GardenArtist Posted September 2015
Gardening as therapy.
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The flower was lovely, but the thistles seemed to have a plan to attack me from all sides. Even though I tried to be careful, always emerged from weeding them with multiple cuts on my arms and legs. And of course by the time I forced myself to weed them, it was too hot to wear long sleeved shirts and pants.
I tried to use a scuffle hoe (my go-to weeder) but they were too thick and stubborn.
I don't often dislike a plant, but I really disliked thistles.
Got smart today, bought a galvanized bucket to use for a stool to sit on. What a difference not so closely congregating with the insect world did! No swollen mouth today, and much better angle to get at those weeds! Maybe by September ready to purchase some grass seed for those areas that are now barren of nearly all green. Tempted to do a bit at a time so weeds have some healthy competition.
Glad, we can't afford to do more at this time re the yard. Hubs wants it done this summer. I have already eliminated drip lines for flower beds, concert curbing and I will have to do my own flower beds as well. Eliminating these steps will knock about $600 off the estimate. Plus I did not like want the landscaper said I had to do for the flower bed by the back fence. I want it raised and made into two rolling mounds about 4 ft wide. He said I would have to do 6 ft wide berm with concret curbing. 6ft wide is too wide for me to maintain easily so I will do it my way myself.
Your avatar looks like a dog. Named Rocky? hehehe.
Gladimhere: Saw your container garden grown when you had that as your avatar. Amazing success there! Meant to mention it, but I was distracted. The containers were like metal horse troughs? Beautiful! Was not aware you were planting so many and grouping them. Good job!
Sharyn: You ordered more Iris for your new home! Landscaping a new just built property just doesn't always take off the first time, even if you hire landscaper.
The dichondra lawn had to be replaced with St. Augustine after a year. The soil with construction debris is just so difficult, and may need several inches to feet of good topsoil, imo. Good luck on your new flower bed!
My goal is to ask hubs to take out and discard the dead Cape Honeysuckle that died in the heat. There is another one just taking off, growing green, and huge!
Are you saving the rocks from your land? I found some big concrete chunks at the back of my yard; I suspect they were left over after the builder finished his concrete work and it was easier to just bury them than haul them out. No problem; they became the border for my woodland garden.
My father told me that decades ago that's where developers as well as homeowners buried some of their trash - at the end of the property. I did find some very small bottles which I believe were some kind of medicine bottle.
The garden area was a different story. That area, for the rest of the block, was originally a swamp that was filled in when the block was developed. I wondered why I smelled water, as if I was at a lake, when I began digging. It wasn't until much later that I learned about the swamp.
Lots of double digging, compost, and the garden became prolific with great soil, so much so that every little seedling that drops from the 4 junk tree widow makers in the yard next door sprouts, and grows, and grows and grows.
As far as if they put anything down before laying the sod in the front, I don't know. The landscaper who put on the sprinklers and sod in the front, would not call us back re the backyard so I called another company. I will find out more Monday as I have sketched my design plan with the need for the soil to be raised by the fence line as the neighbors sprinklers keep about 3' out from the dense very wet. My plan will is to have a flowerbed the width of the patio about 3' wide but it will have be filled in and mounded with pavers around it. It all depends on $$$.
I also remember my mom putting bricks at the base of her hydrangeas to change the color of the blooms. Red bricks would change the blooms from blue to pink as I remember, though someone could tell me differently
Double digging is extremely helpful, but if you have a strong back and want to try it, start with a small area first.
Mulch (dried lawn clippings, dried last year's leaves) can also help by slowing down soil dry out.
And earthworms are a big help as well. If you don't drink coffee and save the grounds, I understand that Starbucks gives away bags of coffee grounds to gardeners. Work them into the soil and the worms will come and provide some underground tilling for you.