it some and I get it straight and right.
I now have used cedar fencing bought to cut into pickets. Not moving very fast am I? Between trying to get the inside of the house ready, getting our rental ready in Othello (an hour away) the outside is getting short shift right now!
Hey Psych - Can we get an updated pic of how things are looking now? =D
Last week I finally got the picket fence assembled and painted. My tulips are started up but not blooming. My Knock Out Roses are starting to show life. I'll try and get a picture tomorrow & post. I hope to get more rocks for a closed border and then level it better, get bark spread.
I'm knee deep in a sewing service project that culminates next month. daysforgirls.org I'm organizing a couple of women from my church to make reuseable/ washable menses product for women in areas of the world that do not have hygiene products.
I'm all for more flowers, less grass any day of the week.
I took several pictures this morning but I don't know what went wrong, some of them are NOT on the camera.... wonder what I did wrong?
The picket fence is pretty much what you see there, it does not go further. It is just the back drop for flowers and "marker" for the semi-circle drive.
The picket fence came out nice! It'll be so pretty with those flowers in front of it. And I love your little owlie, and the cute pink bench. =D Thanks for the update!
Thank you wifey for your encouragement.
Pat, so many cute things- I can't wait to see it in bloom. Love the pink- my fav color- need to do a lot of painting this year. Is that bench made from an old bed? I had a fence at old garden that was just for looks- or really just to let the neighbors know that yes, it is a garden. Think of something to put at the top of the post on each end. Is that an Easter Chick? adorable
Yes, the pink bench is out of a twin bed. The tulips are in full bloom and I'm very pleased. Bummed that camera isn't working!!! (how can it let me down NOW??) I plan on putting at least one big birdhouse on one post but have not had the time or money yet. My last one cost me almost a $100 buy the time I was done with postage! I hope to make the next one so it's "exact" to what I want.
It's not my first "for decoration only" fence! They make such great back drops for flowers and can serve as supports.
That's an interesting idea. A "for decoration only" white picket fence. Hmmmm.... Love how you ladies give me ideas. =D
I had a "gate" I made free standing on feet. I had it sitting in front of all the irrigation electrical etc and it blocked the view of the mess from kitchen window and gave me a great backdrop from garden art. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4074468, the gate in this picture is completely portable, serves ONLY as decoration.
prior link didn't work, let's try: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4074468
This message was edited Mar 30, 2015 5:30 AM
I'm a great believer in creating backdrops and making something that was ugly into an asset or at least less offensive! I think chain link fence is ugly... but with white vinyl woven thru it then it becomes more cottage look friendly and doesn't SCREAM chain link! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4074452
I am amazed by the difference that your white vinyl made. Such a good idea!
I think that your "something ugly into an asset" idea is what is driving my desire to grow Boston Ivy up the front of our home. A no windows "fortress" facade will become an asset if covered in green. =)
That particular ivy is green year around for you? And will there be water restrictions that will cause problems?
No, it's not green all year round. Rather it has beautiful fall color and falls off, then regrows green again each Spring.
Regarding water restrictions, I have TONS of thoughts on that...but you can check out my thread "What are you doing about California's water situation" in the California forum to hear about that drama! LOL.
Basically, this year things are changing for me big time, because I'm letting the front yard die. If I have to choose grass vs. garden, garden wins every time! The ivy is actually one of my tactics to add more green to the front of the house while still using less water. =)
I've had the ivy in the ground since last year. That was its "sleep" year, this year it should "creep," then next year "leap." =)
This message was edited Mar 29, 2015 8:39 PM
Way cool. I'm looking forward to the pictures.
There is a family advertising in craigslist that she is giving away LOTS of plants etc, she is going xeriscape. I tried to find her add to show you but it's gone, likely someone snapped up all the stuff she was offering. I was sorely tempted, she had things I would have been interested in but didn't have the time to add another project right now.
You got any flowers blooming in front of your picket fence yet? =) How is it looking?
My pink tulips were beautiful but camera wasn't working. I got a picture taken with my flip phone and I"ll see if I can send it to someone tech-savy and get back as photo download on computer so I can post it.
I have peonies in bud but no blooms yet. I have Stargazer lilies also planted at picket. I dug out 2 out of 3 of the pink Knock Out Roses, they didn't make it. They were free for the digging but I suspect they just got transplanted too late in fall to have a decent chance. Oh well. I have Pink Wave petunias planted and they are JUST starting to show some color. It's slow progress but OH MY will the clematis that are against the house be awesome again this year, MILLIONS of buds! Can't wait!
I still have my tulip picture on my phone but unable to get it posted. I have just shot pictures this morning of some the same areas. The peonies are over, stargazer lilies are just breaking ground and dahlias bulbs were barely planted. I have the first white birdhouse bought but not "fixed" yet. I want to block the entry hole and FILL it will foam so wasps will not nest it in. Sad, but true, it will NOT be a bird home.
I'm seeing progress!
