tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45583510567493866102024-02-19T07:47:03.230-05:00From the Garden Benchwebbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.comBlogger596125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-33009771644767186272017-10-22T16:31:00.006-04:002017-10-22T16:31:59.371-04:00An Accidental Project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Education is [obviously] good for us, but i had not expected how much work it would create for me. </div>
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When i retired two years ago, i started classes at the community college in Horticulture, and have loved every minute. I've learned a lot of the how, what and why that was missing from the informal education provided by my grandmother and my favorite aunt. And, it's been practical. </div>
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After I finished "Woody Plants", i started adding new shrubs to the landscape - viburnums, rhododendron, oakleaf hydrangea, panicle hydrangea, choke berry and conifers. After i finished "Irrigation" i put in an above-ground watering system for the back perennial beds. After "Perennials" i started reworking those beds - moving things around and adding new plants ... like a whole shade garden.</div>
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And, now i'm in "Planting Design". This is where i wanted to start, but there are so few of us interested* in landscape design right now, that this is the first time in three fall semesters that there have been enough students to meet the minimum to hold the class. Two weeks into the semester i started looking at my front yard with new eyes.</div>
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I realized that we had a "weak" front entrance and that the foundation planting that we did more than 15 years ago has matured and grown a lot bigger with the result that it was beginning to take over. In particular, the English Laurel [<i>Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken'</i>] was enormous, with one bush covering more than <b>eight</b> feet laterally. There was no focus to the front.</div>
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First, I tried to prune the laurel back and open up the space. That was my day job. And, at night i worked on a new plan for the front. What i would really like to do is rip out the walkway [too narrow, too close the the porch, too boring] and put in a whole new walk and 'resting place' at the bottom of the stairs, but that will take a major investment in time and money, as well as several strong men who know what they are doing. So, i settled for creating a more obvious entrance and softer planting. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmby16JuVRnTd8DrkGjDdJoUFPN9sPzvOoJcfDF6PUJYeHez8F5a9cPyA7NOdkI0FykPySoOEER4m01YGw41NJ3KlJPlI1UOShpgy9HVqvQMIDYvbr83dmVVIdsJ9ATZ_CJniwy_AcrZyP/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmby16JuVRnTd8DrkGjDdJoUFPN9sPzvOoJcfDF6PUJYeHez8F5a9cPyA7NOdkI0FykPySoOEER4m01YGw41NJ3KlJPlI1UOShpgy9HVqvQMIDYvbr83dmVVIdsJ9ATZ_CJniwy_AcrZyP/s320/DSC_0013.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">The laurel (to the right of the steps) was more than 8 feet wide, <br />crowding its neighbors and starting to hide the steps.<br /> </td></tr>
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I pruned the laurel until it was effectively removed and then called our "tree man" to come take out the stump. Then a morning of pulling out lireope, various vines, and hidden weeds left me with a clean surface to start on my new plan. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the laurel gone and everything else cleaned out, i had a nice clean slate.<br /></td></tr>
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A trip to my new favorite nursery yielded three new apricot "drift" roses** and a Hinoki cypress [<i>Chamacypris obtusa 'Gracilis</i>']. Add a couple of bucketfuls of ajuga pulled from the back beds and i was ready to plant. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love pots of new plants!<br /></td></tr>
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Finally, with a couple of bags of mulch and a good watering in, it was done. Total working time was only four mornings over less than two weeks. </div>
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Maybe someday I will do the more expansive renovation and relocate the walk, but if i never do that, at least we have a more welcoming front entrance now.</div>
