Rainy day work... Planning Sector 1.
By Lori
15 comments
It’s wet out there, so it’s time to catch up on my blogging.
After many different delays the work on the greenhouse has hit a yet another snag…it’s raining again. The orientation of the gh on an e/w axis is accomplished…and yesterday was photography day. The new camera is as big a pain as ever, but I managed to get a few “before” shots…and the various “rooms” are now on a list..(which will change many times too, you can be sure!)
All my boarded perennials are now back with me…thanks to my cousin they all came thro the winter beautifully.
I’ve been thinking about starting up a second page on goY, for this garden exclusively. It is just too much to go into the old lists and try to redo them for the new property. Considering the difference in the area involved, there will be many more plants to add.
This is the south-east corner of the house, and the area which I hope to make our private garden. It is sheltered below the north facing slope of our lot and sandwiched between the backdoor area and a very ugly old shed/garage. Beneath about 6 inches of soil lies one of the biggest rocks I’ve ever seen…there is no excavating it because it’s like an iceberg…90% of it is submerged in the soil. It may be part of the bedrock as it is only feet from the foundation which is built upon a huge rock shelf which is part of the east wall of the basement block wall.
The sun hits this area well after sunrise, because we are ringed by three rock ridges and mixed mature forest. It remains in the sun for most of the day, partly shaded in afternoon by the shed and by the large maples that grow on the lower verges of hill/forest behind the house.
This area is the face of the hill which is covered with wildflowers and ferns and dozens of “scrub” maples. 50% of the seedling maples have been removed..the rest will remain to shade the ferns and retain the leaf cover for next winter.
The pathway up the hill will be “pegged” so that I don’t disrupt any of the wildflowers starting there. There are erythronium, Dutchmen’s Britches, trillium, false Solomon’s Seal, violets (blue and yellow), wild geranium, many kinds of mosses and lichens, and an area which appears to be lily of the valley, en masse!
The huge rock is just barely visible at the bottom of this shot.
This is probably the messiest corner of the yard..the old dog pen will be removed from the front of the shed and hopefully some siding will improve the look of it. It sits on blocks so that means there will be work to be done there too… the list grows long..and this is just year 1, of sector 1. A bit daunting.
the lily of the valley:
There’s lots of work to be done listing all the specie. I wander up the path everyday and always find something new and interesting. (found a Jack in the Pulpit in another sector…will be in that blog)
So back to the plan: This will be the spot for summer activity…would like to have raised beds for veggie and this is where I think the more tender shrubs and perennials will be protected in winter. The plan includes the fish pond with a wall and spitter the same shape (pentagonal) as my last one.
Not sure if the large log sections are visible in one of the pics…but there are cross sections of the trunk of a huge aspen beside an area which was set aside for splitting and storing firewood. They may become part of the pond surround…maybe?…?
Would like to add a gazebo or decking on the back of the house, and a potting shed. A handy work area near the shed for staging the various projects in adjacent sectors could also be considered.
A goY friend counselled me to make a large job manageable…“take small bites”… I think this is my first nibble. lol…
This is the “before” phase…this is the starting point. I hope I can make this area into a haven for family enjoyment.
Next blog..? Sector 1, Stage II…or maybe Sector 2, “Before”. Depends on the weather! I may just be outdoors FINALLY finishing up the greenhouse!
16 May, 2011
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More blog posts by Lori
Previous post: Spring on the calendar....but winter in our gardens.
Next post: Sector 1...Digging and Hammering
Comments
Wow! Lori! You've got an awful lot of work ahead of you, I wish you all the best in your endeavours! It's great to have all those wildflowers on your doorstep, well, so to speak! It'll be great!
16 May, 2011
Lori I`ve just read your other blog as well, sorry don`t know how I missed it. You are having fun with sorting the greenhouse but I do like your" won`t be beaten attitude".
It seems like very hard graft but you have lots of plans and ideas and its going to be interesting watching you create your new garden...
Wishing you all the best and looking forward to more blogs as time goes on....
16 May, 2011
Hello and thanks to everyone. Just wait til you get a load of sector 2!! Bwahahahahah! At last count there will be 14 sectors in the area near the house...that doesn't count the largest sector of them all, the whole forest/hill section.
17 May, 2011
you never stop Lori and i cant wait to see everything come together, the pond and your private garden to, i bet you dont have probs sleeping after your days gardening :o)
17 May, 2011
first reaction to reading this blog instalment;
get the coffee on , sit down and try to get my head around all these plans and what they all mean in actual physical work
second, awe at your aims and total optimism
third, how many of you are working on the garden?
fourth, when are you thinking of digging that huge rock out then? lol
14 sectors....i am afraid i havent got my head halfway round yet
i would love to have a walk around that plot of yours.
go for it girl.... but dont forget to stand stil sometime and enjoy
18 May, 2011
I'm sleeping pretty well these days, Sandra. One (or maybe a thousand) fly in the ointment...the blackflies and mosquitoes have started and I'm lucky if I can tolerate five minutes out there. Mandy is suffering too...they have bitten the inside of her ears raw!! poor thing.
