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Post by Nael_C on Apr 4, 2024 11:57:16 GMT -5
Hello all! I am opening this thread to have my progress in written word as I dig the yard, porch, balconies and front entrance from ugly to beautiful. It used to be tidy and beautiful until a family loss two years ago and since then it was pretty much abandoned (I only did a quick sweep of it from time to time to get rid of plant debris). There were still things remaining from my mom's hoard, so I decided I also had to get rid of those.
What I did today: I started by sweeping the front yard, back yard, main side yard. I still have another side yard to sweep. It was a truly a mess, we had some windy months earlier this year and lots of leaves and small bits of trunk debris were under the trees and on the concrete garage. I also swept the garage area. Me and Ds1 put everything in big garbage bags and took it to the bin.
So, now it's looking way better than yesterday, although there is still plenty to do.
My plans for the different areas. ~Buy some new plants in bloom to give Ds1's side garden some color. ~Wash the yard table and chairs.
~Put on a clean tablecloth on the yard table, and some decorative items. ~Buy some anti-mosquito candles and sprays and put there. ~Weed some more in the side yard, there are some nettle plants that I need to take out, so I can refresh the soil and plant the garden. ~The diy mosaics were somewhat disheveled, so Ds1 bought new glue for me to glue them with so they look beautiful again.
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Post by goldenthreads on Apr 4, 2024 20:31:12 GMT -5
 Congratulations on the great improvement. You have a plan!
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Post by Nael_C on Apr 5, 2024 1:33:27 GMT -5
Congratulations on the great improvement. You have a plan! I am one of those people that have to write everything down, ha ha. I do have a plan and I hope that by working it bit by bit I won't be overwhelmed. I also am glad Ds1 joined in when I asked him to.
His allergy was way worse afterwards, even though he wore a mask and a pair of latex gloves. I felt sorry for him, took him to the pharma- cist's and he got two new meds for runny nose and for skin. I sure do hope these help him. I was feeling a bit guilty afterwards, but the trash bags were too heavy for me to carry.
Plan for today #Do something else in the yard, even though it may be a small task. I need to keep the momentum.
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Post by Nael_C on Apr 13, 2024 3:18:01 GMT -5
#If I feel better tomorrow I intend on tackling some of the existing issues in the lower yard. I hate pine pollen, it has covered everything! The day before yesterday I sprayed all the plants of the yard, to get it off the leaves, they were yellow! And I also swept son's staircase and watered the plants.  |
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Post by Nael_C on Apr 16, 2024 5:08:41 GMT -5
I watered the plants and sprayed them down
with the hose also. The yellow pollen is
not over from being in the air. Due to also
being sick, I had to take care to go into
the yard when noone was there, and to wear
a mask. Didn't take longer than 10 minutes
to carry the hose and water.
But that is all I did today.
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Post by goldenthreads on Apr 16, 2024 10:15:19 GMT -5
You did what needed to be done. The other things can wait until you have some more energy.
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Post by ohblondie on Apr 17, 2024 16:32:07 GMT -5
I am currently sitting on my front steps, waiting to be picked up for an event.
I am looking around at the flower beds that need cleaning out, the shovels that need to be put away. Etc.
I am creating a list in my mind, of the plants I need to purchase. I like putting impatience along the border and a couple of hanging plants.
Every year I say I won't go overboard and every year I do!
Clearing everything out will help
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Post by Nael_C on Apr 29, 2024 1:41:39 GMT -5
You did what needed to be done. The other things can wait until you have some more energy. To be honest, after a first cleanout now all I do is being consistent with watering the plants and keeping them sprayed (we had african dust carried with the winds and everything just was crazy reddish from dust!) that along with the pollen made things bad enough to wash and tidy and declutter.
I hope I can do more in the exterior in the following week/s, fingers crossed.
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Post by Nael_C on Apr 29, 2024 1:44:28 GMT -5
I am currently sitting on my front steps, waiting to be picked up for an event. I am looking around at the flower beds that need cleaning out, the shovels that need to be put away. Etc. I am creating a list in my mind, of the plants I need to purchase. I like putting impatience along the border and a couple of hanging plants. Every year I say I won't go overboard and every year I do! Clearing everything out will help So glad to have you in the thread ohblondie. It seems we are going through the same thought processing about what needs to be done. It's true, clearing everything out would help me too. I am still taking it slowly and trying not to get discouraged by the sheer amount of things to be done in the side gardens and yard and back garage. Plenty of spaces that need constant care to be kept pristine, difficult for me to tackle.
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Post by ohblondie on Apr 29, 2024 10:30:50 GMT -5
So far I have filled the yard waste can twice. I purchased a small rake and try to clear out a small space on a daily basis.
