Those two pics will go down as classics!
Gold star for you on that nice clean deck.
Don't work too hard. Can you tell how hard I'm working at work?!
I'll be looking for a giant hypertufa Komodo Dragon picture somewhere in the future...
T77, is there a DG recipe file here, or something you have on your computer?
Cathy
Tropical South Winter Blooms
Were those propped up or laying flat? I had heard they root wherever they come in contact with damp soil, but I was thinking they would root at all the nodes, not just the ends. Interesting.
Oh, shoot, should have started off right...WOW WHAT A CLEAN DECK!!!! lol I remember reading something you wrote about needing to clean it and blaming it on squirrels... LOL
I am sooooo glad I no longer have to clean and waterproof a deck anymore. I did it for 20 years and finally took it out in 2006 and the redwood was still perfect so it was recycled into arbors. Did a whole diary/blog here on DG out of the project, it was a lot of fun.
Donna
Pudgy, great job on the deck transformed into arbor project! Really beautiful and your Supervisor sure is a hard worker. I cracked up over the "hotel" and really enjoyed the whole story. Thanks for sharing!
Cathy
Glad you liked it Cathy, it was a lot of fun. Someday I will be able to laugh about the "hotel" too. Maybe when those bushes get big enough to cover those windows... LOL
My poor old supervisor is no longer with us, she passed before the project was finished, never saw how successful her leadership was. :~)
Donna
Yeah, I thought that was very strange too, as they were lying flat. They were in a thick pile of oak leaves.
This is my 3rd go around on the deck, so I can see that descision to remove it. I'm going to have to take a tour of your recycle picts.
The whole deck is covered in leaves and branches again..that tree is one messy guy...with help from the squirrels..but it's just now loosing the rest of it's leaves, and the new ones have already started budding. Usually the tree will go to bare looking, to full shady leaves in about a week.
Looks like the grey skies have cleared out now...and the cold is going to set in...though there is 50 percent rain forecasted for tomorrow.
Hmmm, interesting, I can see the oak leaves keeping the nodes from rooting as they kept them off the ground, but probably the ends were on the leaves too and they still rooted. Shoot, guess we will just have to chalk it up to your green thumb. :~)
As for decks, I love the look of them, and they really are nice, but nicest in someone else's yard so they can maintain it. LOL I think if I ever wanted to make a new sitting area to replace the decks, I would for sure use the flagstone, my new passion. It just has such a clean look to it, so easy to get ground cover to grow around, and when it gets wet, what an awesome look it has! Geesh, I should be a flagstone salesman, huh? LOL Some pieces of the rose flagstone I used have small black leaf imprints that show up really well when they get wet, like my own little fossils. :~)
Hope your temps don't get too cold, we have been having sunny days, but night temps in the low 30's. Brrrrrr.
They were more like in the leaves.. I have one brug that I pulled out of the ground and set next to the mulch bin last year...and it's still alive. Those big oak leaves..the plants love...I'll post a pic of the tree the leaves come from..It's absolutely giant. The tree in the background to the left., it drops lots of leaves on the right hand side of the green house where more brugs are.
Yes, Cathy is just putting in flagstone, and it looks great!
wow, that is a big ole tree! I bet it can sure make a mess, does it shade the right places or the wrong ones?
Cathy, as in svplantingfool Cathy? oooooh, i wanna see her flagstone!!
Hi Pudgy, my stones are technically not flagstones, except around the pond, but I think Randy was talking about these- I'm laying a main path from the back of the house over to the garden, for easy access for both people and me with the wheelbarrow/ garden cart/ latest Big Trash Shopping find/ bale of soil, or whatever else I can drag that way!
I have 12 more ready to be set in sand, that's Saturday's project.
Then in the front garden, I've been using these little cutie stones. This is part of the butterfly and humminbird area, so it's more whimsical.
Finally, these are a lovely shade of green flagstone I found, which are just set around the pond, waiting patiently for me to glue them in and make them look a bit better. One of my many projects!
I'm sorry to hear about your Supervisor Pudgy, I'm sure she's watching your progress.
Cathy
Yes, that's what I was referring too..looks very nice.
Are you going to put a pump in the pond? I love the sound of the water...
That Oak tree really doesn't bother me
It's this one...that I cleverly (not) built the deck around..and okay..it is nice in the summer for shade and all...it just continously rains debris down..
Yes, the pond actually does have a little fountain in it, but we had to disconnect the electrical wire underground when we had the lanai installed. Still haven't reconnected it, another thing on the list... There's one goldfish, a lot of waterlilies and I think there's one lotus that I grew from a seed still lurking in there. The pond doesn't get as much sun as it used to, so the poor little lotus goes dormant. I need to pull it out.
What kind of oak tree is it? Do you have squirrels that come to eat the acorns and bury them everywhere?
Cathy, your path looks GREAT!
