Archive for the ‘Landscaping’ Category
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 |
Do you remember back when I transplanted those shrubs from the front yard to the side of the driveway? Well, everything is going well, except for the fact that the soil I planted everything in is extremely fertile for weeds. I had a little forest growing within a few weeks.
I finally got my butt out there about a week ago and weeded the whole garden. Weeds will only stay down for a short time unless you do something about them. Also, in the garden, I noticed some small plum shrubs getting very dry leaves. That was caused by the very dry soil.
The problem is that every time I tried to water the shrubs when the ground was dry, the water would run right off the dirt. It was very frustrating. This stopped the shrub roots from receiving the much needed water. Also, the soil that the water did soak into dried very quickly from the hot sun.
There really was only one thing to do…mulch. Yesterday, I went out and bought about a yard of mulch just for this occasion. This morning, I did what I had to do.
First, let me explain the benefits of mulching a flower bed.
- Mulch keeps down weeds - prevents germination of many weed seeds
- Mulch keeps the soil moist in between rainy periods and hidden from the hot sun
- Mulch looks really good and accents your garden areas
- Mulch breaks down to add organics to your soil
- Mulch moderates the soil temperature
- Mulch protects the soil from the impact of raindrops that cause hardening
- Mulch encourages the growth of earth worms and other beneficial organisms
- Mulch keeps your plants clean by inhibiting soil splatter when it rains
- Mulch helps the rain water soak into the ground slowly so it doesn’t run off
With all these benefits of mulching, I was very eager to get started. Here are some photos of the process…
This is the before shot of the area I mulched. As you can see, I started digging the beginning of it when I remembered the I had to get the camera. Sometimes I am so excited to get going that I forget one of the reasons I am doing it…PICTURES!!!
With a pointed shovel, I edged the entire garden area. I put the shovel about half way into the soil and then just slid it under the grass to peel it up like a carpet. I then put the grass and extra soil into the wheelbarrow to dump on a rocky area that needs soil and grass. I am hoping if I spread it out, it will grow.
I dug the area to be mulched so it’s about four inches below the dirt the grass is growing in. That makes edging later on a heck of a lot easier.
Bags of mulch ready for use
I spread the bags of mulch out where I thought I would need them. When I got to each bag, I ran a knife up the side of each one. This made it a lot easier to pour where I needed the mulch. For this project, I used 27 cubic feet of mulch. I was about 15 cubic feet short.
This is the mulched garden area. As I mentioned above, I was about a half yard short of mulch. I like to put it about three inches thick. I had to spread it thin because there just wasn’t enough. I think I am going to wait until Spring to finish. It is a lot easier when all the plants aren’t in the way.
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Monday, August 4th, 2008 |
Laura and I have been walking quite a bit. We are up to 3.7 miles per walk now. I never really thought that walking was much exercise until recently. When I hit that three mile point, I start feeling it. The feeling has been less and less intense though, so I guess I am getting in better shape.
We see a lot of things on our walks, and landscaping is one of them. One thing I notice in particular is what people do with their mailboxes. You could have guessed that. You know, your mailbox tells a lot about you. It tells what kind of person you are…not that it’s good or bad, just what you are like. I remember one guy back in Brewster had a mailbox that was 10 feet in the air. It read “Air Mail” on the side of it. That tells me he has a sense of humor. If you have a big iron mailbox, but have never had any previous mailbox smashed, that tells me you are kind of paranoid. If you have had a mailbox smashed and you went the iron route, I can see that you are smart.
Ok, this post really isn’t about mailboxes, it’s about the landscaping around them. I really like the idea of making the first thing people see when they come to visit us nice. I like a nice mailbox, a nice post and nice landscaping. As you may know, I already made the mailbox nice.
Today, I ran out to the local hardware store to pick up another yard of pine mulch. I wanted to use some for around the mailbox and the rest for another post I will most likely write tomorrow. Today’s post is about how I spruced up the mailbox area.
Here are a few pictures of what I did:
Mailbox before picture
This is a photo of the mailbox before I did anything to its surrounding area.
Digging out grass around mailbox
The first thing I did was to dig out the existing grass around the mailbox. I used the flat side of a pick-ax. It was pretty easy to get up. Then, I used a shovel to make the edges of the area nice and sharp.