Soon I will be able to plant impatience as a border to the front gardens.
Over the weekend DS mowed the front and back yards. There is so much crab grass in the front yard that you can hardly tell he mowed. I don't want to dump chemicals in the yard but I need to do something
It is raining today so maybe tomorrow I can clean out a bit more
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Post by desposito on Apr 29, 2024 11:46:12 GMT -5
Hi Nael, I read this thread with interest since I have been gardening for the past three years. My advice to you is to concentrate on only one part of the yard that will give you the most benefit. If you have time beyond that, then expand. I have talked to other gardeners and found out that it's not just me, but they all seem to have high hopes in the spring but the reality is that gardening is a ton of work and it just depends on how much time and energy you have for it. Maybe you can choose one area that you want to work on, either something the public sees, or something that can grow plants that make you the happiest. Then be okay with doing the minimum in other areas until you decide how much you really want to devote to the yard.
I hope you can plant something pollinator related! My garden has plants for pollinators and it makes me very satisfied to know I'm helping them. That by itself gives me the incentive to go out and work there.
Ohblondie, I hope you can avoid chemicals in the yard where Cali goes, there is now a link between weed killer and cancer in dogs--and in humans too, but dogs (and young kids) roll around in the grass so they are very exposed to it.
We're supposed to see cicadas in May, I'm not sure how many we'll have here, but I'm hoping that people don't freak out about them and spray bug killer in their yards. Cicadas are harmless, apparently the only damage they might do is if you have a very young tree, then the advice is to drape it in mosquito netting until the cicadas are gone.
Diane
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Post by Nael_C on Apr 29, 2024 17:23:14 GMT -5
Hello desposito and thank you for all the great advice! I also love cicadas! I also love and respect bees. We live in an area with many pine trees, so there are a lot of cicadas every summer, can't wait to hear them again! I think concentrating on one area makes sense! I actually did this after my previous post, I went outside and only worked on the front porch/veranda. What I did was get a large trash bag and started filling it with plants that were beyond salvation, as I like to give plants a chance when I see that I can, so I only throw away dead or almost dead ones. I also took the empty pots on one side of the porch so that tomorrow they are all gathered for me to put in a designated area. The wooden shelves need dusting and the stone needs washing, those are the ones I want to tackle next. It will give a sense of order in the chaos of small and larger pots. I will separate the plants that need more sun and keep them in one space, while the others I will move to another. I washed the gardening tools and watering cans and swept the floor from all the dry fallen leaves. That's it for today, I hope tomorrow I tackle more! Son has a lemon tree in his side yard that has already given him a dozen of lemons, in such a young age, lovely tree. One rose bush has some sweet smelling white roses and another, a climbing one, some red. There is also a yellow daisy bush. That's about all of it for the ones in son's side garden. I think I want to plant some more flowering plants there, to give color and beauty to the area.  |
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Post by Nael_C on Apr 30, 2024 17:01:52 GMT -5
Today was a great and productive day for the Project Exterior. I focused on the front veranda/porch and only worked there. I gathered all the empty pots in one area. Dusted and washed the wooden stands where I keep most of my precious cacti. I also washed the marble on the balcony end. I cleaned all the potted plants from dry leaves, dust and pollen. I swept the glass panes behind the stands, so I could then place the pots in front of clean windows. I also swept the marble flooring and mopped it. As a reward after many hours of work, more than 10 hours, I made myself a hot cup of coffee, lit two candles and sat outside, on my wooden comfortable chair to enjoy the results of my work. I feel so much better now that I have almost finished one part of the Project Exterior! I want to buy four hanging plants too, DH already has drilled holes in the stone wall and put nails for me to hang them from.  |
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Post by Nael_C on May 1, 2024 0:54:42 GMT -5
Worked some more this morning, not more than an hour though, I feel quite worn out. This time I dealed with the side balcony. I have stands there, metallic ones, that hold potted plants. A few of them were in a bad shape and had dried leaves, so I cleaned them, picked all the dried leaves and now the stands look better. I still have to dust those metallic shelves and wash them. But I doubt I will be doing this today, I'll probably burn out if I continue working for many hours. My best bet would be to rest today and continue tomorrow.
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Post by Nael_C on May 2, 2024 7:11:53 GMT -5
Absolutely but the basics on the Project Exterior today. My energy is depleted and have to rest. I will keep up with the basics though, mops and buckets, a quick swish and swipe, clean after the dogs. The front veranda/porch is now in a quite pleasing condition, we even reinforced the stands, the pots are clean/swiped, the surfaces decluttered, the plants cleaned and edges trimmed, dried leaves picked off. I do have to water the plants in DS1's yard. I haven't done anything major yet there, I think that will be the second phase of Project Exterior.   |
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