It has been a while since I posted about gardens, so here is a new one at my place. You can see why my intro on this blog says I am working on expanding my gardens-seems I never learn. I should do them big to begin with!
The Post Exchange had a 50% off sale on this little plastic greenhouse. It was a great opportunity for me as I had been wanting a greenhouse for a very long time. Of course, finding the perfect spot for it and preparing the garden for it to reside in was the longer and more tedious problem than erecting the pop up greenhouse.
I had to keep it out of the way of Mr. Fix-it's drive patterns so the north side of the yard in "my" area seemed the perfect solution, since his garage is in the south part of the yard. Unfortunately, it would not fit in nicely without extending the garden to encircle it. Never one to hesitate making new garden areas, I set about creating this new garden.
Back where the round stepping stones and plantings are located, was where the original outline of this garden was. I brought the garden out by removing the sod and reconfiguring the edging stones to make a nice curve towards the front of the greenhouse.
Back where the round stepping stones and plantings are located, was where the original outline of this garden was. I brought the garden out by removing the sod and reconfiguring the edging stones to make a nice curve towards the front of the greenhouse.
I then took a really big jump by drastically increasing the other side of the garden to meet the greenhouse. I think I more than doubled the size of the initial garden in doing so. The third picture is of the other side of the greenhouse and I am very pleased with this space. Sometimes when I make new gardens I don't always have a good plan in mind because I don't want to disturb the established plantings. Since this garden is pretty much bare with only one big crabapple tree in it, I was able to reconfigure without worrying about important established plantings.
The third and last pictures show just how much of an area I had to expand to include the new greenhouse. All of the removed sod was used elsewhere in the lawn. Right now the garden is not much to look at as all of the plantings are sleeping for the winter. Suffice it to say I planted a 'Burgundy Flame' Japanese maple, three 'PeeGee' hydrangeas, three oakleaf hydrangeas, brown eyes, sedum, mums, a peony, hostas and a ton of bulbs in this new garden. It took me quite a few days to complete digging this new garden. Work I love doing, but am oh so tired and happy when it is done!
You may notice white flecks on the soil in the second picture. Our family has forever saved eggshells. We just throw them in a paper bag in the kitchen. When the bag gets full or I need them, I crush the eggshells then scatter them on my gardens. I am sure it helps the garden if only slightly. The real benefit is for the birds. The finches in particular LOVE the eggshells. I have read it helps to add calcium to their diet, especially welcomed during egg laying season.
The last picture is of the completed area. The huge black tub is a leftover tub from a fountain. The tub cracked last winter during the freeze cycles we experienced. My intent is to dig this tub into the ground after ensuring I have some serious drain holes in it. Once it is buried I will fill it up with elephant ears. I believe elephant ears really like moisture so I am hoping this option of having a tub holding some water will help the elephant ears to really establish in this area. It should help during droughts and will be easier to water than the entire garden.
in the garden....hoping my new garden gets established quickly.
Hello to all, Very nice Tina. I did notice that your pool cover is down in the pool quite a ways. We do not take that much water out of ours for the winter months. You must have a lot of water to siphon of when it rains. Dawn do you take that much out of yours? I wonder if we should.
ReplyDeleteTina,
ReplyDeleteHello, I am seeing more and more of your garden! Love the green house.
You could read more about mine but I am in blogger h---! and can't seem to publish...probably my mistake....but very frustrating!
Gail
hey mom, mr. fix-it says he goes 6" below the skimmer when he drains the pool. he doesn't want the skimmer to freeze. he doesn't siphon-always me-yuck! i do it so often it is not a big deal. our skimmer is old and needs to be replaced, actually, so does the pool liner this year. the pool is now going into its seventh year with no replacements, so i guess we do pretty well.
ReplyDeletei think if what you guys do works, then i wouldn't worry about it, but most i have seen down here seem to do it that way.
gail,
what is the problem? i have been looking and saw you hadn't published. i just thought you were on break. did you email the help desk? obviously your internet is working. must be in blogger. maybe dave or one of the other bloggers can help you out? dave?
Hello Everyone, We got back in yesterday afternoon. Had a great but tiring, and rewarding time with granddaughter. She'll spend spring break with us in March.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to get caught up on all the posts.Thanks Tina for all the grass info I have printed it out for reference. Tomorrow I will get soil samples to have tested it has been about 8 years since we have had it done.
