36 days to go!

    With the changing of the seasons it seems our motivation has started to change as well. The plan of moving upstairs by December 1 is looming over us (literally) but cuddling up in the cold rainy windy weather is more comforting.
At least the garden, which has been a major distraction is ending. Or at least it is dark outside (at 730am as I write this!) so I cannot see the garden. The weather has turned to crap so Travis cannot continue working on the patio and now we will soon be forced to focus solely on finishing our projects and moving on up.
But first--whilst we ponder what it is like to cuddle in front of the fireplace let us see what we have been up to.

Seeds! I saved my first seeds! I have never really thought about what seeds of different plants look like. I was sorta shocked when I opened my first package of sunflower seeds, and it was truly sunflower seeds in there! Oh my! I have only ever eaten these before. Toasted with salt of course, I doubt those would grow.
So here is my bell pepper that I remembered to save. Our 2nd biggest, because I was completely consumed with making dinner with the first and hadn't a single thought of gardening in my mind at the time.

And here are my cilantro seeds. These I actually cut down all my aging cilantro and have been with out fresh cilantro for months now. These were in a bag in the garage drying out. I have replanted, but not from my own. Maybe Ill try these indoors this winter.

Now this is a curious sight. Saturday we were hanging out in the garage and noticing the unfinished mess of the previous owners. I often ask why around this house. Why did I find during our original viewing of the house but a frying pan ON A PILLOW in the garage? This one is right up there with that. In the crook of this beam you will find... Carmel? Asked Travis. That's impossible I said. It has got to be sap.. on the wood beam right?

Nope. It was gum. Bubble yum? Extra? Who knows... it smelled like wood. Travis sniffed it, but I didn't confirm. Gum! 6ft high in the garage. One would hope a child climbed up and put this here, but I have my doubts.

And with the fall forcing its way in to my life as much as I'd like an endless summer with large harvests and sunflowers as far as the eye can see.. this isn't Kansas. And I lost another sunflower in the storm.

 But I saved it! And now I have true fall decor gracing my window sill. Funny I hadn't thought once about cutting down my ginormous sunflowers for a vase previously.

Change is in the air! And this below HAD TO CHANGE.  I really wish we had done so before every person I ever liked has been over to view it... in the main bathroom. And now I feel OK showing the world because it is in the trash!

 And this one was pretty high up on the list. It reminds me of the TERMINATOR.

The rest of the sockets that were almond colored and filthy also got changed, not because I'm a white socket snob, but these came in a 10 pack for a way better price than buying just 2. And we are all about saving money!

This one below has absolutely nothing to do with anything. It is the plant that does NOTHING.
It started small, and grew and grew... and here it is. Still doing nothing. I was told it was a Cosmo of some sort but no flowers. A tiny bud or 2 I have seen, and they haven't done anything either. It is taking up a large space in the garden, and without it I will see the peas that are about done...so I leave it.

So that is what we have done here on Weekend 31. Seed saving, fall lamenting, 10 outlets and 10 switches. There WAS a great party with lots of girls and a pee wee little league game in the rain, a couple fall walks and some relaxing though. No more progress on the window sills(the bane of my existence), kitchen(what will be the bane of my existence come December) or the beam(the bane of Travis's existence)
Time to get a move on!

This old house

I found this old picture of our house on the county site and I'm pretty in awe at all the greenery. Not that I would have liked it to stay, but wow. The sellers landscaped the whole slope and removed every stitch of life(minus weeds)

This is now. No more bushes! We have 3 pretend(flowering) cherry trees and 3 dumb bushes (pictured)total in this front stretch. To add to that we have only 4 pine trees separating our neighbor behind us and 1 maple tree that fills up our gutters.

And this is to the right now (well July) Its a pain to mow so I have convinced Travis to let me turn this in to a wandering path with bushes and flowers until the time to install a pond comes. Now I just have to plan that out... time to learn!

Zoomed out to the right. Back before the weeds started growing. My kitchen window looks out on this little square so the planning and planting will be very rewarding.


