Paver project update

Saturday.  Discouragement.  Exhaustion. A full week of work and still at it. The rocks were down, but then there was the edging, the weedcloth to minimize the amount of sand needed, and figuring how to level the sand... 

And finally a taste of success...

Back to real work today.  That computer chair is going to feel great!  A week clearly was not enough time for this major project.

Potatoes

I might need to replant lettuce for the 4th time, but look at how well my potatoes are growing!   I start these by sitting sprouting red potatoes (or potato starts when they are available and cheap)  on an inch of potting soil and then barely covering them.  As the grow I add more soil to almost cover the foliage.  They grow so rapidly they need more soil every day or two.  Then in 10-12 weeks, if I am blessed, there will be a pot of potatoes.  Since I almost always use potatoes that would otherwise go to compost, it isn't traumatic if the crop fails.  It works really well though, just do not overwater. 

And look at this!  Last spring I bought a bag of potato starts and, not knowing what else to do with the extras, I stuck them in the ground.  They didn't grow, so oh well.  But now here they are growing away.  I hope they make some potatoes! 

Paver project update

The paving project is off to a slow but sure start.  Sure because that is the way hardworking perfectionists do things.  Slow because that is the consequence of being a hardworking perfectionist.  So the prep work took four days, even with Robby helping as he had time.  

 The hard working perfectionist. 

 The inevitable glitch, discovering the pillars are not sitting on their foundations, a construction mis-measure we are guessing, so part of the porch had to be left in place which meant all new leveling. 

 Piles of materials, and the van stuck inside for the duration.

Just imagine how gorgeous it will be. 



Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are such striking annuals I wish they would grow here all year.  They come in both clumping and climbing (or running since they do not actually climb on their own) types and I grow both.  There are narrow windows here in the spring and the fall when they grow happily and even reseed when they have the chance.  They come in all the warm colors, red, orange, yellow and pink.  My favorites are the clumping Empress of India and the climber Moonlight.  Empress of India has smaller, bluer leaves with reddish flowers, while Moonlight looks as it sounds, the palest of yellows, and can grow quite vigorously, with leaves 4 inches across running 6 feet across the garden.  In rain, they are wonderful as the leaves hold raindrops.  Too bad that both frost and heat kill these back.  Another advantage to these is the ease in maintenance, do nothing beyond poking the seeds in the ground.  The roots come up with a tug for disposal at the end of the season.  I like nasturtiums enough that I sat through the third Lord of the Rings movie solely because a gardening friend said the nasturtiums were not to be missed.  Bother, they were in the final scene in a Hobbit garden and only seen for a minute or two.  Not worth the hours of watching and waiting when I have as good just outside the door. 

Seasonal rhythm

I was out this morning in the cool of a gathering storm cleaning up the withering annuals and perennials.  I realized the the condition of the dahlia is due to my lack in cutting back in July.  I have said before that I have learned to cut back most of the garden heavily towards the end of July.  It might look lean during the long hot spell following, but bounces back for a good long spell in fall.  Now, having not cut back this year, I find the cost is cutting back now, all the way to the ground. So there will probably not be any dahlias for the next month or two before frost.  Even though I counted three dozen kinds of flowers blooming for October 1, the dahlias, zinnias, salvias and cosmos are the big color impact in the fall as well as summer.  Hopefully next year I will pay attention and get that job done. 

Satisfying Saturday

Yesterday I fall cleaned the guest room and mailed this outfit I made for Eva. So silly it took me so long. It was intended for camping this summer and here it is coming on winter there. The overalls are repurposed from one of Jerry's shirts. I do not like the lining and that is what made it take so long. But I think those accomplishments prepped me for a great day today. 

  

It has been a while since we had a fun yet productive Saturday. I started the day with errands, farmer market and scoping out the shops for things like towels for Deb and 'Cars' sweats for Nathan, and T-shirts I can use for a new idea for little cardigans for babys. Not much luck, except I saw some fun towels at Target, pink with multicolors stripes with appliqued owls, so cute for Deb's pink bathroom. Of course I would not buy anything that far from solid beige without permission, but they have made me smile all day.

      This plant stand will go in the front yard as an accent. 

Palest yellow pansies.

This afternoon Jerry and I went to the stone yard, the plant nursery, Lowe's, OSH and Starbucks, oh and Radio Shack.  Jerry is trying to fix the coffee maker Jeff gave him for Christmas a couple years ago.  At the plant nursery I got into the pansies, and bought three colors.  I also got some orange snapdragons, just because I love the color.  Luis' always has red pansies, my favorites. This evening I started planting them. 

The big news is after more than a year of waffling about and thinking and planning, and waiting so long Home Depot stopped carrying the pavers we wanted, we finally decided what to do and found a wonderful company in Arizona that sold us pavers we love for price similar to Home Depot. It is great to do business with people who know their product.  So we were out today figuring out what all else we need to get started.  Jerry has a week off, week after this, and hopefully we will make good progress then.  Here is Jerry breaking ground, digging out old bricks and tree roots.  Thanks to Rosalee's generous gift we will soon have our front walkways, patio and tricycle track. 

And finally we had some amazing french toast for dinner.  For some reason this week I have just dreaded having to make dinner and then worried that after nearly 38 years I no longer like to cook.  But when Jerry said that's fine we can eat out, that sounded so gross.  He said maybe I am just not into dinner right now. 

It has been quite the satisfying Saturday, with other chores completed as well. 

Compost

Another new book, Composting inside & out by Stephanie Davies, the urban worm girl, is one I will not be reading word by word.  I compost.  I do not want to be an expert in 14 methods of composting.  Neither do I want to read any more closely about composting human waste. I do not want to compost indoors.  And the worms in my compost bin are there naturally; I do not want to manage a little worm farm. 

But beyond all my ew, ick, reactions to this book, it has really solid information.  There are chapters on soil health and beneficial bacteria and fungi.  When I see a yard where the soil has never been fed I cringe.  I do think composting and mulching are not just beneficial, but essential.  The pictures in the book of barren soil will convince you this is true, if you have not yet noticed for yourself.   There is value here in the clear explanations of different composting methods and systems.  If you are wondering how to start or which system to use, this will help.  The nicest part is it begins with the simple things.  Davies suggests simply burying egg shells, banana peels and coffee grounds, three nutritive power houses (not so icky to handle either) 8 inches deep.  The 8 inches is to keep animals away.  Denise does this in Alaska because their season is too short and cool for a compost pile to break down.  Another simple suggestion is wrapping kitchen waste in newspapers and deposting the bundle in the composter.  Or, similarly, using a brown paper bag.  The papers are the 'brown' elements that are necessary for the 'green' kitchen waste to break down.  Hmmm... I just noticed tips on composting in hot dry climates.  I think I will go read some more.