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I hate to think what else i will decide needs changing by the end of the semester!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* The community college offers three two-year tracks in Horticulture: sustainable agriculture, turf management and landscape design, as well as a one-year certificate in flower arranging. Currently the 'sus-ag' is the most popular with students. Apparently, most of the landscaping and maintenance firms in the area are becoming very concerned about sustainability and our students can bring a lot to the table for them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">** If you are not familiar with "drift" roses, they are a spreading rose that is similar to the better know "Knock Out" series, but smaller. They grow about 18 inches tall, with two-inch blooms and spread like a tall ground cover. I have seen them in red, pink, white, yellow, coral and apricot. I planted some in the spring, more in the early fall, and three this week. So far, i really like them.</span></div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-17951927725535025322017-09-29T14:14:00.000-04:002017-09-29T14:14:13.156-04:00A New Front Porch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A couple of years ago we had our deteriorating side porch replaced with synthetic decking. It looks lovely and we are delighted with it. We have a large deck in the back and a large covered wrap-around porch in the front, but the cost of composite decking is significantly higher than wood and we just didn't want to spend that much on something we walked on everyday.</div>
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Then we discovered Behr DeckOver* - a paint product that seals decks and needs little follow-up care for years. Over two summers I painted the back deck and railings and we have been very pleased with them. This year it was time to do the front porch. We did call our handy-dandy construction guy and had him replace the front stair trends with the composite, since they are constantly in the weather, but then i painted the porch floor over a ten-day period of good weather.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day three of stripping .... and it just goes on and on.</td></tr>
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The most difficult part of this job is the preparation. Because this porch is completely covered it had only been stained and sealed twice in 16 years, but it still took me four days to strip off the old finish. This is back breaking work - much of it done on hands and knees with a brush! I used the stripper, but there is still plenty of elbow grease required. </div>
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Once it's stripped, then it also has to be cleaned to remove all traces of the stripper and any remaining dirt. Then you can paint. It's rather like painting with thick pudding - chocolate in my case - and goes very slowly, but if you do good, full coverage with the first coat, the second is much easier. Full coverage is the key to good aging with it. </div>
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Because of the strong right angle at the corner, the decking is laid in a chevron pattern that connects at the corner. I had paint that was old - left from the back deck - and new paint, so the corner "seam" made it easy for me to use the old on the L-side and new paint on the front side, using the obvious seam to hide any visual difference in the two paints. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voila! Ready to use.</td></tr>
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When finished it looks like it's been there forever, and the new color exactly matches the color of the composite steps!</div>
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Imagine that small table with two glasses of wine around 5:00 any evening and you will have a very accurate picture of the front of our house!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* Behr does not know I like their product and has not paid me to say nice things. I did it for free. </span></div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-54707021650237409242017-09-22T10:15:00.000-04:002017-09-22T10:15:13.540-04:00Shade ... the New Frontier<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For years i have tried to pretend that shade does not exist - well, not in the garden. While we did have shade at our last home, my MIL had planted the property in shrubbery and i just chose to let it stay the way it was and never really learned anything about shade-loving plants. This yard has a very definite shady area under and surrounding our elm tree and it's a significant part of the garden. </div>
