That's some good looking gumbo you're growin in. Handy to have good soil by default.
Radogast's Non-420 Garden Creation Thread
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That's some good looking gumbo you're growin in. Handy to have good soil by default.
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- #742
Sales at the big midwestern plant and hardware store.
We can't have a true New Orleans courtyard, but we found an end of season floor model sale on a 4-tier fountain worthy of a NOLA courtyard. Just what my wife had pictured. (She says exactly.)
After I do a little more digging, I'll show some of the plants
We can't have a true New Orleans courtyard, but we found an end of season floor model sale on a 4-tier fountain worthy of a NOLA courtyard. Just what my wife had pictured. (She says exactly.)
After I do a little more digging, I'll show some of the plants
Love the fountain Rad. What delightful music for the property. Well done! 
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- #744
Indoors, I did some lighting upgrades.
I extended the too short pull chains on many of the lights in the house
We purchased a new 'monastery light' for the kitchen.
Then I added a 3-way dimmer switch to allow for kitchen brightness. (see the fountain in the window ? )
I spent so much time on the lights and planting that I totally missed the free Kart racing 5 blocks away. ..Priorities.
I extended the too short pull chains on many of the lights in the house
We purchased a new 'monastery light' for the kitchen.
Then I added a 3-way dimmer switch to allow for kitchen brightness. (see the fountain in the window ?
)
I spent so much time on the lights and planting that I totally missed the free Kart racing 5 blocks away. ..Priorities.
I'm sure that's the Rook in a big huge chess set.
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- #746
The knight lives is next door, the Bishop's space is empty an then there is a Queen Anne house.
I have 3 copies of a 14" knight piece (blue, cream and cocoa) sitting in the yard
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- #747
I am mostly done with this season's planting of perennials. There is just enough planted to start showing the bed and path design.
I am planning to plant 20 more iris, 40 daffodil, and 40 crocus bulbs in naturalized clumps.
I saw a black swallowtail on the sage this morning.
The view from the second floor
A fountain close-up.There were two bees drinking when my hands were wrist deep in soil.
I am planning to plant 20 more iris, 40 daffodil, and 40 crocus bulbs in naturalized clumps.
I saw a black swallowtail on the sage this morning.
The view from the second floor
A fountain close-up.There were two bees drinking when my hands were wrist deep in soil.
Coming along nicely Rad. By next year it'll be a totally different scene. Any thoughts on topography? Planning on any small rises to break the flatness?
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- #749
I have earth moving plans for the right side of the front yard - mostly because it has problems (shade, and runoff erosion) and opportunities (downspouts from the roof and balcony.)
The basic idea is a rain garden with a dry 'wading pond' intermittently capturing water from the downspouts with a gravel well at the top of the 4' high slope to capture the 'wading pond' overflow with a horizontal pipe draining the well at sidewalk level. Combined with pruning the low hanging branches shading the slope, this should greatly improve the runoff erosion problem.
In the back yard, my wife and I have discussed an herb spiral and an area for table and chairs near the porch off picture to the bottom left of the photo.) You can see the beginnings of a swale/dike (to escort water away from the foundation) in the dark line of soil at the bottom of the yard photo.
I decided not to do much reshaping of the mostly flat (but not level) backyard. I'm thinking of the design of the back yard similar to interior design, a flat surface that gains it's character from an eclectic mix of different sized and textured 'furniture.' I'm working out some ideas for homemade 'built-ins'.
One percolating idea is curved 'hoops' between the fence posts of the back fence to elevate climbing vines a few feet above the fence and replace the straight line of the fence top with more organic curves.
A second idea is to construct a horizontal trellis above the walkway along the garage as a sort of attached semi-pergola - features to include a trellis between the first and second hazel bush and replacing the alley behind the fence garage downspout with a sort of flying buttress downspout from the near end of the garage routing water into the ring beds of the yard. The butterfly bush (hidden by the right hand trellis) was planted to screen the downspout and front corner of the attached semi-pergola. Whatever climbs on the structure should also spread to conceal most of it.
Yard view showing back fence line (to be softened wih hoops) and sidewalk beside the garage (to be covered.)
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- #750
Blooming Hibiscus !
The newly planted Hibuscus have magnificent 7-8" blooms
The newly planted Hibuscus have magnificent 7-8" blooms
Will the Hibiscus live thru the winter in the ground at your latitudes?
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- #752
These are 'hardy hibiscus', a class which includes non-tropical hibiscus such as Rose of Sharon and Rose Mallow. Most of them thrive down to zone 5 and survive in zone 4. Yes, they will be left in the ground as naturalized perennials.