1 looking towards the house, 2, looking from our house towards the street, 3 close up of new clematis I rescued from behind our house, 4 established Jack Manilli clematis and 5 the pond with fake water lilies. After losing my fish to a freeze last winter I'm not sure I have the heart to add fish again.
Compare #1 to March 16 or maybe Sept 29! That "dark hole" in the gravel is where this picket fence is now.
It's looking great, Pat! I can't get over your Clematises (Clemati???). Gorgeous!!!! I have to work a Clematis or two into my planting scheme. So many plants to collect, so little time...
I think your picket fence planting really adds to your home's street appeal. It's great having the layers, something pretty up front to look at and then you see the Clematis gorgeousness in the background.
Thank you Wifey, I am liking the changes. The biggest challenge to the picket island is that it is small and I really want it to be in bloom continuously but there isn't a lot of room for different plants. It will be a work in progress for a while. I'm expecting a delivery from Michigan bulb this week. I bought "Kaleidoscope butterfly" bush for one of the end corners of the island.
Looking GREAT!
~S~
What needs to happen next, Pat?
I got a white bird house on one fence post. A cheap white bird bath at the end and I've been adding more flowers and details. A big green ceramic toad (in his former life he was a cookie jar, I bought it from the thrift store).
I desperately need to rework the irrigation system. The pipes are in place but with removing the yard, I have created the need to change some stations. I do not want any "yard" on the same lines as the flower beds.
My petunias are mostly done now, but my dahlias are really blooming their hearts out. I'll see if when it's light out I can get a picture or two. I finally have my camera working again.
Yes, pix please! The more the merrier. I'll BOLO!
I tried last thing before work this morning and it was malfunctioning AGAIN. I'll try again tomorrow.
I took some pictures in about February when the tulips were in bloom. LOOK at that picket fence now! 1, looking towards our house, 2 from our house out. 3 in front of picket, closer to the house. 4th is "the wilderness" behind our house.
The peonies are growing like gang busters right now and will be in bloom shortly, that is what is growing in picture 2, in front of the fence.
This message was edited May 4, 2016 7:54 AM
I took pictures this evening, you can see the changes from tulip season to peonies! And my Knock out Rose is doing it's thing! I have petunia planted, the dahlias wintered over (they won't usually here, too cold) and they are peeking up thru ground.
#1, view towards road, #2, close up showing the growth on butterfly bush, #3 & 4 towards house showing the Knock-Out Rose (where tulips had been in bloom). #5 the wisteria that I am going to prune and hack down, basically start over.
These are just pictures for me to document date/what is in bloom & just planted. The side of the house and some of the back. I put in Salvia, coreoptis and laitris and LOTS of petunias. Petunias are frequently the only annuals I plant. I am still defining the edge of the yard versus the border. There will be a stepping stone path from house to garden bench. I JUST pruned the flowering plum back and added perennials in that flower bed. (#3). #4 has way too much stuff planted in it when it matures. the tallest plant is a Rose of Sharon! It should pretty fill that corner when mature.
Final pictures until next "change". 1,& 2 behind and against house, close up of the "wilderness" 3 & 4. #5 is truly a "before" picture. I am going to rebuild the little wood cover for the irrigation pump etc. I have plans to do a faux painting and label is a "dog house" for my husband (when he's in trouble with me!)
Very pretty little space with the bench! I love spaces like that, that invite people to sit awhile. =)
I love the dog house idea - what a crackup!
The peonies were stunning, I managed to time putting in a short green wire fence in JUST before the buds were to blooms so all my flower remained upright and beautiful. Pic #3 is today but #5 is when they were bloom, see how that fence disappears? I LOVE it, invisible support! (Looking from house out to road) The green fence is still in place, you can make it out behind the toad (cookie jar from thrift store).
I sprayed a wasp killer in the corner under the eve of my roof and did major damage to one of my clematis. That is what is all brown along the window side of the first clematis. #1, & 2, from road to house, #2 is taken in front of the picket to get closer. I missed taking the picture of the full flush this year. The damaged one will be OK next year but sure ugly damage for this year. Oh well..
One of my returning dahlias is already almost 3 feet tall and has buds! Am I a LUCKY gardener or what! You can't really tell it apart from the Knock out rose it is next to.
#4 is just to document before I REALLY go crazy and rip off a lot of wisteria and flower plum.
This message was edited May 29, 2016 5:58 PM
Wow Pat what a difference a few years (and lots of planning and elbow grease) have made in your yard. I just reread the whole thread. You sure had a vision in the beginning, I wish I could be so imaginative like you.
My neighbor has wisteria. I love the blooms but I have to cut it off our fence about monthly, that thing would grow over my house if I let it. I wish she would get rid of it, it's really a high maintenance plant, unlike Clematis.
That's nice about your Dahlia coming back. We had a mild winter here near Seattle too, but I dug up my only Dahlia, then lost it to rot :-( My indicator for a mild winter here is if my snapdragons overwinter.