Fings wot I've been doing
Oct. 29th, 2007 09:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoney321Here is a pictorial of what I've been up to all last week (and most of this past weekend.) This is why I fell down the rabbit hole, so to speak. Big old picspam ahead, so if you're on dial-up, give this a pass.
So this is the old front of my house. Not the original, as the original owners grew Bermuda in the flower beds, and this pic is from just after digging it all out and sticking in a few plants. (last winter.)
and the following spring, 2007
You may notice the crappy, half-dead grass, the crappy, half-dead Bradford pear in the front. For any newcomers, I'm a Master Gardener. I was so ashamed for my neighbors to find out, because look at that crap! Gah. I finally, FINALLY convinced the Mister that my vision for the front of the house needed to be realized while he was on his mini-vacation. *cough* The trade off was I had to do it all myself, as he loathes working in the yard.
Bye bye, tree!
(that's my son pretending he cut it down. He did not. Giving him an axe is like giving a zombie brains.)
I got him to help me do ONE THING (because that sod cutter weighed over 400 pounds, and our front is inclined.) That's #2 in the background, attempting to use a pitchfork.
Most of the grass cleared away. For the record, I found a total of 31 bricks in that section of lawn. 31. Also, 4 coke cans, 2 plastic pop bottles, a green plastic net, and a trash bag. All just under the sod. It should be no wonder that the grass wasn't growing well.
I then unloaded a ton of compost onto the bare earth and tilled it in (to a depth of 14 inches, for those curious.) The two trees went in, a Mexican Plum and a Chinese Pistache. To keep the compost from running away in the rain, I covered it all in cedar mulch. And then I took a Doan's back pill and waited for another day.
and
Next, I worked on the hardscape (rocks, permanent structures.) I hauled some large flagstones from our backyard (which will be demolished this winter to make way for a pool \o/) out to the front and made two stairways out of them and some other large landscape rocks (to better anchor them and to keep them from wobbling.) Next, I drove to a rockery (rock yard? Place where they sell rocks?) and purchased two large boulders, one a half-ton and the other a quarter-ton. (they're sold by the weight) I paid an extra fee to have them delivered to my yard, because... half-ton and a quarter-ton.
So, a few hours later, a flat-bed semi pulls up with my two boulders on a wooden palette and a bobcat to move them. The guy gets out, unloads the bobcat, picks up the palette, and then DROPS IT OFF ON MY DRIVEWAY. AND THEN LOADS THE BOBCAT BACK UP. I stood there for a second with my mouth hanging open, then asked him if he wasn't going to put the rocks in the garden.
"I don't do that."
"Does it look like I can?"
He begrudgingly flipped them off the palette onto the edge of the new bed and the driveway, then left.
So... I had to figure out how the hell to move almost 2 tons of stone into position. And then I remembered Physics. Lovely, lovely physics. Since my yard is sloped, I used my good friend Gravity to help me, and we called up our buddy, Lever. I dug out the soil under the front ends of the boulders, wedged a stone from my garden under the big rock, then used an old pipe (I think it used to be a flag pole - good thing we didn't toss it!) to flip the boulder into place.
After blacking out (har) it finally moved. It's not in the perfect spot, but good lord, I'm not moving them again. Next was installing electrical lights to light up the stone paths, because out here in the 'burbs, it gets DARK at night. (I did it all by myself! Electrical lights!!) Okay, so it was a very simple set-up, but hey - I need the ego boost. :D After putting in 182 plants (including 40 bulbs: crocosmia, white Dutch iris, gayfeather, and phlox, all transplants from the back garden, and 32 large-ish plants from the same) here is what it looks like. (Remember: it's a NEW bed. It's not all lush and full yet.)
At night... (I didn't take a super good picture, but then, I never do)
My gardening buddy, Darthanne (she loooooves the new garden because she blends in and has more stalking hideouts. Heh. This is the floor level bird bath for all the creatures that come visiting at night - in the old bed.)
Here is the old shade-bed, off the side of my front porch, and the only bed that I liked up until now. (The ginger is in bloom and it smells SO GOOD.)
Can you see the visitor?
Enhance!
(There's a family of hummers that come back every year and have a little nest in the old Bradford pear. Hopefully they'll make a new one in our plum tree.)
Random flower pic (Texas Star Hibiscus - currently 4 ft. tall and still growing)
Random flower pic #2 - my yellow rose, which only took a moderate hit (black spot) compared to the other roses around here. (We had a very wet and hot summer)
Random flower pic #3, an Echeveria (Topsy Turvy) a.k.a. Hen and Chicks. These are all along the edge of the stone path way, and will multiply like mad. (There's also oregano and thyme along the paths, too.)
