Heather's Garden

Still Planting

So I left off with VPH and I venturing into Van Wilgen's -- wow is that place awesome!  Our first trip was on a Sunday in late April/early May.  I'm astonished that I'm the kind of person who likes to wander around a garden center.  VPH is not.  He continues to point out the other husbands trailing behind their wives pushing the carts and mentally calculating what they're going to get in return for their assistance.  It takes one to know one.  I just read that to him and he said no, it's more of if I keep her happy my life is easier.  Either way, he's wandering around in a fog.  I sent him off one day to find a heather plant (Heather's garden must have a heather plant), while I searched in the opposite direction.  In retrospect I have no idea why I thought he knew what a heather plant looked like, but if you sent a woman to find one and she didn't know, she would have asked.  He passed about 20 of them twice, actually pulling the cart up next to the group of plants, but I didn't realize this until after I had already called an employee over to ask.  Once I joined him I looked down and said, never mind, tell her I found it (and you're an idiot, but I kept that to myself).  We made a few more trips to window shop, I started buying herbs to feed my addiction, and we continued to watch the grass grow.

Our first purchases in terms of vegetable seedlings were in early May (remember I'm blogging now because I can't remember when I planted anything, or exactly what I planted): a cherry tomato seedling, a 6-pack of Celebrity tomato seedlings, a 6-pack of bell pepper seedlings, and a 6-pack of zucchini seedlings.  I made a decision early on to keep the vegetable garden as a container garden.  I had no idea what kind of soil we had and the veggie garden area has a series of stumps left from our neighbor's hemlock trees which were removed last summer.  This is another reason that we're suddenly using the yard.  The hemlocks (which were infected with woolly adelgid) blocked nearly all the sun from our yard and dropped pine needles and sap on anything we put out there.  Their removal was a mixed blessing because we can now see all of our neighbors' houses -- and the condos going in at the end of our street -- but we can also see the sun in more than the 5 square feet of yard that it used to hit before the removal of the trees.  The stumps seemed like the perfect place to put containers since they're all large and relatively level.   

Here's a shot of one of the houses that we can see now (on the left).  I hope that they don't look out their windows at us enjoying our yard, but since we're not out there sunbathing nude or anything I wouldn't be embarrassed if they are!

I planted the cherry tomato seedling in a self-watering hanging basket, in part because we have the smartest, most dexterous raccoons ever know to man (they appeared in force when the condos started going into the previously woody and overgrown space at the end of our street).  It's hanging on a 7 foot tall iron shepard's hook, so I'm reasonably certain I will actually harvest cherry tomatoes this year.  I have been warned that squirrels can climb shepard's hooks though -- just another thing to worry about.  My mom told me recently that we, as gardeners, are locked in a constant struggle with the very forces of nature.  I would add that it appears to be a losing battle (poison ivy is winning the fight for our hillside and driveway, but that's a post for another day).

Here's a series of photos of the cherry tomato plant:

June 11th

June 17th

June 27th

How long does it take for a cherry tomato to ripen?  Have I mentioned that patience is not exactly one of my strengths?

Up next the tomato seedlings.

Planting begins

I'm notorious for forgetting to water houseplants and killing them through benign neglect.  VPH scoffed at the idea of me actually growing plants -- on purpose -- outside.  You see, for years, I have been avoiding the sun.  Even 15 minutes of summer sun would leave me with forearms covered in a rash, itchy, swollen, and hot.  I had incorrectly called it sun poisoning for 10+ years.  Finally last summer at the urging of a work colleague I went to a dermatologist.  He asked a few pointed questions: do you wear sunscreen -- yes, the highest SPF I could find, but I still get the "bumps."  How often do you go outside during the summer -- as seldom as possible.  He examined my arms which were still showing a third day version of the rash and came up with a diagnosis.  I have absolutely no idea what that diagnosis was (it went right out of my head), but basically it's a condition where the first time your skin sees sun, you develop a rash and then you're fine.  I kept getting it over and over again because I avoided the sun so carefully.  Every time I went outside it was like the first time.  I think part of my interest in gardening has come from my renewed presence in the great outdoors during the summer.

I've been doing a lot of research on line to try and figure out what I'm doing.  Most people seem to be seed or seedling people.  I had the best of intentions and planned to use seed -- I even purchased seed -- then I figured out I was 2-3 weeks behind schedule and it was really too late for me to grow anything from seed.  Plus I'm really an instant gratification kind of person and growing from seed, while gratifying, is just too slow for me.  Maybe this winter I'll experiment with winter sowing, but in late April/early May, tomato seedlings made a lot of sense.  Way back in late March/early April (I told you I can't remember when I planted anything) I guilted VPH and younger step-son into turning over the earth in the wildflower patch so I could finally sow the seed I got from American Meadows way back in the fall.  I believe I bought a 1/4 pound of the Northeastern wildflower mix...I'm sure it was their Northeastern wildflower mix and a 1/2 pound would have been overkill for the small 4' x 15' plot. 

