Category: Lawn and garden

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Tree branch clean up

For the last week we’ve had super hot and humid weather with lots of storms coming in. With those storms came a very loud and rather scary thunder symphony and a light show like you wouldn’t believe. The lightning was even going side ways across the sky. It also did a lot of damage to the big maple tree I have in the back yard, bordering the field line.

After a HUGH booming roll of thunder I looked outside in time to see my tree get struck by lightning. It was fascinating yet frightening to see. One of the main branches was struck and down it came. After the storm we went outside and looked at the damage, and it wasn’t quite enough for the tree to have to be cut to the ground, but it does look a bit worse for wear and has a bald spot right in the middle.

There is a lot of clean up to do, with not only chopping up and drying out the big branch so it can be burned, but also other limbs from the various trees and shrubs, that had wind damage and fell. Looks like we’re going to have a bon fire when these storms are over with.

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Summer or Fall

When I should be doing things in the gardens and also sprucing up the rest of the yards and patio, for the last four days, I’ve been stuck in the house because of the cold, damp and rain. It’s kind of a bummer.

Of course there are lots of things to do inside. I’m trying to find carpet that I like for the living room, the exact paint color I want also. I just haven’t gotten up the Ommph to do any of this, because it’s so dismal outside. I did however have the furnace cleaned out, since I had to actually turn on the furnace because it reached the low of 52 inside, and that is way too cold for me.

Hopefully we will have a proper summer, but if this weather right now is any indication of what we are actually in for, I’m not going to be a happy camper. I should go back to Florida with my daughter when she has to leave next week.

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More changes and improvement

Being somewhat satisfied that the inside improvements are coming along on the house until fall, I’ve moved onto my projects for the outside. I have lots of ideas, but don’t want something that can’t be finished in a short amount of time. I’ve considered a walk way in the back yard to the pool instead of walking through the yard. It’s a pain in the you know when the grass has just been cut and even though it’s raked we still get bits of grass in the pool. Yes, despite of a foot bath bucket to dip feet in before going into the pool. (This still isn’t the best way to go).

I saw a really awesome walkway while browsing the inter net yesterday.  It was on a timeline, and I thought it was really beautiful. A lot of planning and work, but still unique and a work of art in it’s self. I also collect rocks and stones. I have even when I was young. This project I would have had to start as soon as it got warm enough outside though. And since I just found this photo, I may have to wait for this one. But I do want a walk way so perhaps after we get a plain one down, I’ll at least have a base of sorts.

 

 

 

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An Organic Lawn Care Service

As the years go by, I can’t count the amount of money I’ve put in to my gardens and lawn. I’m having problems with the back yard and the grass that is growing back there. A friend of mine told me about TruNatural Organic Lawn Care Service that she had used and I wanted to get the info about it. While checking out the site, I must admit that I was and still am totally impressed!

I was worried if I hired a lawn care service that there would be chemicals and treatments that could harm the family and our pets, but with an organic lawn care service, this particular one anyway, the products are certified by the EPA, which gives me the peace of mind I need. Various lawns need different kinds of care and TruNatural offers it all!

Professionals actually are doctors for your lawn and unlike doctors today, these professionals make house calls! I think that statement kind of says it all, considering I know my lawn isn’t up to par and needs help. It just doesn’t look as green and lush and it’s supposed to be. There are literal plans that meet my lawns certain needs and since I don’t know what exactly it needs, I’ve decided it’s well worth the time asking lots of questions and also worth the money that I’ll actually be saving with an honest service instead of one that just does the minimum for my lawn but charges a fortune. It indeed is worth checking this service out!

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Months are flying by

It seems like it was December just yesterday and I was shopping for Christmas gifts. Now we are about to welcome in June and my goodness the months seem to be flying by. My youngest daughter will be coming home for her birthday on the 26th and will stay for a month before she has to leave and go back to Florida and work. I’m glad she was able to take the time off and it will be so great seeing her and hugging her, hanging out and just having her around again.

As I welcome in June, I’ve noticed that all the flower seeds and other plants I put in the ground after Mother’s Day are coming up nicely and the annuals I have are in full bloom! Yes, its starting to look like a garden again!

I have a lot of home improvement projects going on also. From flag stone for the patio, to new flooring in the living room and bathroom. Also the job of finishing the living room paint job and buying new curtains and adding some decor that matches the whole thing. It’s been a busy few months but worth it!

