Re: [gardeners] a spring full of chores

George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 06 Mar 2003 08:06:24 -0600 

I got tired just reading your to do list Matt. Of course I can get tired
just thinking about any amount of work anymore. <VBG> Sounds like the
place will be lovely when you get most of it done. Gardeners work is
really never complete is it?

George

M T wrote:
> 
>  What a beautiful day today! High of 71* and sunny in the afternoon.
>  Within the next month, we should have 3 or 4 more days of lows below
> feezing. Not ready to plant out the annuals, but it's finally warming
> up a bit.
> 
>  Still need to move 7 medium sized shrubs before it gets too warm,
> probably within the next 2 weeks. After that the time table for the
> other 20 things on the list is a bit more flexible. <BG>
> 
>  Looking back over the past year we have managed to;
> 
>  Plant 80 feet of leyland cypress hedge and groom it 3 times. It grew
> another 6 inches from October to now!
>  Hang the hammock from 2 trees.
>  Dig a 10x10x2 pond, pot up a bunch of pond plants, add a few small
> goldfish.
>  Build a triagular raised bed with the dirt from the pond and face the
> front edge with brick and a cobble cap (6"x9" pavers). Plant 3 large
> groupings of cast iron plant that had grown in 7 gallon pots for the
> past 3 years.
>  Remove a 15x20 wooden deck. Get rid of rubble.
>  Remove the $%#@ five inch thick concrete sub base with an electric
> jackhammer. Get rid of the concrete rubble!
>  Get rid of the 20 odd railing posts sunk 2 feet in concrete. (The deck
> must have been beautiful 30 years ago, interesting pattern, well built,
> just 30 years old and beyond repair)
>  Move a 6' gardenia 30 feet and keep it alive through last years
> drought.
>   Add 30 feet of chainlink fence and 5 sections of 6' privacy fence
> with a double gate with a 5' opening. The back yard is finally
> completely enclosed.
>  Map out the 30' round patio. Map out the walkway with a fountain and
> circular walk around that, and map out the second pond (4x18x2) and the
> granite bridge location.
>  Remove the half rotted wooden floor in the large garden shed. Replace
> it with a crush and run and sand base. Dry lay 16" square concrete
> pavers with drainage pebbles around the outer edges.
>  Get the hot tub fixed (bought a better used one from the same place
> for $400!) Life is good! Get the hot tub installed in the large garden
> shed.
>  Plant a 5'x5' evergreen that was sitting in a 9 gallon pot for 3
> years. It's a layered cutting of a 12' shrub from my parents yard.
>  Plant a few dozen assorted small shrubs (7 need to be relocated...)
>  Plant a 5' butia palm and help it survive this extremely cold winter
> (for us).
>  Plant a few dozen perennials and grasses here and there.
>  Move 6 cubic yards (9 tons) of crush and run for the patio. (still
> need another 5 tons...)
>  Buy 2 pallets of 6"x9" concrete cobbles from Lowes. Estimating we will
> need another 3 to 4 pallets to finish.
>  Buy $400 worth of aluminum edging for the patio and walkways.
> 
>  Still need to;
> 
>  Get a 5' round catch basin for the fountain.
>  Dig the hole for the catch basin.
>  Buy the liner for the 4x18x2 pond.
>  Dig the 4x18x2 pond and dig out the area for the cinderblock supports
> for the granite bridge in the middle of it.
>  Run the conduit and wiring for the 2 ponds and the fountain and 2
> seperate curcuits for the large garden shed. (one for the hot tub and
> one for the supplimental electric heat to keep the shed above freezing
> in the winter. We over winter a dozen USDA zone 9 plants there. We blow
> a breaker half the times the tub starts up.)
>  Get and spread 5 more cubic yards of crush and run.
>  Get and spread an inch of sand over the crush and run.
>  Bend the edging and install it.
>  Install the pavers. Cut with new circular diamond blade as necessary.
>  Plant another dozen small shrubs still in large pots.
>  Get the glass double doors sitting at a friend's house for the past 3
> years and install them on the backyard side of the large garden shed.
> 
>  Lay in the hammock for 10 minutes when the backyard is finally
> finished!
> 
>  Start on the front yard... <VBG>
> 
> Hope you're all doing well and staying warm,
> Matt in Notfolk, Virginia - USDA zone 8
> 
> 
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