Adding ornamental grass to mailbox area
After the area was prepped and ready for some plants, I added four ornamental grass plants to it.
Adding mulch to mailbox area
When the plants were the way I wanted them, I added three cubic feet of pine mulch over the dirt. This mulch will keep the weeds down and will also keep the dirt moist in between rain showers.
I still need to get a broom up there to clean the dirt off the street, but I think the area looks better than it did. Perhaps now, when someone goes for a walk, they can get an idea or two from what I have done.
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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 |
So, I did it. I jumped on the Milky Spore bandwagon.
Yesterday, I was thinking about how much I hear about this Milky Spore stuff. You know, Milky Spore is the thing that causes Milky Disease in grubs. It’s powder that you sprinkle onto the ground in a grid that takes years to work. Some people say that too many conditions need to be met and that because of all those conditions, it doesn’t really work. You can read about that here.
Here is how it works…First, Milky Spore comes in two types, powder and granules. The powder is more concentrated, but the granules are a heck of a lot easier to apply to a larger property. I can’t even imagine putting a teaspoon of powder down every four feet to create a grid across the entire lawn. They have applicators, but still…
I prefer the spreader method. Even if you need to apply the Milky Spore more often, it sure is a heck of a lot easier.
Back to how it works. Milky Spore gets placed on the dirt by you. It gets washed in by either a hose or rain. Grubs (when they are feeding) eat the Milky Spore and get sick. Before they get sick, their bodies turn into Milky Spore factories, creating a bunch more Milky Spore. When the grub dies, they release all that new Milky Spore into the soil. This goes on year after year. The only thing you have to remember is that you need to apply enough to build up a certain level of bacterium in the soil to do any damage to the grubs. Also, if it’s too cool when they eat it, it will pass right through them without damage.
Like I said, I like the granule method better.
The bag says it is safe for other insects, birds, pets and man. I am not sure about women. It didn’t mention anything about them.
I bought two 20lb bags this afternoon during a rain storm. When I got home, I waited for the rain to stop and spread both bags. I think there is supposed to be more rain tonight, so it should get washed in. Now, I just have to apply every year. They recommend three times a year, but that probably won’t happen.
I sure would like to get some people’s opinions on this stuff. Does it work?
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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 |
It has been pretty dry here lately. It just rained this morning, which is good, but up until that, we haven’t had any substantial rainfall in quite some time. I have been watching many plants wilt because of the dryness. The neighbors are getting used to the guy with no shirt standing out front with a hose in his hand.
I have had a few goals. One of them was to finish the rhododendron line across the front of the property. I have been looking at Home Depot for rhododendrons, but none can be found…anywhere. I guess they are a Spring time seller. I actually had to dig up and few that were already planted on the property and the ones I planted earlier in the season to finish the row. It’s done now, so that’s good.
I also wanted to plant some sort of a perimeter around the patio area near the basement doors. I decided to go with the Blue Prince Holly that I have been buying (it’s the only thing left), along with some that I planted earlier on. Earlier in the season, I had no plan and I was just sticking these things in the dirt. Now, at least I have a plan.
I did make a nice discovery yesterday. For a few months, I have been dismayed at the price of mulch around here. I used to pay $20 per yard at the other house. Here, these crooks are charging about $50 per yard. I need to get some of what they are smoking. It’s funny because when I call somewhere for a price, I always sense a little hesitancy in their voices as they tell me how much they charge. They know what they are doing.
I called the local hardware store and found out they sold mulch by the bag. They had 3lb bags of pine mulch for $4.49 per bag. I didn’t think that was too bad, since I just paid almost $5 per bag at Home Depot for that dyed junk. I stopped by the store and picked up 10 bags. That’s 30 cubic feet (a little over a yard) for about $45. I beat the system, you see. Now, I can go back and get 10 bags at a time only when I need them.
The mulch is very important, not only to me and my mulch addiction, but for the plants as well. The whole reason for the plants wilting is because the ground wasn’t holding in any of the moisture. I kept watering them, but the sunshine was just too strong. Now, since I mulched and gave each plant a nice soaking, I think the plants will grow nicely.
Blue Prince Holly planted for a hedge line.
