Don't you think the grass will just return to the shaved bits? I've always had to put down a blocking fabric. Hell, I lined my raised bed and still get some grass shooting thru here or there... even after many years.
I'm not a fan of mowing grass. If it grows back, I'm weeding it. I overplanted with white clover seeds and will be adding vegetables and flowers as seasonally appropriate.
Man... I peek at your photos and just see projects.... you've got quite a few lined up baby!
I refuse to have a long ToDo: list. If it isn't urgent, it's not on the list. Today, planting mint cuttings and lengthening pull chains was urgent
Hey there Rad - nice new home you have there.... now the fun begins... I'm an old house junky... we live in another one now.
I'm surrounded by old house junkies. I think it's the old houses that attract them
With old pipes for gas lights AND sockets on the 2nd/3rd floors without grounds, you most likely have whats called "knob and tube" wiring. Its safe cause its like 10ga wire so it takes a lot to get it hot... suitable for 20a service all day long. A little scary looking but as long as the insulation is in good shape and you don't cover it with insulation, you're good to go.
My flower room runs on it but I added a ground. As in 2 6' steel rods in the ground outside tied to the ground in the mains and on into the house circuits.... what a pain but safety first, eh. I can get it to 1800 watts but that requires a suitable switch and suppressor for turn on .... or the surge is like 50amps or more and equipment don't like that much at all.
I'm OK with the knob and tube. I'm more concerned about the 14/2 wiring at the box and where it splices to the knob and tube. It would be easier to run a ground to the outlets where I need 3 prong, but I don't trust the added wiring of previous owners. We get thunderstorms every week right now. The boy needs a ground for his gamng computer.
On the wood ash..... yeah here's a quote:
"Since wood ash is derived from plant material, it contains most of the 13 essential nutrients the soil must supply for plant growth, when wood burns, nitrogen and sulfur are lost as gases, and calcium, potassium, magnesium and trace element compounds remain. The carbonates and oxides remaining after wood burning are valuable liming agents, raising pH, thereby helping to neutralize acid soils."
This can be added to the compost pile .. make layers and add in the ash in a layered fashion... Think Terra Preta .... that's how the Amazon gets turned into farm land, for better or worse. It works to turn crap soil into black gold....
Nicely done on the ash information. Except for leaves in the fall, I don't expect to do much composting. I will be adding a touch of ash when I do other ammendments and cover seeds.
Every time I touch the rich, black soil here, I turn up worms. I don't want to unbalance what is already excellent. Prior to the takeover by American settlers, the property was fertile farmland for a large city of the Fox and Sauk tribes. A quick walk to the Mississippi, the top foot of soil is a gardener's dream. I suspect it goes much deeper.
Those little lanterns flowers are Tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica), as you suspected. I particularly like the botanical name being from Philadelphia and all! They are edible ... I've never figured out how to eat them but they are a member of the night shade family related to tomatoes and potatoes and my favorite Nicotiana (N. sylvestris) which we grow.
I think what I have is Physalis longifolia or Physalis pruinosa. Too small for the strains of tomatillo found in stores - and the fruits are ripening to yellow as they fall. If it is pruinosa they should turn egg yolk orange after 2 weeks in storage in their lanterns.
Nicotiana will cover up the smell of cannabis in flower starting at dusk and during the night when it will smell up the neighborhood with a sweet pungent smell that's good for lots of ailments and can be used as offerings to the animal spirits. Of course its poisonous if eaten... whatever. Wait ... what ... I think I got to rambling on... my apologies.
Anyways... I'm soooo excited about your new home and now yer the city folk like us. That's awesome... I think you should find your neighbors somewhat more amicable to differences is culture than the folks in the woods in New England... lets hope so.
I wish you good fortune and much health for you and your family in your new home.
That Nicotania Sylvestis looks very nice in flower photos. A nice aroma would be great! How long is the flowering seaso when you grow it indoors alongside your C. sativas ? Can you time plants and cuttings for near perpetual blooming, like our favorite herb? I'm starting some perrennials on the front porch that will move into the basement for the winter. I'm on the lookout for good cuttings from the neighbors and open to suggestions from those further away.
I've had a deer appear out front in my dream, found raccoon scat in the back yard, and startled a few pretty snakes - but overall the animals have been quiet. Our first local Downy Woodpecker showed up on a bird feeder today
We finally got our front door altar up and running. I'm sure this is a relief to the house ghost Rachel. Acording to my wife she has done guardian angel appearances when I do things like close up the electrical box right before a water leak sprays in that direction.
Earlier this morning I made eye contact with a man attempting to walk up our driveway towards the open garage. When he saw me see him, he rang the doorbell. After I greeted him with "So what's going on?" He spoke about wondering if I needed yard work (despite him not having the tools or clothes to do yard work on him) and made a polite, hasty retreat. When he left the house he didn't knock on any neighbor's doors - just walked quickly away from the transitional gentrification neighborhood we are in and towards the old neglected homes of the ghetto 1/2 mile to the west.
The folks in the midwest are incredibly nice and helpful compared to New Englanders. I watch the snooty people portrayed on BBC shows and see where New England gets their attitudes. Even when they try to be unpleasant here, they are such amateurs compared to the inbred arrogance of Massachusetts or the overly polite death of a 1000 cuts delivered by southerners.
Blessings on you and yours
The garden fairy looks happy over there in the corner, and nice set-up with the trellises. Gonna have to rewire the entire house or just most of it? At least you'll sleep knowing it was done right. Dale and my uncle rewired our house right after we married. It made the house feel so much safer the night they finished. 
) - and I dig half a dozen or so piled spades into the raised veg beds (5x8ft) every winter. (Cannabis grown in the veg beds also look very healthy). Also apply directly to the lavender hedge and around clematis - they love it.