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When we first dug the garden, i just threw in some Solomon's Seal (varigated), ajuga, and lireope and left it to fend for itself. Over time some Obedience Plant and native asters also moved in, but it was basically a nice jungle for years. And then came education. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before I started ... that's all Solomon's Seal - about 20 x 20</td></tr>
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One of my favorite classes so far was Perennials, and i learned lots! Like how to grow shade loving plants. Last winter a plan was hatched, plant sources were searched and prices compared, decisions made ... and in March i started clearing out Solomon's Seal. (A note: that was not easy. It has really thick rhizomes and, left undisturbed for years, they were tough!) I also pulled out about half of the existing Obedience plant (Phystotrygia) and about half of the native asters. It took me a couple of weeks to clear it all out, but finally I was ready for the new plants. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All cleaned out and ready to start planting. The round "thing" is the bowl of an old birdbath that I left out for water for the butterflies.</td></tr>
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Some plants came by mail, but most i was able to get locally: Acanthus 'Whitewater', Aruncus 'Kneifii', Columbine Mountain Rue, Hosta 'White Feather', Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Sarcococca, and heuchera of many colors all made their way into my car and then into the ground. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flag mark either plants to go in (green and white) or irrigation heads (orange). See the new use for the bird bath?</td></tr>
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Six months later and most plants are doing well. The brunnera has disappeared, but i think that is normal. It did bloom early and looked good. The hosta has disappeared, too. Am not counting on it coming back, altho it may. I put it in the very darkest spot, but it still got a little bit of sun in the mornings. The goatsbeard died immediately. This is a mystery, because it is supposed to do well here, and the Acanthus is also struggling. I am hopeful that both of these will do better after a winter in the ground.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHotaTzHiCuYtb2Vjv19W95JzZyFhFxblaBSnUXVi_GhlAv9X8UezgH1wEW0ebepNAbCnbnaHhB11ikJP8vyCipOiowfSgkJnSlt-g1j0V9was0oy4GRETRwqVxBCMKIspLVwVdzWVEwWs/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHotaTzHiCuYtb2Vjv19W95JzZyFhFxblaBSnUXVi_GhlAv9X8UezgH1wEW0ebepNAbCnbnaHhB11ikJP8vyCipOiowfSgkJnSlt-g1j0V9was0oy4GRETRwqVxBCMKIspLVwVdzWVEwWs/s320/DSC_0109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid-summer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUiPvwpdHe72hRNV465-t2dahFplimYypkp_2Vcr9SUMRiDg3KPcWDe_OTw2g4of48fmmnFuPmsRaAr7krKDpxbMYH6Zi_ELe0_sNXxXqPDkgv58uDYxDc_LD3O4U5mJpEgqVlYl6xKEM/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUiPvwpdHe72hRNV465-t2dahFplimYypkp_2Vcr9SUMRiDg3KPcWDe_OTw2g4of48fmmnFuPmsRaAr7krKDpxbMYH6Zi_ELe0_sNXxXqPDkgv58uDYxDc_LD3O4U5mJpEgqVlYl6xKEM/s320/DSC_0035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There should be goatsbeard where those two white flags are!</td></tr>
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On the plus side, tho, the mountain rue loved its location, and the huchera all doubled in size. I chose a wide variety of colors - green, lime, caramel, black and red - all chosen from the trial results at Mt. Cuba Research Center in Maryland. This is resource that i encountered last spring. They trial perennials for the mid-Atlantic and publish gorgeous full-color reports on what does well here. Late in the summer, I add two Hucherella and a Tiarella to the mix.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t5HK6cfBGSjvBMXyHbPvEZhNRuFfMpqLGzHflTw4fqD1evY1p5tLd437oD_A07eby_5QqkYmafAI6724ZZloSipQbvNse_qNwVCgWJK-22ZIAz-bxXoFJPe1PJ2gWlihl1E0CTLp3e_2/s1600/DSC_0102+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t5HK6cfBGSjvBMXyHbPvEZhNRuFfMpqLGzHflTw4fqD1evY1p5tLd437oD_A07eby_5QqkYmafAI6724ZZloSipQbvNse_qNwVCgWJK-22ZIAz-bxXoFJPe1PJ2gWlihl1E0CTLp3e_2/s320/DSC_0102+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This morning.</td></tr>