So, I'm tired. But pleased. It will look much better this spring. Oh, the grasses, for those interested, are Gulf Muhly grasses, which will get to 4 ft. tall, and about 2-3ft. wide. The pink blooms along the top look like cotton candy. ♥
When I was too tired to work outside anymore, and unable to process long, detailed thoughts, I read an expose on the Playboy Mansion (who was it that asked me for a copy?) I had to c&p the story online and format it in word, because it was on a black background with white text and no spaces. AUGH!! If anyone wants me to upload that, I will be happy to. Dude, it's so juicy and sad and gross and I cannot turn away. Also, my guilty pleasure is The Girls Next Door, and it's funny to me how that show is all wholesome and tee hee, we're having naughty kitten fun! And meanwhile, Hef's a big ol' perv. We call Holly "Stink Finger" in my house now. Hahahaha *pukes* (I still love Bridget, because she's using Hef - mutual using - to get two Masters degrees. Work it, girl! Oooh, anyone watch that show? I've heard some interesting rumors...)
[ETA] Here is a dl link for the book - under 1 mb.
I have two more days to finish up all my house projects so I can focus on NaNo and not be distracted... Hi, everyone!
So this is the old front of my house. Not the original, as the original owners grew Bermuda in the flower beds, and this pic is from just after digging it all out and sticking in a few plants. (last winter.)
and the following spring, 2007
You may notice the crappy, half-dead grass, the crappy, half-dead Bradford pear in the front. For any newcomers, I'm a Master Gardener. I was so ashamed for my neighbors to find out, because look at that crap! Gah. I finally, FINALLY convinced the Mister that my vision for the front of the house needed to be realized while he was on his mini-vacation. *cough* The trade off was I had to do it all myself, as he loathes working in the yard.
Bye bye, tree!
(that's my son pretending he cut it down. He did not. Giving him an axe is like giving a zombie brains.) I got him to help me do ONE THING (because that sod cutter weighed over 400 pounds, and our front is inclined.) That's #2 in the background, attempting to use a pitchfork.
Most of the grass cleared away. For the record, I found a total of 31 bricks in that section of lawn. 31. Also, 4 coke cans, 2 plastic pop bottles, a green plastic net, and a trash bag. All just under the sod. It should be no wonder that the grass wasn't growing well.
I then unloaded a ton of compost onto the bare earth and tilled it in (to a depth of 14 inches, for those curious.) The two trees went in, a Mexican Plum and a Chinese Pistache. To keep the compost from running away in the rain, I covered it all in cedar mulch. And then I took a Doan's back pill and waited for another day.
and
Next, I worked on the hardscape (rocks, permanent structures.) I hauled some large flagstones from our backyard (which will be demolished this winter to make way for a pool \o/) out to the front and made two stairways out of them and some other large landscape rocks (to better anchor them and to keep them from wobbling.) Next, I drove to a rockery (rock yard? Place where they sell rocks?) and purchased two large boulders, one a half-ton and the other a quarter-ton. (they're sold by the weight) I paid an extra fee to have them delivered to my yard, because... half-ton and a quarter-ton.
So, a few hours later, a flat-bed semi pulls up with my two boulders on a wooden palette and a bobcat to move them. The guy gets out, unloads the bobcat, picks up the palette, and then DROPS IT OFF ON MY DRIVEWAY. AND THEN LOADS THE BOBCAT BACK UP. I stood there for a second with my mouth hanging open, then asked him if he wasn't going to put the rocks in the garden.
"I don't do that."
"Does it look like I can?"
He begrudgingly flipped them off the palette onto the edge of the new bed and the driveway, then left.
So... I had to figure out how the hell to move almost 2 tons of stone into position. And then I remembered Physics. Lovely, lovely physics. Since my yard is sloped, I used my good friend Gravity to help me, and we called up our buddy, Lever. I dug out the soil under the front ends of the boulders, wedged a stone from my garden under the big rock, then used an old pipe (I think it used to be a flag pole - good thing we didn't toss it!) to flip the boulder into place.
