Yardwork!

[sidestep]

Good luck on the lattice & stone sleepymom!
I proceeded with the 1st mow since probably Oct. It was so full of leaves etc I bagged it too. What usually takes me 45 min for the back took me 1.5 hrs & yielded 5.5 black lawn bags. I had to crawl down the kitchen cabinets to bend over to feed the dog-- oopsie!

[sidestep]

With yesterday's whirlwind of hard yardwork I have managed to do nothing today but clip the corners off the seed packets, .

When planting the grass plugs yesterday, I found the darn rats that have somehow managed to get into my garage/utility room ~again~ thru the attic crawlspace even bit thru the bag of potting soil--there isn't even any grass seed in that!

[sidestep]

It's not exciting, but here is a pic showing proof of all the hard yardwork I've been doing--This is one week's worth:
takeonestepatatime.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=pics&thread=15157&page=1#220241

[wynken]

I have a lot of yard work that needs doing. My everyday habit plan hasn't developed yet - but yesterday I did chop up some prunings to fit in/fill my bin. And pulled the seed heads off some weeds.

Thats a lot of work you have done step.

[seashell]

Step, those pics are exciting and show the hours and hours of work you have put in. And a pox upon the rats for chewing through your ductwork and for setting up housekeeping in that beautiful tree.

I was gone for three days and forgot about my violas. Fortunately, they were ok when I got back. I gave them a drink of water. What I want to do is plant them in two pots, then put the colorful windmills I found at Dollar Tree in the middle of each pot, so the flowers will grow around them. I am usually one for more neutral colors, but this year, I want bright, bright colors on my patio. I'm even thinking about painting my black iron table and chairs. Can't decide whether to do them white or a really outrageous color.

edit: swept, bagged, and tossed leaves from around front door

[sidestep]

Good job on the prunings & be-heading the weed seeds Wynken!
I got my kitchen herb seeds planted on my windowsill yesterday-- basil, thyme, & I know it's too late in the season, but spinach.

I got the 25+ palm fronds dragged down to the curb this a.m. in time for the 'brush' man to pick up with his claw truck. Since I was just finishing dragging the last frond down when he arrived, I stood by & clapped & cheered him. Cracked him up, but I figure he 'prolly doesn't get to see the appreciation of his work.

I still need to get the large outdoor pots emptied, cleaned & readied for planting my container veggies.

[sidestep]

Seashell, I'm glad your violas will be ok! Good luck painting the iron table & chairs. That sounds like a fun project! Even more fun would be a nice, vibrant color to help perk you up! What color are you leaning towards?

I also have a rotted & broken wooden fence gate which will be making it on my project list soon, but the essential time is of the essence seed planting needs to take place 1st.

[seashell]

Step, Yay for cheering the brush man. You are right--he probably doesn't see much appreciation for his work.

Sorry my last post ended up on your photo page. I didn't realize it until it was too late. I copied it over here.

I just finished sweeping, bagging, and tossing leaves from around the front door. The wind blows them all to my door.

I really don't know what color to use. I have thought about red, but my two next door neighbors both have red patio furniture. Also thought about a bright lime green or turquoise. Of course, orange would be great fun, but I may leave that one for flower colors and/or pots.

It is so warm here already (near 80), that I am thinking about going ahead and getting some geraniums. I figure if we do end up getting cold weather, I can bring them in for a while.

[casper]

Big "WTG!" on all your accomplishments!

My seedlings are coming along wonderfully but no outside seed planting here yet. Big snow storm right now.

One Spring Granma and I painted her metal patio table & chairs turquoise. We liked the way it looked so much that we then painted the porch steps turquoise too.

Sometimes I have been out front when the trash truck picks up. There is a lady who does the job and we always smile and wave to each other.

[casper]

My daffodils are blooming and the apricot tree (that I grew from a seed) has lovely blossoms all over it.
And it is snowing!

[sidestep]

Seashell, great job with all those leaves! Casper, the turquoise table, chairs & steps sound like it was fun! Glad to hear your seedlings are still doing well! I bet it's been gratifying to see that apricot tree you raised from seed flourishing!

I still need to get those new bags of garden soil,
prepare the containers, & plant the veggie seeds. I had hoped to have it done by this weekend,
but we'll see . . .

*Edited to add: I didn't get the containers out of the garage. It seems a live rattie was sharing the garage with me, so my rat buster skills are being called back into action. I did run out & get more garden soil along with more rat traps tho!

[eagle]

Great work, Step! Wynken, casper and seashell, you're doing wonderfully, too.

Well, we finally got some great weather! Hubby worked in the yard picking up twigs and leaves, etc. and filled our garbage can completely.

He put together the portable greenhouse he gave me for Christmas & put a wooden work bench into it. It has a frame and plastic zip-closed covering. The wind blew it down before I could get in there to do anything. We had to put it back up and weight it down with sand bags.

Then we went on an all day window shopping trip and meant to get some garden soil. But by the time we were on our way home with groceries, I was too tired to go get garden soil, too.

I wore sandals all day and wore a blister under the callus on my little toe, and it was pretty painful to walk after a few hours. Plus I was getting over a cold. And I just didn't want to work in the yard yet, so wasn't all that motivated to buy anything but some red onion sets.

The cold is almost gone now and the blister is drying out, plus the callus came off because of the blister underneath, so that's good. But there are other reasons I don't want to work outside right now. We're going to be having an appraisal done on our house soon, so I really need to make sure everything inside is as it should be before I do any planting and yardwork.

I expect I'll be able to get started outdoors in a few days time. At least I have the onion sets and have started saving tea bags in my compost bin again. I did check the compost from last year and it looks perfect for adding to the raised planting beds.

On Monday I am going to try and remember to call our tree guy to give us an estimate on taking out a couple of trees. That's got to be done soon and we've been talking about having it done for a couple of years.

[casper]

Everybody on planning and doing!

My next plan is to get some composted steer manure to feed the bushes & shrubs as soon as it quits snowing.

[sidestep]

The greenhouse sounds cool, eagle. Good luck with the red onions, compost, & tree removal estimate.

Casper, good luck with spreading the *ahem around!

I spent 1.5 hrs today lopping & sawing invasive treelets. That yielded 2 trash cans of brush. I still have that planting to do, but at least I did drag the soil out of the trunk & to the courtyard.

[wynken]

I did a little weeding 2 days. Weed grasses my target mostly. All the wet wev'e had has been helpful with that.
tosses a damaged clay pot I'd mowed slightly. Not used in decades.

found some baby pawpaw seedlings(papaya) and maybe my rose has a baby. even if its root stock - looking forward to seeing what it produces. Seems like some iris over in that space too. I won't call it a garden. theres hippiastrums. some orange bulbs are flowering atm. I picked a bulb road side once. big mistake. They are insistant. Hoping they could crowd out the bladey grass though.

grass is seeding. I hate it. monsoon due to drench down here tomorrow and on some. ugg.