Here's the wildflower patch on June 10th:

And here's a close-up from today. 

I finally have a flower in a color other than white!  The poppies are so close to blooming and hopefully they will pop any day now.

So I had the wildflower seed in the ground, let's call it the week after Easter give or take a week, and I was dying to get the rest of the garden started.  I had definite plans.  Remember the sketch from a few posts ago?  I had a vegetable garden along the fence on the east side of the yard.  After much consideration - oh who am I kidding, I sort of ended up throwing whatever I came across into whatever pot I had already purchased - I ended up sowing peas from seed, snow peas and the more conventional pod peas - a container of each.  VPH and I went to Van Wilgen's, which depending on your viewpoint, is unfortunately/fortunately only a 10 minute drive from our house. 

At Van Wilgen's I discovered my downfall...herb seedlings.  I literally cannot walk past them without buying some.  Last year I experimented with a water garden in a 1/2 whiskey barrel (a very long story, but it was a freebie from Home Depot because of a problem with the purchase of the grill that started this whole thing).  It was fun, but with the fish, algae, pump always clogging, etc. it was just too much work (we moved the 3 goldfish inside into their very own tank).  This year I decided to feed my addiction to herbs by filling the now empty 1/2 whiskey barrel with an herb garden.  I started off with chives, parsley, dill, spearmint, and lavender in the barrel.  I planted oregano and basil in their own containers.  Here's big mistake #2: I planted spearmint in a container with other herbs!  This won't be the last time I plant something without researching it first.  A week later absolutely panicked by the warnings I had found on-line about planting mint in its own container because it would spread unchecked, I decided I wouldn't be able to sleep another night with it in the 1/2 whiskey barrel with the other herbs. 

To be continued after some sleep.  Don't worry, I've already relocated the spearmint to its own container.

Hardscaping Continues

After many weeks of estimates and redesigns back and forth we were both happy with the price and the design and John started work on the last day of April.  It was only going to be a 1 day job and boy was I sad when he pulled his bobcat into the back yard and started tearing up the sod that we had fretted over so last August.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the earth he was digging up was a beautiful dark color and full of worms.  On the south side of the house next to the patio where the wildflowers are located the earth is clay more than anything else.  On the west side of the house (by the grill and flagstone walkway) it's also clay mixed with more tree roots than I could previously imagine.  On the east side of the house it's really sandy.  But if I ever want to plant something in the ground in the middle of the yard, it would grow!

Our landlord came by to see the work on day 1.  She asked us to get John to put together an estimate for tearing up the old asphalt parking space and putting down gravel on the side of the house and in the front for the 3 parking spaces (2 of which were previously on bare earth or mud/ice all winter and mud/dirt all summer).  She must have liked the price he gave her because she told him to go ahead with the job.  John used the old asphalt and such to reshape the land around the side of the house and the entrance to the yard, scraping back the topsoil, burying the debris, and placing the top soil back on top.  I wish I had thought to take pictures of the process because it really was fascinating.  I also wish I had a before picture so you could see what a difference it makes, but this should illustrate the phenomenal improvement...2 neighbors have come by and said, "Is this really 4 Blank Street?"  It's that different.  (Pardon the fake address, but you never know who's looking at stuff on the web.)

John finished the job on May 5th, we headed to a Yankee game, Clemens announced he was coming back, and we came home to the other happy news that the torn up areas of the yard had been seeded and covered in straw.  Have you ever sat and watched grass grow?  We had to water twice a day and not walk on any portion of the lawn that was slowly coming up.  We soon started walking all the way around the perimeter of the yard to get to the 2 sheds and the container vegetable garden that I planted somewhere around this week.  This is the reason I started this blog, I can't remember when I planted anything!  It was a very long 4 weeks of watering, avoiding the grass, and imagining what my conversation pit would look like once the gazebo and furniture were set up. 

Next up, actual plants will be incorporated into the garden!

Winter Scheming

I didn't spend that much time over the winter thinking about what to do with the yard (don't believe everything VPH says), but I had a few ideas.  I found out that we were getting a larger than expected tax refund in early March and my imagination went wild.  I love shopping on-line and I'm particularly fond of the W Mart site -- low prices without the unpleasant experience of walking into the store and fighting the teeming masses.  The only drawback to enjoying the patio in August/September had been the swarm of mosquitoes that attacked every evening.  If only there was something that would allow us to enjoy the outdoors but would keep us separate from the bugs. 

Sure there are those tent rooms with no floor that you zip your self into, but have you ever seen one that wasn't butt ugly?  I'm sure they're very functional and all, but I just couldn't see us in one, plus VPH, who usually goes with the flow, had vetoed this structure out of hand.  Something had to be done though and I mounted a concerted effort to find a solution. 

Then I found this on the W Mart site.  Isn't it lovely?  It's a gazebo/it's a screened in structure.  I love things that are atheistically pleasing and functional!  So it went on the must have list and as long as we're getting it, we really need some furniture to go in it.  Wait, where are we going to put it?  Remember the patio is awesome, but it's also already covered in furniture and I love my fire pit table and probably shouldn't use it under a canvas awning.  We need another level spot in the yard!