After blacking out (har) it finally moved. It's not in the perfect spot, but good lord, I'm not moving them again. Next was installing electrical lights to light up the stone paths, because out here in the 'burbs, it gets DARK at night. (I did it all by myself! Electrical lights!!) Okay, so it was a very simple set-up, but hey - I need the ego boost. :D After putting in 182 plants (including 40 bulbs: crocosmia, white Dutch iris, gayfeather, and phlox, all transplants from the back garden, and 32 large-ish plants from the same) here is what it looks like. (Remember: it's a NEW bed. It's not all lush and full yet.)
At night... (I didn't take a super good picture, but then, I never do)
My gardening buddy, Darthanne (she loooooves the new garden because she blends in and has more stalking hideouts. Heh. This is the floor level bird bath for all the creatures that come visiting at night - in the old bed.)
Here is the old shade-bed, off the side of my front porch, and the only bed that I liked up until now. (The ginger is in bloom and it smells SO GOOD.)
Can you see the visitor?
Enhance!
(There's a family of hummers that come back every year and have a little nest in the old Bradford pear. Hopefully they'll make a new one in our plum tree.)
Random flower pic (Texas Star Hibiscus - currently 4 ft. tall and still growing)
Random flower pic #2 - my yellow rose, which only took a moderate hit (black spot) compared to the other roses around here. (We had a very wet and hot summer)
Random flower pic #3, an Echeveria (Topsy Turvy) a.k.a. Hen and Chicks. These are all along the edge of the stone path way, and will multiply like mad. (There's also oregano and thyme along the paths, too.)
So, I'm tired. But pleased. It will look much better this spring. Oh, the grasses, for those interested, are Gulf Muhly grasses, which will get to 4 ft. tall, and about 2-3ft. wide. The pink blooms along the top look like cotton candy. ♥
When I was too tired to work outside anymore, and unable to process long, detailed thoughts, I read an expose on the Playboy Mansion (who was it that asked me for a copy?) I had to c&p the story online and format it in word, because it was on a black background with white text and no spaces. AUGH!! If anyone wants me to upload that, I will be happy to. Dude, it's so juicy and sad and gross and I cannot turn away. Also, my guilty pleasure is The Girls Next Door, and it's funny to me how that show is all wholesome and tee hee, we're having naughty kitten fun! And meanwhile, Hef's a big ol' perv. We call Holly "Stink Finger" in my house now. Hahahaha *pukes* (I still love Bridget, because she's using Hef - mutual using - to get two Masters degrees. Work it, girl! Oooh, anyone watch that show? I've heard some interesting rumors...)
[ETA] Here is a dl link for the book - under 1 mb.
I have two more days to finish up all my house projects so I can focus on NaNo and not be distracted... Hi, everyone!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 02:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:03 pm (UTC)What rumors do you know about the Girls Next Door? I don't ever watch the show but I love Hollywood rumors. Spill!
XOXOXOXO
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:05 pm (UTC)"Red flappy weed/maybe keeper plant." <-- like that? :D
Ooooh, I would LOVE to make up a list of plants for you! I looooove doing that, ferserioz. Gimmie a few days, and I will totally do it!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:07 pm (UTC)*flail*
I love the 'boulders' as hardscape. There's beautiful stone out there that construction companies just haul away when they could be awesome additions to a yard.
My mom has a big stone in her garden that kinda looks like a rabbit. :)
Your yard/gardenspace looks absolutely wonderful. Go, you!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:09 pm (UTC)Okay, the rumor is about Bridget, which makes me sad, because I really do love her. So, she's almost my age, for starters. She's... 34? Okay, so in the first season, they showed her little sister, and the rumor is that is her DAUGHTER. Which means she had the baby when she was 12ish. (Bridget comes from a haaaaaaard, trailer-trash background. Hef liked pulling her out of it, and she had her own apartment before deciding to become his "girlfriend." Also, she's still legally married!)
I'm so lame and interested in weird stuff...
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:10 pm (UTC)Ooooh, it looks like a rabbit? That's AWESOME! I love stuff like that. *squishes you to bits*
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:12 pm (UTC)Now, on to other things. ...Man. Looking at all those photos made me utterly homesick for Texas, and for childhood. All those summers running around the Gulf plains, hacking off mesquite branches for dad to use on the weekend cookouts. Playing in other people's backyards, and mine too. Waaah!
Re your archaeological finds: I think the prior inhabitant confused landfill with compost. That's just weird. Though, while a kid in south Texas (Rio Grande Valley area), I distinctly remember digging up an intact can of Lone Star buried just inches below ground. Upright. Too upright to be accidental. Of course, we kids drank it, sputtering and grmacing all the way. Why are we not dead? Good question...