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Ripped pool liner

While getting ready to open the pool, everything was nearly done but once it started filling with water I realized that the liner had a tear in it and I was loosing water faster than I could ever have imagined once the water got nearly three feet deep. I had once heck of a time draining the  pool and trying to find the leak. And standing in ice cold water up to my knees as it drained made my legs numb.

I was about ready to hang up this project and save it for another day, when my daughter called. She was using a service to open her pool, and since her husband is friends with the guy doing it, she said she was sending a pro to me!

The liner wasn’t as bad as I thought and the guy who came out, had some super good stuff to patch it up. He said it would last though the summer and even gave a guarantee, which surprised me. Now I hope that the ground will absorb all the water that leaked out, and it’s not so marshy out in the back yard. Still…I’m so happy I have a thoughtful daughter who’s husband knows people!

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Seeds and Sunburns

After spending yesterday getting my garden soil ready for planting and then this morning planting seeds, moving various plants to another section of the garden, and also removing weeds, I am quite sunburned and the day isn’t over yet. Then of course tomorrow it’s supposed to be another beautiful day, so I’ll be out doing more digging, weeding and planting. It’s always hard telling what the weather is going to do, so I want to get as much of the gardens here finished. I have a long way to go.

Since I spend time with my mom who is getting older and not as spry as she used to be, I help her around the house and take care of the heavy work in the yards. There is a corner of the back yard that I’m turning into a place she can sit in the shade and also be surrounded by plants and flowers. I’ll post photos of before and after when I’m finished.

So far I have planted cherry tomatoes, scarlet runner beans, zinnias, hyacinth beans, and various herbs in the front yard. The back yard, which is bricked except the corner where there is a small patch of grass and along the privacy fence which I dug up to use for herbs and flowers is started but I have a long way to go yet. Her gardens here are my creation and also my show piece, I’m conceited enough to say! 😉  Since I have gardens at my home up north I’ve also been revamping them and changing the look of them just by rearranging the flowering herbs I grow and also adding more varieties. I’ll no doubt be working on this all summer, which is fine by me since gardening is the love of my life! I just have to remember to use a lot more sunscreen!

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Gifts and Calls for Mother’s Day

So far this morning, I have gotten at least ten phone calls from “kids” and family wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day. Even some young people who have grown up with my kids, have called! It’s awesome that they would still after all these years, consider me a sort of “extra” mom.

My sons bought me a beautiful rose bush that I fully intend on babying, since in the past, I’ve not had much luck with rose bushes. My youngest daughter called and sang me a song over the telephone that she had written just for me and this day! My oldest daughter is taking me out to lunch this coming week, and then we’re going shopping also!

I’m staying at my moms house, so the kids all are also wishing her mother’s day wishes also. This afternoon I plan on taking her shopping for some summer outfits and then we’re going out to lunch before my brother and sisters arrive at her house with gifts for her. I’m looking forward to spending time with the family and also.

To all my readers who are Mom’s, I wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day! Pamper yourself or let others pamper you. Ya’ll deserve it!

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Earth day clean up

Today my grand daughter’s girl scout group and the parents and grand parents were invited to help clean up a short road near the school.  There were other groups from the school who also were assigned roads to clean up…at least the debris on the sides of the road.

I couldn’t make it, as I have just gotten out of the hospital and am not supposed to do much of anything for the next week. Since I had thought I could go along, I had packed snacks in little recyclable bags to give the girls and my daughter picked them up to take along. They all looked so cute and ready to do their part to keep the earth clean.  I’m so proud my grand daughter is involved in caring groups like this.

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Spouts in two days

For the heck of it, I wanted to plant some seeds in some old peat clumps that I had laying around in the garden shed. I put the peat clump in little clay pots after soaking the peat for a few minutes in water. What I think the peat clumps came from was one of those Chia Pet type planters, the never worked for me.

After I put three seeds in each pot…on top the peat, only pressing the seeds in slightly, I covered them with some clear plastic to get that green house effect. I then put the little pots on top of the refrigerator because it’s warm up there and the morning sun shines on it somewhat.

I marked the date on the calendar which was the 4th, that I had planted the seeds. The seeds sprouted in two days. I personally thought it was remarkably fast. I took the plastic off because in only two days the were growing so fast that the plastic was bending the stems. Now, after four days the stems are about two and a half inches tall. I might just start all my seeds like this!