I moved the greenhouse platform to a different spot..so the time it took to put it up has been lost...but it's a much better place and I work in 5 minute installments as that's all I can tolerate with the 'flies...There are repellents but they are as poisonous to people as they are repugnant to the flies, and there are also regalia to keep them at bey..but it's like the astronauts must feel working in outer space...come to think of it the weighlessness wouldn't be too bad...but I like to see what I'm doing! The netting hood and jacket are sealable at the neck, waist and wrists...it resembles a straightjacket...can't work in that~!
Resi: tomorrow I will take delivery of my gas powered lawn mower..and I need it!~ The weather has changed for the worst...it has rained for the last 5 days straight! The temps have gradually returned to seasonal levels..and today we have some sun!
And yes, 14 sectors...whew! It will be a few years before it's ready... My hubby is willing but not able to participate...he loves the new location and the fact that we're here in the middle of nature..but at present he's not able to help me in the garden. He makes sure I have tools to make my work a little easier and he's my cheerleader!
As to the rock...nope, not that much of an optimist..it stays!
20 May, 2011
Im overwhelmed Lori, all that work, the Mozzi's and the Amazing size of your garden, ha, when i say garden i mean Forrest, What great "fun" your going to have! Im betting your wild areas will look fantastic in summer, and the wildlife will be amazing.. looking forward to seeing pics of it all..
26 May, 2011
Thanks Ydd! at times it makes me tired just thinking about it...but I go to sleep at night planning the next days tasks...and if I don't get them all done the next day, then there's the day after that. Thankfully I'm not on a schedule. It's such an education. Just hope the old bod holds up.
26 May, 2011
I can tell you've already put a lot of thought into your new garden. You luckily have an artist's eye and can visualize the finished product. That's something alot of gardeners have trouble with, so you're already half way home Lori. Can't wait to see your progress in the following months and hopefully years to come.
27 May, 2011
For the first while, I admit, I was thinking about doing the whole enchilada! Now I think I'll be happy to spend this season recognizing what's here and helping my imports get settled and thro next winter. (what a thought!...winter) Building a rock retaining wall and digging a pond near the house for the fishies will be the limit of my energy this season, I think. I'm having so much fun learning which plants I have ...there are some I don't recognize at all...but having the time to search the info isn't happening. Usually too tired by the end of the day to do much more than shower and fall into bed! Have planted my New Dawn rose in the warmest and most sheltered..but brightest part of the backyard. It does not look good, but a friend reminded me that he had moved his and though he'd lost it...but it came back. So I'm hopeful. We've decided to put a small deck on the back of the house and that will keep me busy along with finishing the decking for the greenhouse and the greenhouse itself. All these are in Sector 1...today I worked~ digging out boulders..pics to follow! lol....
28 May, 2011
Wow,....I swear you must have a big red 'S' on your chest and you just haven't told anyone...;-). If I attempted all that in one season I wouldn't be falling into bed each night, I'd be six feet under.......lol. I can't wait to see each project in detail, from beginning to end. Keep the great blogs coming !
29 May, 2011
Okies...now I need to stay awake long enough to post a blog! lol....;-)
29 May, 2011
Interesting that you were thinking of that second page for a new garden, Lori, as i often wondered myself about different locations, being a tenant. I wonder if the idea of having numerous seperate gardens under one username might be a future option for this website, as I too would not want to loose my records of this one, but would definite love a seperate listing if I have to move and start another.
You have a lot of work ahead of you, hopefully our weather will eventually co-operate so you can really get out there & enjoy it Have fun!
2 Jun, 2011
Your landlord must love your green thumb, Grammazoo.
Still unsure as to when I'll get around to the change, though. I do want to have a completely different record for this garden than for the last. My neighbour in C'wall told me her daughter spoke to the new people in our house...and that they lady was thrilled with the garden and plans to continue with it as an organic garden as they have two small children. My red tulips and the hyacinthes are blooming...sigh.
The weather has improved a bit...the lumber for the deck was delivered yesterday...and I already have the deck frame painted...waiting for a neighbour with a backhoe to come and level the area for me...still so much to do.
3 Jun, 2011
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You know, it sounds a huge job, but you don't seem to be daunted Lori, I think you are loving every moment of it...well, most anyway! All those wildflowers, lovely! Making a new page seems a good idea to me, then you can keep the old page as your memory of the old days! Don't forget to pm me to tell me your new username! :)) x
16 May, 2011