My arbor is on hold. We are having a storm shelter installed as soon as the ground dries enough,so the swing will probably have to be taken down. Better to wait and see! I may have to relocate my peonies and a few other things,ah well!
I got most of my seed started this a.m. Will have to get another seed starter kit to finish. I am getting anxious to get in the yard and get some work done. It sounds like tomorrow may be a beautiful day.
I had some free time during the day to ramble through some antique stores and found several bottles for my bottle tree. So many projects!!!
Tina,
ReplyDeleteIn case you don't see my THANK YOU in my comments post...THANK YOU. You have been a good blogging friend and I am tremendously appreciative,
Gail
nina-welcome back! everyone has been missing you and we appreciate you telling us you would be out of the net. glad you had a good time with your grandaughter. if you got some pictures of her and would like to see one on here, email me one. i am doing a post on gardening, and grandparents with children.
ReplyDeletecan't wait to see your bottle tree. my friend geri's got bent during the storms. she has a metal one. if you do metal, make sure you put a steel pole in it to reinforce it so it will stay up. the bottles can get heavy.
we'll get your arbor when it is done. my garden club is visiting a cutting garden here in tennessee in july. the lady grows many tuberoses! if you would like to come, then by all means let me know. we have another planned for april. over here near my house and will be taking the ferry and having lunch out. love for you come on that one too. you might even make a trip and stop by here. let me know.
i am getting ready to sow some seeds too. been working in the house lately. it is so cold outside.
gail, you are welcomed! email me anytime or comment and i will help if i can. yes, i will see it on your blog. check it often. you are a good responder. important when you blog and i appreciate it!
Tina,
ReplyDeleteBlogging and visiting blogs keeps me hopping!
Gail
Tina,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. Love the green house. How do you keep the neighbors grass from you garden. That would be a big battle down here. The more garden the better.
Glad you're back, Nina. Can tell you had a great time with granddaughter. They are precious.
Hi Jean.
Hang in there Gail. It will straighten out.
Where's Skeeter? She must be in the yard. Seems like a good day.
Dawn with Peaches, Anonymous?
Hi Tina --you are too busy for this mom:) I like that greenhouse --it's so cute! Welcome back Nina --we missed you! Glad you had fun but I always say there is no place like home:) Hi Jean --we have had to drain water off our pool this year --it kept filling back up from all the rain. I think hubby takes it to the skimmer thing --I have no idea how pools work, shame on me:( But, hey I do know how to crank up a weed trimmer and lawnmower so it's all good, right? It was very cool this morning on the way to church we had sleet, rain and some slush --but when church was over it had warmed up quite a bit. I had the boys help me get more firewood --we've been using that fireplace like crazy this year --it takes the chill off without being too much. But, it is messy, messy, messy --I have to dust daily if I want to keep it clean in here. We could put the gas logs in but hubby prefers the smell of burning wood and a crackling fire, lol. Anyhow, off to take the crew for a walk to help them burn some energy.
ReplyDeleteGood evening all. After taking a while to read our huge Sunday paper, the Saint and I went into the back yard to install the potting shelf onto the new mower garage. It looks more like a horse stall then garage and I joked that I was going to go down the street where they breed Miniature horses and get me one! Anyway, once to the shelf project, we did not have the proper size screws for the brackets! Story of our life! Argggg. So back to town again.
ReplyDeleteAte lunch, picked up the screws and then drove out to the lake to see how low she looks. Wow, it sure is low. Has come up a foot with all the rain lately but still 12 feet below normal so we saw lots of land where water should be!
Grocery shopping at Wally World then home to install the shelf. Looks really good and will be an asset in the potting and a big back saver for me too... Noticed they have the first batch of Ferns in at Wal-Mart and Lowes!
It was a bit cooler today so we had on sweat shirts instead of short and tee shirts like yesterday. Calling for another rain shower and cold front on Tuesday so winter is not gone from here as of yet...
Ops, forgot to say Welcome Back Nina!
ReplyDeletehey gail-don't let it all control you!