The holly bushes really don’t need any mulch because the grass is nice and moist in the back yard.
Speaking of grass, I don’t know how I did it, but the back and side lawns are like a nice thick green carpet. I now mow the lawn on the highest level the mower will go and I think it made a difference. I also overseeded with the Vigoro Contractor’s Mix, so there is some good warm weather seed in there. The reason I mow with the higher setting now is because the grass I planted holds most of the water it absorbs in its leaves. If you mow too low, you are actually cutting off all that water. Also, a short mow exposes the dirt so it gets baked and weeds start to grow. Mowing at a higher level will give you a greener lawn.
Here, check it out…
Hand in grass showing height of mowing.
See, I’m not making this stuff up. Now, if I could just get rid of the brown crispy grass in the front and replace it with this stuff, I will be in good shape. The seed is down, so a bit more rainfall should do it.
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Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 |
I picked up the last bag of grass seed today. Again, I got the Vigoro Contractor’s Blend.
Last night, I looked up some stuff about grass seed. I learned all about Ryegrass, Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass. I thought I had it all down pat. When I went into the Depot today, I made sure to read the back of each different bag of grass seed. I was trying to avoid the annual seeds.
The Vigoro bag came out on top. For about $36, I got a 20lb. blended bag of Panterra Italian Ryegrass, Bargena 3 Creeping Red Fescue, Palmer 4 Perrenial Ryegrass and Merit Kentucky Bluegrass. I thought, “Wow, this one has no annual seed in it.” How cool. Well, as it turns out, Panterra Italian Ryegrass is code for annual ryegrass. Hey, good thing there is 39.67% of it in there.
Oh well, it germinates very quickly and gives good ground cover for the other 60% of seed to grow.
I went outside to do some spreading just a little while ago. I did sweat a lot, but I got it done. Spreading grass seed is a strange phenomenon. It is much like opening a window and tossing out $36 in one dollar bills. Once you are done, you kind of stand there lookingat yourself. “Where did it all go?”
In a few short weeks, I expect to see a nice, thick lawn. It is almost there now, but it should be complete soon. Everywhere I look, I read that you should seed in the Spring or Fall, but since I have been having such good luck with seeding in the Summer, I decided to continue.
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Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 |
I don’t know, but it is starting to get annoying.
If you remember back at the beginning, we had a few spots in the lawn that needed seed. Well, I seeded them. Within a few days, grass started to grow. I just thought this was the cat’s meow. I couldn’t believe it because I have never been all that good at getting grass to grow.
Well, now that the thick grass is coming in, it’s making all the old grass look…well, old. Now I want new grass everywhere.
Every time I see a nice green lawn, I get green with envy. I have no idea why. I have seen guys like this when I was a kid. I never knew why they kept looking at their lawns. Now, I look at grass. It’s silly, but for some strange reason, we do it.
This is the area of the lawn where there were big bald areas. I didn’t think I would get anything to grow, but it started sprouting within days.
This is the area that was pretty good. Now, the grass is starting to get a little crispy. I want that nice, soft, green grass here too. I think I am going to get one last bag of seed and do a little seeding up here.
This is the back yard. As you can see, there are no problems here. I finally got it just the way I wanted. Even from the upstairs window, the entire law looks full and thick.
I just seeded some front areas the other day. It is starting to come in and is looking thicker every day. As I mentioned, I am going to get one more bag for the front and call it quits for the season.
One thing I discovered during my last mow was that if I raise the mower deck one level, the grass looks better. I get less clumping and the grass looks a heck of a lot better. I am going to mow it like that from now on.
Now, some people out there might think I am wasting my time with all this grass talk. Well, perhaps you are correct, but I am not going to have heavy rain wash away the top layer of dirt anymore. I would like a nice root system going on to protect the lawn from the rain.
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 |
Today was another day of running around. I had to head up to Tile America in West Hartford to meet the tile installer. After that, I had to go over to Pat’s Power Equipment in Tolland for a new backpack blower.
I am sure I will write all about the tile in another post. Now, I would like to share an awesome new tool I got today…the backpack blower. When I bought the pressure washer, I wasn’t too enthused. I mean, yeah, I’ll use it when I need it. The backpack blower on the other hand, is something I will actually enjoy using when I need it.