This is looking left from the original pictures. This was a slope filled with wild looking bushes. Not wild in a good way. Now Travis gets his grass to make beautiful and I get a million mile long (lower moat) stretch to fill with things. Meanwhile we are battling to keep the weeds under 2 ft.

Behind that fence up top is where all the garden magic happens.

This is to the left looking back toward the where the original pictures were taken.

Its weedy and my brain explodes every time I try to figure out what to do with it. Its at least 60 foot long and 12 foot wide. And everyone in the neighborhood looks at it to come or go. The pressure is on, and I just don't have the skill yet.

Landscaping software to the rescue? I'm waiting for the rains and snow to start so I don't feel bad being inside "working" on the yard. Meanwhile Ill get the man to come visit the local botanical gardens so we can get ideas of what we like together.

I only have 1 rule: NO Rhododendrons!

Did our patio just get awesomer?

Nooo... because awesomer isnt a real word.. but it did get a whole lot cooler!
Or is that more cool? or just very cool... Either way its slightly damp, sunny and glorious!


This is Mist.

Yes, that is right... mist doesnt like being shown in pictures, because the Mist wants you to visit! This even got Travis to sit on the patio in full sun.



And this is what we have to do to earn that mist. Utter transformation for very cheap
1 Truckload of bark = $15

Actually I notice it doesnt look a whole lot different in pictures. Odd. Even my flower beds want you to come visit.

Chinese proverb says: The best fertilizer is the gardeners shadow.
Well I say--My flowers wont grow unless you come LOOK at them! And I need more flowers!

Lush

I am beginning to think the peppers werent growing... Let us compare week one and week 5 pics shall we?


June 6



July 11


Just the peppers

I think I am right--they arent any bigger... I read that they are building roots and will still come around. They like soil temps in the 70's and they got planted a month ago... when it was what...55 and rainy?

Winston--I think we have a tomato problem...

And its gonna be divine!

Itty Bittier Zuchinni (travis does not approve this word)




Swiss chard, Kale, Collards are tasty. We have harvested and ate these with dinner twice now and they are still full

And for the house progress.... House? What house?

Tuesday/Wednesday progress

And since I always forget the before pictures... you just get this weeks progress..
Frankly I kinda want to forget the before part.
Removed stones, clean stones, hauled stones, levelled dirt, watered dirt... All on monday and tuesday.
Bought gravel, hauled gravel, shovelled gravel, raked gravel... all on wednesday

Next up... more levelling, tamping and possibly more of the wednesday portion again!

Saturday is fast approaching, but I think we are on track.

Documented growth

Garden now. The pumpkin really is getting big. 2nd from left at the bottom of pic.
Everything has noticeable growth. Peppers have itty bitty peppers, peas are growing taller!

1 week earlier.

On the left is the ground cover I am attempting to propagate and make it spread faster. I plucked this off the existing plant in several different ways to see if it would live.. so far 10 for 10 is good. So even when cutting it roughly and shoving the end in dirt... this would be considered a weed. Middle is Cilantro. Right is other herbs

Another working weekend! Had to work hard Saturday in order to attend a wedding Sunday.. in the middle of the day.


Here is our patio.. Travis has broken his back removing the cinder blocks. Next up, Remove last 19 of the edge blocks, levelling the dirt, adding gravel and placing these 100lb stones. Trying to get it done before July 3rd when we have company coming!
Here is our child labor posing with there task ahead. They told there mom ":They are really nice, they bought us Gatorade!" Ha!

And after: they worked for 4hrs each and we ran out of room in yard waste and had to pile up the weeds. Meanwhile Travis and I weedwacked, mowed, raked, mowed, raked and pulled weeds too.

Here is the worst part of the wedding. Cute, comfy for heels, but still torturous.

And the BEST part of the wedding. The Kiss. The overcast day was too much for my camera from this angle.

More pics on the garden growth on next post!

PS--Would you all quit lurking and say something?

Remember this?

Waaaaaay back when... in early April this is what the garden started as...
6 yards of wood chips and rock hard earth.



And here we are at the end of May..dirt is now fertile and things are growing that aren't weeds!


Its gonna get even better today rain or shine!