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At the moment the entire garden looks good. I will need to pull out more of the phystostygia and asters, because they are nearly invasive. As the other plants get bigger, it will be easier to keep these sneaky creepers at bay. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMV0MQAg-3B5WcaJfF9njUUIw0Pf-IIv1syUlJkcrOlfX-Jnkcrh2SZKm5o002K4I1kfwQHY1WQpYO527aelF3C7U6mZlgP0DWS_brOf6mahMFueTlHansKjnOJgidLBvU-WeiZm9VwGkB/s1600/DSC_0184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMV0MQAg-3B5WcaJfF9njUUIw0Pf-IIv1syUlJkcrOlfX-Jnkcrh2SZKm5o002K4I1kfwQHY1WQpYO527aelF3C7U6mZlgP0DWS_brOf6mahMFueTlHansKjnOJgidLBvU-WeiZm9VwGkB/s320/DSC_0184.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This morning.</td></tr>
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I still need to replace the goatsbeard with something that can take a bit of morning sun. I may put in a couple Hakone grasses to bring some gold in as background and for movement.</div>
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Won't really know if this garden will be a long term success until we've been thru at least one winter and another summer, but i love it and hope it survives!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-28230763093284311682017-09-17T09:34:00.003-04:002017-09-17T09:34:55.460-04:00Sweet September<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The summer has flown by. It seems like just yesterday that i was planting annual seeds to fill in a bit of color among the perennials.And, now it's starting to go dormant. Some days i feel dormant, too, but that's a story for another time!</div>
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With no school and no obligations at all, it's been a productive summer here in the garden. I had three "big" projects planned for this year - a new shade garden with an additional place to sit and contemplate, an irrigation system for the main back beds, and refinishing the front porch decking. Amazingly, i managed to get them all done with time to spare. I shall get my lazy self in gear and share them with you over a few posts, but first... there is left over business from last year.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkdt7ZzomHooOGfpPnvwXN-4KkQ3qTUqywEQL5y7l_hzj9Em6uOHhZ7WWhi2EABFuoqASKscnpF_OLggphwRwNIHdimz6phE5d09kLwQkfbCuZvcrPONxzShwZu6jgBBq2cjdqiRnthOI/s1600/DSC_0017+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkdt7ZzomHooOGfpPnvwXN-4KkQ3qTUqywEQL5y7l_hzj9Em6uOHhZ7WWhi2EABFuoqASKscnpF_OLggphwRwNIHdimz6phE5d09kLwQkfbCuZvcrPONxzShwZu6jgBBq2cjdqiRnthOI/s320/DSC_0017+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eventually, the shrubs will form a green mass to soften the base of the deck.</td></tr>
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In June of 2016 we lost a beautiful 'Thundercloud' plum tree that shaded our back deck. After several weeks of grief over the loss of a truly beloved tree (it was the first one we planted at our new home - 16 years ago - and provided not only afternoon shade on our deck, but also the most gorgeous display of pink wonder every February when it bloomed), we decided not to replace it with another tree. (Our tree man had always complained that it was way too close to the house - and apparently he was right!) Instead, i embarked on a new perennial bed in the now sunny space left behind.</div>
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I planned a bed that would be the entrance to the back yard, but would also have color for three season and provide fragrance for the deck ... literally, i chose as many fragrant varieties as i could find. It did fairly well in 2016, but was too new to really tell if we would like it. </div>
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This year, a lot has changed. The major design worked out just fine. The gaillarda ('Grape Sensation') has bloomed since June and is still going strong. In the early spring, there were pink Oriental lilies - all fragrant, and now there are two types of sedum in bloom. </div>
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The grasses and shrubs have been slower to get established. Two of the grasses did not survive the first winter and have been replaced with two more. Part of the problem is the full sun location. Many grasses would like a bit more shade. The muhly grass has been slow to take hold, but is looking better this fall and actually has a few plumes - and they are pink, as planned. (Did i remember to say that it's predominantly a pink garden?)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFvpN30vDzTGgjHpR0I2cZvGgZZEO8d_scr9jbJpYwtMhsn5tGYD7VEBlFWmsXOdwGyBYRglTaSzHIsrPSXkbHUURB0Np02QNPWb3CRSHpQHZnkeUilIA1egJEmm-6_nISyHezYsO3s9w/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFvpN30vDzTGgjHpR0I2cZvGgZZEO8d_scr9jbJpYwtMhsn5tGYD7VEBlFWmsXOdwGyBYRglTaSzHIsrPSXkbHUURB0Np02QNPWb3CRSHpQHZnkeUilIA1egJEmm-6_nISyHezYsO3s9w/s320/DSC_0016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seen from the "back", the rhodo (left), viburnum (center) and gardenia (right) will fill in this whole area. </td></tr>