I lurves Darthanne. I lurves kitties, honestly. :D
The garden is magnificent, it really is, and I can only begin to imagine all the hard work that went into it. Stupid stone-delivery dude. "I just drop 'em off." WTF? Because, hey, we all got Bobcats in the backyard. Earth movers, you know, gotta keep up with the Joneses. Pfft.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:13 pm (UTC)I love the brickwork on teh front of your house too - crazy but fun.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:15 pm (UTC)As for my archaeological dig (hahahaha) we figure the landscaper didn't clear off the building debris and just laid sod on top of the garbage. Um, THANKS. you drank that beer?!? Eeeeeeewwwwwwww, hee!
I literally stood in my driveway, scratching my head all Gomer-like. Duuuuh, how'm I gonna move this here big rock? (And thank you!)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:16 pm (UTC)Your front yard looks amazing, I can't even imagine what it will look like in the spring. You should be featured in garden magazines. If I had something like that, I suspect that I would sitting outside all of the time just staring at it.
Major props for doing that practically on your own!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:17 pm (UTC)Heee, I forgot about the brickwork! (It's pretty common in our neighborhood. Patterned brick combined with stonework on the house fronts. I like it, too!)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:19 pm (UTC)I can't WAIT to see it in the spring, all full of blooms. *cough* And I'm sure I'll stick in a good 100 or more plants, too. (I'm a total freak.)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:26 pm (UTC)Oh, Saturday I was straightening up my "keepsake" drawer and I found my extra tickets from Big Tex. And they only had a little bit of vomit on them! Hahaha. (They didn't, by the way. I'm sentimental but not gross.)
Dude. Her daughter?!? Wow. That's really sad, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was true. Talk about a hard life. Good lord, when I was 12 I still didn't have my ears pierced, much less a penis inside me.
(To the Sensitive People: THIS IS A JOKE. A bad, insensitive one, sure, but a JOKE.)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:33 pm (UTC)I would be thrilled if you'd make a list of plants for me! We're ripping up the grass in our back yard next year and laying sod/re-doing the patio stones, so that would be a good time to put some new stuff in the gardens, which are quite shaded. And our front garden is small but needs filling in (it has a rose of sharon, a clematis, lavender (will that come back?) two little junipers, and a mystery shrub that i'd like to keep, but I'd be happy to get rid of the rest of the crap in there). :D
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:34 pm (UTC)Awwww, Big Tex!! And even though you puked, you still had fun, right? (Dude - if you need me to email you this story, lemme know. It's DELICIOUSLY dirty.)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:34 pm (UTC)Incredible garden. Really beautiful.
And, wow...that's som heavy stuff about Bridget. She's my favorite too. Yes, I'm also a slave to the bunnies. I just can't stop watching! *g*
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:37 pm (UTC)Lavender should come back, if it's the right variety for your region. (I can't imagine them selling you Spanish lavender - it's most likely an English or French, which can take cold.)
And one thing to note: I'm a big fan of native plants and plants that don't require WORK. Because I like to enjoy my garden, not always work in it. :D
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Date: 2007-10-29 03:40 pm (UTC)And I really, really like Bridget, even though she has that little girl voice (which I normally hate.) I mean, you gotta love a girl that uses Playboy to get TWO masters degrees!
(I loooooove your lavender icon! And thank you!)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:42 pm (UTC)Dude, Big Tex was FANTASTIC. You know how I love fair food. (Even better when I get to keep it down.) Although I was Pukey McPukerson there for a bit, I had SO MUCH FUN. I just hope I didn't cramp yours and Maren's style. Ha-ha.
(Heee, since we have so many of the same Office icons, I'm getting all confuzzled as to whose comment it is. . . . I'm not very smart.)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:45 pm (UTC)Do you want things between the stones?
I think it will just be a rectangular area of flagstones, big enough for our table and chairs, so maybe not? I'm not sure exactly how that would work.
It's English lavender! Yay! And I am also a huge fan of things that I don't need to do much too, because I suck at maintenance.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:48 pm (UTC)And yayness, I'll get going on a list for you this week!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:49 pm (UTC)you didn't cramp my style at all! Except for how you told those gangbangers I wasn't available for their "train of love" behind the midget horse stall. WHATEVER, LEE.
And here, I'll change the icon so you will know me.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:50 pm (UTC)Peee Essss, if I didn't already tell you, I'm going to post about the "write 50,000 words of whatever!" not-quite-Nano community later today. \o/
no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-29 03:55 pm (UTC)