I like your idea for the hoops. I've used something similar on my balcony to create more vertical texture. Mine has a design of climbing vines that add more of an organic feel to the urban landscape. The trellis will be a great addition too. We had one leading into the front door of our old home that had grapes in three varieties planted along the length. It was such a delight to reach up as you came into the yard and pick a fresh bunch of sweet grapes when they were in season.
From your description I can see clearly where you're headed. Next summer your yard will be awash with botanical beauty.
From your description I can see clearly where you're headed. Next summer your yard will be awash with botanical beauty.
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- #754
Thanks for following along
I planted bulbs this morning.
40+ Iris - 5 clumps out front (taken from 7 different plants.)
40 Crocus - a meandering 6' fairy circle out front
20 Daffodil - in clumps of 3-6 (very large) bulbs.
I have another 20 daffodil bulbs which I expect to go in the back yard. My visualization went on siesta after the first 2 backyard bulbs, so I stopped planting.
The neighbor has another 30+ free Iris bulbs, but I'm done wth iris, at least for now.
I planted bulbs this morning.
40+ Iris - 5 clumps out front (taken from 7 different plants.)
40 Crocus - a meandering 6' fairy circle out front
20 Daffodil - in clumps of 3-6 (very large) bulbs.
I have another 20 daffodil bulbs which I expect to go in the back yard. My visualization went on siesta after the first 2 backyard bulbs, so I stopped planting.
The neighbor has another 30+ free Iris bulbs, but I'm done wth iris, at least for now.
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- #755
Last weekend I trimmed the tree out front with a borrowed 32 ft ladder.
Trimming most of the lower branches (I left some over the street for the city to trim) brought afternoon light down to the ground around a muddy spot in the sidewalk. In the deep shade, grass and weeds don't grow and the 6' hillside gets significant erosion. More light should help.
Last night, we went to an auction and I found this piece of iron for plants to climb.
Today, we picked up a marble top columned table from Goodwill.
It's nice to see the garden becoming furnished
Trimming most of the lower branches (I left some over the street for the city to trim) brought afternoon light down to the ground around a muddy spot in the sidewalk. In the deep shade, grass and weeds don't grow and the 6' hillside gets significant erosion. More light should help.
Last night, we went to an auction and I found this piece of iron for plants to climb.
Today, we picked up a marble top columned table from Goodwill.
It's nice to see the garden becoming furnished
Piece by found piece. Isn't it amazing how the pieces find you? Looking real good Rad. Loving the tree in front.
The creation of nirvana. Fun to see it come together, but happy it's your project instead of mine. Just closed on another "duplex" that needs floors and wall repair. I'll leave the fancy yard action for a green thumbed tenant.
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- #758
Piece by found piece. Isn't it amazing how the pieces find you? Looking real good Rad. Loving the tree in front.
Thanks. I had my eye on a couple other pieces, but I followed the first rule of auctions, set a top price and don't go past it.
My tree is one of the smaller in the neighborhood. Sally next door says it's only about 40 years old. I think it's a silver maple - but I haven't really researched what flavor of maple it is.
I kind of wish they hadn't done the walls so recently (sometime in the last 20 years
.) It appears they replaced the plaster of plaster and lath about 1" from the moldings with sheetrock over lath. It doesn't seem worth it to tear up good walls just to add wiring and outlets that should have been done when they replaced walls.
Run conduit. That's what Dale and I did here. Our walls are antique plaster from the turn of the century, so tearing them up wasn't an option Dale wanted to deal with. So we ran the new line with conduit. It turned out quite nice, and ended up giving me a dedicated line for my entire grow, since he ran outlets to both the bedroom and living room on this circuit.
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- #760
The fountain pump clogged today, so I will be doing weekly algae cleanup until I bring the fountain inside for winter.
I think I lost one of the hibiscus. Without thinking, I vertically sliced the rootball when transplanting. It didn't like it.
A robin has been enjoying it, but the marble table top is heading indoors for use in the mermaid bathroom.
Fall is here and winter is coming. The Mississippi is near flood stage and eagles are flying into town.
In a week or two, I will start seeds for year round indoor gardening. I still need to get my electricals run and clear out some space.
I think I lost one of the hibiscus. Without thinking, I vertically sliced the rootball when transplanting. It didn't like it.
A robin has been enjoying it, but the marble table top is heading indoors for use in the mermaid bathroom.
Fall is here and winter is coming. The Mississippi is near flood stage and eagles are flying into town.
In a week or two, I will start seeds for year round indoor gardening. I still need to get my electricals run and clear out some space.