ReplyDeletelola, my neighbors don't really have much grass, mostly weeds. but the little bit they do have is mostly fescue, which doesn't run. the one area that has pesky Bermuda i have a privacy fence and black erosion contol material and my garden is raised up to keep the Bermuda out. i still have to keep on it though. frustrating. of course they might feel that way about my flowers! lol nah, don't think they really care about gardening outside. sigh. maybe i'll get some new neighbors who do! one of my wishes for the new year!
anonymous, i am like you-let the guy do the pool thing, i'll do the lawn thing. i joked with hubby today i would change my burned out bulbs in the car. not like i couldn't but he said yeah right. guess who did it? him of course. so the same with the pool. mom, if yours works the way you do it, leave it that way. anonymous, wish my house looked half as good as yours inside. i hate to dust. will do windows before i dust! have fun!
skeeter, have you finished the potting bench? send me a picture and i will post it all together. i think your shed looks kind of like a horse stall too, but as long as the mower is covered-hey what the heck! lol makes you happy and it works-right?
it has been tooooo chilly here. very cold. i can imagine georgia got some of it. supposed to warm up this week sometime. too bad about your lake. doesn't bode well for the upcoming summer and water does it?
skeeter, have you by chance checked your ferns this year? i haven't checked mine but i expect they will come out good. don't forget yours before you go buy new ones!
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteWow, I'd like one of these or a hot frame. Ebay has some inexpensive ones that are plexi, but... from the uk.
I drain my pool down to half way, mainly because the kids are tempted the play with the thin ice that forms on cold April nights, my stepson did that one year and it sliced the liner in several places. Plus it is less to siphon and clean when the pool is opened.
Welcome back Nina! I'm sure your granddaughter enjoyed you as much as you enjoyed her.
Picked up stove and fridge today, thought h depot might have something green....nada, nothing. Fake greenery, have to look elsewhere.
Back to school tom. YEA! Storm on tues into wed., must be the one skeeter is due to get. Hope for more rain in Georgia than Snow in Maine!
I wanted to ask anonymous how many boys she has? Thinking of baseball....I keep envisioning that she has her own team.
Hi Gail, hope you get your site worked out.
Hi, Lola.
Hi Lola, I'm sure you have much nicer weather this time of year than us. Hi Skeeter --dang girl you are always doing something --busy, busy, busy! You and Tina have way too many projects for me, hahah. I might get one of those things done in a year, really. Anyhow, glad to hear you have a covered area for your mower --ah, sweet mower!!! Hence you know how happy I get when I talk about my riding mower, lol.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Dawn with peaches --the count is 3 boys and 1 girl here at our house but I always say four boys since the hubby is just another kid just a bit larger than the others:) I do love my little princess though --I don't know what I will do when she grows up --she is at a really cute stage now --still very gullible:) hahahah
Tina --your yardwork is awesome --I on the other hand don't have alot accomplished in the yard, lol. So, I 'try' to make the house a little tidier. And, of course with the crew I have to maintain some sort of cleanliness so they can all find there shoes and stuff, hahaha. Looks like tomorrow might be nice --but then Tuesday not so nice:( Hopefully we can enjoy the good weather tomorrow. My older two need to get chased to bed --catch you all later!
Welcome back Nina!! We missed you but were glad you got to spend some time with your granddaughter. They grow up so fast and they really are great.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous if you do not know how the pool works, then just enjoy it as I think you do your share and as for hubby being a boy also, you know what they say? The only difference betwee a man and a little boy is the price of their toys! LOL
Good morning. Up early today so as to Post a little happy birthday greeting to the Pet People Dragon boy. He appears here occasionally but have not seen his scaly self here lately. Lady Guinevere keeps him busy along with their brood of critters.
ReplyDeleteTina, we did peek under the house to check on the plants but the ferns are in the back so we could not see them. We did not want to move anything. But the Wandering Jew we saw looked perfect and ready to hang! Now this was a few weeks ago but I am sure they are still fine. I also put a beautiful Hosta plant that Mom in Law gave me last fall under there but it did not make it. Will plant it soon for a come back though...
good morning dawn with peaches, anonymous, mom, and skeeter.
ReplyDeleteHi Jean --you hit the nail on the head with they are always boys --just boys buying bigger toys, hahahaha! Like boats and shotguns instead of electronic games and bbguns, hahahaha. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteanonymous-boats equal black holes.
ReplyDeleteshotguns-not so bad.
old cars equal bigger black holes. boys and toys. yes indeed. though hubby would say garden equals biggest black hole!
HEY Tina,
ReplyDeleteGardens equaling black holes, never, lol. Now, boats and cars oh yes --I am certain the hubbies would totally not agree with us on this one. I will need another suggestion for a tree in my tree-less spot. I was thinking a larger cedar but am open to ideas. Thanks!