Take a look…
This is the Stihl BR 550 backpack blower. It’s the second most powerful one they have. I just used it on the driveway and the walkway and am very happy I got one so powerful. I have recently heard good things about those hand-held ones, but was skeptical. I used to use a commercial backpack blower and knew what it was capable of. I couldn’t imagine me trying to blow leaves out of the gardens, come Fall, and me not getting wicked mad at one of those hand-held machines.
Here are the specs:
DISPLACEMENT: 64.8 cc (3.95 cu. in.)
ENGINE POWER: 3.0 kW (4.0 bhp)
WEIGHT: 9.7 kg (21.4 Ibs.)
FUEL CAPACITY: 1400 cc (47.3 oz.)
AIR VOLUME:
With tube: 900 m3/h (530 cfm)
Without tube: 1490 m3/h (877 cfm)
AIR VELOCITY: 89 m/sec. (199 mph)
I think the things people look at are the “air volume” and the “air velocity.” Those are the two things that actually move stuff.
I like getting Stihl power equipment. When I do so, I never have to worry about if I just bought junk or not. I know it’s not.
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Sunday, June 15th, 2008 |
I did a bunch of weeding yesterday and then pulled out the weed whacker. I cleaned up all along the front edge of the garden and really was quite proud of myself. Today, I was outside doing something when Laura decided to visit me. I asked her to look how nice the front of the garden came out and she relied, “Um, yeah…it still needs something. Some sort of an edge.” Then, she went back inside.
Well, listen to this. I could read the writing on the wall. I knew that if I didn’t get my butt in gear and make a brand new stone wall, I was in for some serious punishment when I walked through that door later on. What did I do? I made a new stone wall, that’s what I did. I am actually quite gifted the art of stone wall building.
The only thing that went wrong was I forgot to take a before picture. That kind of stinks. I always forget because I really never intend to do these things. It starts off with me grabbing a big rock and walking over to the garden with it. Then, I grab another. The rest is history and I really don’t think I am able to change.
You might want to call me up right now and ask, “Hey man, where’d you get all those cool rocks?” To which I would reply, “They were around.”
Peace out.
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Saturday, June 7th, 2008 |
Every time I visit either Lowe’s or Home Depot, I try to go into the nursery to grab a few shrubs. I can always find a use for shrubs, I just wish they were free. That would be wild.
I need about 50 Rhododendrons. I would like to line the entire wooded area up front as well as both sides of the driveway. I love the look of fully grown Rhododendrons. They are great cover and have wonderful flowers.
I remember one house down in Yonkers that I did some work at years ago. It was owned by an old (rich) dude. He had everything looking just perfect. There were huge Rhododendrons, Japanese Yew, Hemlock and all the rest. It was so green and so was I, with envy. I still have the image in my mind and that’s what I would like to have one day.
But for now, I will have to do with small Rhododendrons to start.
I bought three of these during my last trip to Home Depot.
This is one of the areas I would like to line. When the plants grow larger, they will hang over the rocks and all I will have to do is push the mower under the plants. I know, I am too slick.
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Saturday, June 7th, 2008 |
I pull the lawnmwer out twice a week. This is so I don’t kill myself. I am not sure if I told you or not, but I am going to skip the ride-on-mower purchase and stick with my pushmower. I am doing this for a few reasons. First, I just bought the push mower. I would hate to se it sit there and not get used. Second, I don’t want to become totally useless and lose the last bit of exercise I get. Third, I would like to not have to shell out another two grand for something I really don’t need.
Back to why I pull the push mower out twice a week. There is a lot of grass. By the time I get done with the grass up near the road, I am pretty pooped. I am also usually hacking from all the dust I just breathed in. I am sure that ride-on-mower will be looking really good one day.
I was going to mow the front, side and back yards today. It rained yesterday and they need to be cut. It is also above 90 degrees outside today. It is really hot. As I started looking at the lawn, I thought that I should, perhaps, wait a day or two. There are little seedlings forming at the tips of the blades. If I wait, maybe there will be more seedlings and I won’t have to buy more grass seed (for $45 a bag).
It’s really not that bad…
It also feels great between my toes.
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