I have a recipe file on my own PC that I copy things into.
Randy, that's a grand old tree! Just adds character to the garden!
Got it T77, thought maybe there was yet another aspect to DG that I hadn't stumbled onto yet! Thanks!
I know what you mean about the pond.. The fern tree was a real cute accent next to the pond when I planted it. Now it engulfs the entire area and then some.
Yes..a water oak..with an extroidenary amount of acorns that roll like marbles..and the squirrells hide them everywhere. It was worse this year because the surrounding Pecan trees were in they're "rest" year of production..and that's another drama in itself
oooh, Cathy, LOVE the project, really like how you incorporated the bricks in for detail, really cool. How much more do you have to do? Are the square ones 12x12 or the 18x18? And looks like you have a supervisor of your own. LOL Very important job.
Those leaf shaped stepping stones are so cute! Are the pine needles from trees or do you add it as mulch? Sure looks good around those leaf stones.
We have matching ponds! did you realize that when you saw my diary/blog? I just love that one, don't you? Big enough, but not too big. Works great for limited spaces and as a focal point, but not so big that you need heavy equipment to keep it clean. LOL
Do you have fish in yours? Well done on the lilies, those look healthy and lush! Anything special you do to get them that way? I have no luck at all with mine, no clue why and I am going to start ignoring them to see if the neglect works. That stupid crane from my blog came back this winter, now I see no fish and I threw the green plastic fencing over the pond, but kind of like closing the barn door after the cows are out. Not sure if the fish are hiding in the plants, or if they were a snack for that flying white menace, but I have about had it with him!
I think he actually lives in another county and just randomly stops by to mess with me, because they are not common around here. He tries to catch me unawares and is very successful at it. The stinkin thing is actually kind of intimidating, I was going out the sliding door and was looking down as I stepped out, and when I looked up, there he was and I don't know who was more surprised! Did you know they can be rather aggressive when startled? LOLOL And they are TALL! I am nearly 6 foot and when he raised his head up, his beak was above me! aaack, bout wet my pants. He has not been back so I think we just might have taught each other a lesson. HA I know he sure taught ME one. LOL
Thanks for showing me your pics, I will watch for more as it progresses. And you should be putting all this in your diary, it's a lot of fun to do for yourself. Thats why I did mine, plus, I have a horrible memory and this forced me to document and now, if someone asks me when I did the flagstone, or put in the pond, I run into my diary and check the date. Sad, but true, my memory is just that bad. :~) And it's fun for others to follow your progress and get ideas from your ideas. Shoot, I think I am watching about 10 of Randy's, he is just a wealth of knowledge and entertaining too. Let me know if you do one, I will for sure watch it. :~)
Hey Randy, so if you cut the litter tree down, does that mean you have to drop a big pot down in that hole?? hehehe
Donna
LOL...I'll never cut it down..just complain, or take the deck down like you did.
I tried to find your blogs..but ..didn't see any...I'll check again
Probably take the deck down, less work then cutting that giant tree down! LOL
Here is a link to my diaries:
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/m/PudgyMudpies/
I found it this time...I swear it wasn't there before...mabe you were working in it?
I tell ya..this really put ideas in my mind...the only thing is ..that the deck is elevated 3.5 feet off the ground, as the house is also elevated.It wraps around the house - 1 exit is from the living room, the other exit is from my bedroom both with double french doors...I'd have enough lumber to make stairs though..LOL...but it definately adds an option I hadn't considered before..plus I could put so many more things in the ground...oh well there is plus and minus
Randy, I feel your pain with the acorns. Those pointy little tops sure do hurt when I step on them! But, I can live with the every-other-year deluge of acorns to enjoy the shade that we get from the summer sun. Plus, all those leaves make great mulch and super soil amendment when I run them through the shredder!
Thanks Donna, yes I thought it was the same pond! We got it on clearance at HD. Origianlly had a pond liner, but the dang racoons poked holes in it, while spearfishing for the poor goldfishies. We have one left, just rediscovered it about 2 weeks ago. We thought for sure all the fish were gone, the last incident was a heron late last summer, but lo and behold there is one 5" goldfish hiding out. Those herons are not my favorite either. I always scare them off, running at them with a shovel or trowel waving in the air. I don't think thee ones around here are quite that tall tho!
The steppers are 16" squares. I think I've moved them around the yard a couple hundred times in 15 years. There was a checkerboard herb garden, various small patios, short paths, and just stacks of them, waiting for their next assisgnment. The stacks actually look kind of neat, with them alternating corners, on each layer, some kind of weird stepping stone art form, at least that's what I tell myself!
I keep thinking I should do the garden diary/blog, but I am SO easily sidetracked, it's really quite hilarious when I stop and watch myself from a distance. The neighbors all know that I'm "the" weird one on the block. It's a wonder I get anything accomplished with all the projects going on in my head. I'll add that thought about the diary to the list!