Initially my idea was to have the whole yard graded and re-seeded.  I started getting bids and again, way too much money for a rental.  I approached my landlord about possibly splitting the cost, but this time they weren't interested.  I started revising my idea to a smaller scale and working with the one contractor who was responsive, helpful, and reasonably priced, my pal John (I'm happy to share his company name and contact info if anyone has a project they need a guy and heavy duty equipment for).  Together we came up with the idea of a 15' x 15' gravel pit. 

I started calling it the conversation pit, but I was the only one who could see it.  My landlord has repeatedly said, you do what you want, but I don't think a big pile of rocks in the middle of the grass is going to look good.  To which I really wanted to say, you see any grass out there woman?  But I'm trying to be a nicer person.  Here's the sketch that I made for John.  Ironically, this is pretty much what we ended up with, but for some reason I didn't know where the spigot was located on the side of the house -- not where it is in my drawing -- and don't laugh at my horrible drawing ability or my sense of scale, or rather lack thereof.

The Beginning

NOTE: I'm a read from the beginning kind of girl too.  I've left these old posts here because I like the record of the garden, but damn, they're boring.  Hang in there, I promise the writing and photography gets better!

In early July 2006 we purchased a new grill. I sent my very patient husband (VPH) out the side door to clean up a space for a few concrete pavers so we could keep the new grill reasonably level and clean while we figured out what to do next.  I'm embarrassed to say that the old grill was leveled courtesy of a cinder block (not too ghetto).  The whole yard was on an insane slope, more on that later.  VPH did as requested and came back inside 15 minutes later. 

"You have to come see what I found."  With visions of rat babies dancing in my head (did I mention how ghetto it was on the side of the house?), I followed him outside.  Under about 4-5 inches of dirt and tree roots he had uncovered a flagstone.  "Wow," I said, "I guess someone else had a grill out here at some point.  Hopefully it will be big enough for ours."

The next day I came home to find him hacking away at the tree roots with an axe and a few feet of a flagstone walkway cleared.  Several weeks later we had a flagstone walkway that ran from the parking area in front of the house to about 2/3 the length of the house where it suddenly turned under the foundation.  We knew that the back half of the house was an addition, so our theory is that when they added to the house they decided it wasn't worth saving the walkway (which probably led to a patio that's under the house now) and covered it up instead. 

VPH added the big stones on the border and I added in river pebbles to finish the look.

This was lovely, but it only served to remind me that the yard was unusable.  My step-sons were no longer interested in throwing a ball around with VPH (they were 16 and 20) and we really had no grass.  As you faced the yard from the back of the house it sloped from right to left about 10 feet over 30 feet -- I hope you're envisioning a yard without a single flat surface because that's what we had. 

We solicited bids for a concrete patio, but were appalled with what contractors were asking for a 15' x 15' patio with a sidewalk to where the flagstone walkway turned under the house (about 15 more feet).  One wanted $3,000!  I can be an idiot, but even I'm not dumb enough to spend that kind of money on a patio for a rental!  A friend's boyfriend had just started a landscaping business and came through with a very reasonable price for us and we went ahead with our landlord's permission.  They graciously ended up splitting the cost with us and paid to extend the concrete sidewalk and put in concrete steps to the side door which you can see at the bottom of the photo above/right.  I know, I know, it's a rental, but what we paid for the patio was less than what we pay a month for rent and it's been nearly a year now and we've used the patio almost every day for 9 out of the last 12 months.

Shortly after the patio was poured in early-August 2006 we installed sod around it (leaving an empty rectangle between the patio and the house for a future wildflower patch) and then left on vacation for a week in Stowe, VT (great vacation spot summer or winter).  Our upstairs neighbor, who never used the backyard before the great adventure and still doesn't, generously watered the sod for us twice a day for a whole week!  We came home to green grass and then a week later threw a picnic. 

Here's my first trial and error glaring error: in a rush to prep the patio for company we put down river rocks the length of the concrete walkway from the side door stairs to the end of the patio -- here's the kicker -- without putting landscape fabric beneath them.  Huge mistake.  VPH and eldest step-son spent a whole day this spring raking up all the rocks, separating them from the dirt and weeds and then putting them back in place -- on top of 2 layers of landscape fabric this time.  I made other mistakes along the way (and am sure I will continue to do so), but that was the worst so far. 

The picnic was great and we enjoyed our patio for the rest of the summer, fall, and incredibly warm winter.  I read a book and drank a glass of wine on the patio on Christmas day, but winter returned with a vengeance in February and by Easter (typical Christmas-time sleeting rain weather), we were ready for spring.  But the yard was still chock full of weeds and sloped incredibly.  I spent the entire winter plotting for the spring.  I think if VPH had known what the spring would bring, he might have run away during the winter.