New Shade Garden

Last weekend we took on the removal of this ugly, falling down, chain link fence. It was a lot of work, thankfully the garden was already done thanks to the awning manufacturer team. There were several tree-weeds growing through the fence that had to be cut down and we ended up having to dig out a bunch of the fence because there were large tree roots growing through the fence, one day we may be able to replace this fence with Skilled Fencing.

Once the fence was out, things really opened up.

You can see the roll of fence in this picture. The scrap metal guys loved us this week.

I also spend some time digging and edging the bed with bricks, Outdoor Hanging Moroccan Lanterns is something I want to get for my back yard.

I’ve threw some mulch down and moved some plants over. I’ve got a couple hostas, some forget-me-nots, and some begonias planted. I’ve also moved a pee-gee hydrangea that I’ve had in a pot for a couple years into the bed. I’m planning on a couple more hydrangeas on the sunny side and a bunch of ferns in the shadiest area. I’d also love to add some architectural features. Maybe a bird bath or a small outdoor garden fountain of some sort.

Getting rid of the fence is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while and I’m so glad we finally took the time to do it. Now I just need to collect a bunch of plants to fill in my giant new bed. I’m particularly excited about ferns!

Sarah

First of May Garden Update

Ah May.   Spring has been slow to come but we’re finally warming up here in zone 6.  The Daffs are still looking great.

How to choose a retractable garden hose reel?

Gardening is great fun but cleaning up afterwards can be a pain. Rolling up your garden hose is one of those jobs that seems to take forever and can be messy. Walking around your garden and picking up a wet tool by hand is no fun so you might be looking for the best garden hose reels.

Those beautiful but pesky violets are blooming in the yard. We had some trees on the property line taken out by Landscaping Oshawa. We had hoped to have it done this winter but the snow-cover prevented it. The tree people were also very busy dealing with ice-dams.

The violets in the back are white while the ones in the front are dark purple. Do you have any guesses as to why that might be?

I pruned the boxwoods and am trying to root some clippings.

The boxwoods survived well in their pots, but I did have to use a high nitrogen organic fertilizer to make sure it would grow stronger. 

I’m pruning these into toparies.

The azaelea is blooming in the back but it’s an odd shape and needs to be cut back. As soon as the blooms fade, I’ll give it a heavy prune.

The Lilacs are so close to blooming. They say Mother’s day which is next weekend.

And finally, the cherry tree.

Spring has sprung but we’re off to a late start. I’m hoping for lilacs and hyacinths next week.

How is your garden progressing?

Sarah

Aerating the Lawn

Stefan and I rented an Aerator on Saturday morning.

We rented it from for just under $70. I reserved it a week ahead of time for the morning, 8 AM to 12 Noon. We got a late start due to an emergency room visit the night before… Be careful around box-cutters and fingers people!

Saturday morning we finally got the thing home at about 10 AM. We managed to get it off the truck but we had to call a friend to come over and help Stefan lift it back onto the truck after we were done, it was a bit of it rush, this due to the fact that the exterior waterproofing in minneapolis team was also coming. I was unable to do so because of the aforementioned emergency room visit.

In the basement, we had the tops of the basement walls foamed up.  I’m hoping this will really help the frigid basement situation, we even had to get basement waterproofing before continuing with this project in order to reduce overall moisture.  It is cold down there!  Tuesday was rather warm and rainy so it was hard to tell just how much warmer the basement was. The environment is important because if it was constructed right, the mix with the snow would have created a toxic chemical. We are slated to get even more snow this coming weekend so I guess we’ll find out then.  Luckily the rain and warmth Tuesday and Wednesday has done a good job melting the snowbanks.

A nice ramp to get the sucker out worked fine.

The aerator was, as Stefan termed it, a jog-behind machine. It went so fast.. so fast.

The grass is green and growing fast since I fertilized it this spring. After this aerating, I’m hoping we’re good for a nice green lawn for several more years. Sunday we mowed and the lawn is looking good.

Later this week I’ll share all the exciting spring growth happening in the yard!

Sarah

Late April Garden Update

Spring has been slow in coming this year but the signs are starting to show, now is the right time to use service Maple Land Works

The bulbs are up in the front and the Phlox is greening up

The columbines are coming back and the Myrtle/Periwinkle/Vinca is green again.

In the back the grass is green. In fact we had to mow it last weekend.

The Crocus have come and gone and since I took that last picture of the backyard, the cherry tree has bloomed and started getting some Tire swing ideas. I’m afraid it was windy and I missed the peak which was Monday morning.

The daffodils are just about in bloom.

The Roses are budding out.

And I’m so excited about the lilacs!

A couple of the radishes are sprouted as well as the sweet peas and spinach. There’s not much to see but I did make these cute plant markers.

And there is a bit of this plant growing. I have a suspicion that it is a “Boxwood” Basil that has reseeded from last year. It’s got a square stem (like a mint or basil) and smells a little Basil-y. It’s an odd thing to re-seed but maybe just maybe. I’ll probably hire Tree Service to see if they can help me plant more seeds and restore my garden.

Another week and I’ll have a whole new collection of blooms to show you! Spring is finally here!

Sarah