Cathy
Randy, just think of all the new garden beds you'd have, cradling that cute house! Definitely a BIG project!
oh...you said the magic word....Shredder!....do you love it? was it expensive? I sooo very much want one...I would break it I'm sure with all the stuff I have to put it in...that's it...that's is what I will get myself for my BD this year...
Your right..the shade is wonderful..and timely...and with out it, I probably wouldn't have the fabulous ferntree
Oaks are a beautiful asset! That was the main reason I picked this house, there was another house just down the street for sale too, already had AC, some remodeled stuff, but it didn't have any trees!! Glad I made the right decision.
Oh yeah, chipper shredder is the best yard toy there is! I bought this one probably 10 years ago, I think it's 3 HP, but I don't really remember, have to look at it. It chips branches up to certain diameter, again I don't remember what that is, but it is a diehard workhorse. It's gotten several tuneups over the years, but other than that, it never fails. Best investment I made. Wet oak leaves come out almost like peat moss, just perfect for the shady areas. Go ahead, treat yourself!
LOL, riiiiiight, it was gone...HA No, seriously, I was not in it so no clue were it went. Glad it gave you ideas, one of the great features of these diaries!
Are your boards redwood? Wow, you really have an elevation! If your deck wraps around the house I think you would be able to squeeze a bit more then stairs out of that wood! LOL
I just could'nt throw the deck boards away, they were heart redwood that was really expensive and was in just as good condition as when the deck was built. The smell of that redwood sawdust as those boards got sanded was so strong! And after being sanded, that wood looked new. I am a real vine addict so the arbors were a natural step. Not to mention that is southern exposure back there and when summers are mostly triple digits, those sliding door arbors are worth their weight in gold.
You could have a BLAST planting all that land that the decks are taking up! A place to sit vs. a place to grow plants...hmmm... not much of a decision for me. LOL
Cathy, don't raccoons eat fish too? So you have 2 predators in your yard! Your fish don't stand a chance. Can you imagine being that poor little fish thats left? If he had knees they would be a shakin. HA
Donna, I was reading about your deck replacement! Boy what a job! It looks realy great! I love the pond....yours too Cathy....See Randy, that's what you need outfront! :0)
Right!? I have that kidney shaped pond just stuck in the back by the mulch bin. It has some leaks around the bench area..but thought I could use it with liner ...I'm sure it'll have a use..
no ..the deck is pine...I really haven't seen redwood available here...but haven't looked that hard...
well, lucky me ...I'm out of here early tonight...got to go home and add more stuff to the chicken soup!
That soup sounds yummy, like a work of art! Yes, let the pond be revived, it wants to come out and play too.
Donna, that poor fish has been through the wringer I don't know how many times. The racoons were pests for a while, they haven't been through lately. Fingers crossed.
I forgot to answer the mulch question- I use several different mulches. Pine needles (free & virtually indestructible!), usually whole in the paths, sometimes I run them through the shredder if they are going in a tight space. There are three pine trees in the south backyard area, so that's where the bulk of the pine needles are used. DH carted home 6 trash bags full of needles from the neighbor down the block a few weeks ago :-) I use bark mulch in the front garden, I just think it looks more front-yardy. I've been experimenting with cocoa mulch out front, around some of the plants, its really dark brown and makes a nice contrast. I rake up all the oak leaves and acorns in the lawn and put them in the planting areas under the oak tree, where it is more of a wild look.
Thanks Texasgal, I appreciate your kind words. It was very labor intensive, but wow, what a sense of accomplishment it gave me!
Cathy, that poor fish, hope you feed him good, sounds like he has earned it!
The pine needles look great and how nice to have your own source! Let me know what you think of the cocoa mulch, I need to clear out all my mulch and start fresh this spring and am interested to hear your opinion of it. Can't remember what I have been using, but it is black and not supposed to fade, and hasn't either. But I get so many leaves and helicopter seeds that it just looks so messy. I want to rake it all out and put in fresh.
Randy, can you patch that pond? Seems a shame it just sitting back there being unused! Think of all the cool water plants you could put in it.....HA
Yeah, especially in front with full sun... I was just thinking of throwing a liner over it.
I had the Racoon problem too, until I put a decorative shop light over it. It's a light that hangs downword with a nice metal shade. Never had a problem since.
A couple of years ago I thought all of the fish had died, so turned off the pump. Last spring I bought those tine feeder gold fish, and re-stocked the pond. Low and behold, there had been a shubunkin survivor...the fish is pretty big now - actually the biggest in the pond...and I notice 2 extra gold fish this fall...I think there was some multiplication! theres 1 orange, and one completely black gold fish..never bought any black ones..it's darn hard to spot too.
Cool! Mystery fish propagation!!!
That's wonderful Randy! Hi Shari!
Hi Jeanne! Aloha and Yokwe my friend...our time schedules are off kilter I see...