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The rhododendron has also struggled, but is finally starting to look strong and has about doubled in size over the past couple of months and the gardenia suddenly produced three blooms this past week - hoorah! In the spring i realized that i needed one more shrub to fill in a hole, so i planted a 'Sugar Shack' viburnum , which has grown like Topsy. The shrubs all need one more year before i will be totally sure they are going to make it, but i am feeling better than i did this time last year. </div>
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The only "major" design change i have made was to remove the lilies this fall. Altho they were beautiful and smelled wonderful, i realized that they were not substantial looking enough for the rest of the bed. It's full and lush, while they were each standing on one skinny stalk above everything else - just not the right look. So, this week i replace them with pink daylilies which will give me a more substantial looking foliage to fit in better with the other plants - they are all supposed to be fragrant - and moved the Orientals to the back part of the main garden where they will be able to easily hide their skinny legs among the taller perennials. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSg_ozrEwVrv2ICA4FzDAgUfZBkxl4xWjkSar9MGvkIZT2MuDHZWwKAdSWujAaYDM3QIA4qdvCxaC3tp-V3uMuW0-2GKamYLnUM6Hv1b8EVl8Rc2sNMcnmTGJgNTWyk3RCF7ra45zzdf4/s1600/DSC_0169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSg_ozrEwVrv2ICA4FzDAgUfZBkxl4xWjkSar9MGvkIZT2MuDHZWwKAdSWujAaYDM3QIA4qdvCxaC3tp-V3uMuW0-2GKamYLnUM6Hv1b8EVl8Rc2sNMcnmTGJgNTWyk3RCF7ra45zzdf4/s320/DSC_0169.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trevor the hedgehog has always guarded this part of the garden.</td></tr>
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All in all, it's a plan that worked!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-47385151513974473672017-06-23T09:54:00.000-04:002017-06-23T09:54:23.044-04:00Lazy, Crazy, Hazy days of Lilies!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If there is ever a time to just sit and marvel at the abundance of flowers in the garden it's now - as the lilies bloom. Over the years I have tried a lot of different lilies and had varying success, but these are the days that make all that trial and error worth it.</div>
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What do you like? Yellow .?.. check!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbx9pn4EFNDvyUbN5uecYdqOTLU_G2rUygnxiH3xPEsIIJxnW56jsLXWIw_ytZFuq5gKgicOEH8s_cn3QjA4Kixn-Hftf8G3p2YhXSkgpvKlm6hmQjbOA-y-zULpdUgLTdNyay2mKziae/s1600/DSC_0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbx9pn4EFNDvyUbN5uecYdqOTLU_G2rUygnxiH3xPEsIIJxnW56jsLXWIw_ytZFuq5gKgicOEH8s_cn3QjA4Kixn-Hftf8G3p2YhXSkgpvKlm6hmQjbOA-y-zULpdUgLTdNyay2mKziae/s320/DSC_0204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Darker yellow? ... also check!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4mi4HFTjBRtgjKomxlpPFfZHXcaElb-5dXvaWdMLKBESZ1MjQhdNgo9kp97iYrGPhjuhT1g6ye85x2sg1BWZhZc0DSg3UjBr6EmF7Y_wzPpQTgJSeJyfWpVn8KUk_9mKX3ILpJhaR1l1/s1600/DSC_0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4mi4HFTjBRtgjKomxlpPFfZHXcaElb-5dXvaWdMLKBESZ1MjQhdNgo9kp97iYrGPhjuhT1g6ye85x2sg1BWZhZc0DSg3UjBr6EmF7Y_wzPpQTgJSeJyfWpVn8KUk_9mKX3ILpJhaR1l1/s320/DSC_0201.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Gold? Sure!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPvBJdNRf9l_uPy5-0jotXfRpojcFvHgMoIVsE52gG3RwGnJ0BGjYH1Oc-1LLiqlZaTPU1KDbJuTIvKgjgGU6POwdPmvSyNrVFZBqvaLK6k5cGOMQyA6P6qVPqXenMQD-pdG5t2exfUVi/s1600/DSC_0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPvBJdNRf9l_uPy5-0jotXfRpojcFvHgMoIVsE52gG3RwGnJ0BGjYH1Oc-1LLiqlZaTPU1KDbJuTIvKgjgGU6POwdPmvSyNrVFZBqvaLK6k5cGOMQyA6P6qVPqXenMQD-pdG5t2exfUVi/s320/DSC_0202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Striped? Easy as pie!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PzBSqBgHLF8_vAL1HTOhjsLyWkwjz_SQtRWZBTCd9lkhs6gASQcA39z9vpLfIgeZgpPddtjKLYpOGFkUc9ZgotdUCQGq1d9u5BBKRhXaoJvG7usWl6syTuVDY6QxLBeqtGHicTaeMF5F/s1600/DSC_0203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PzBSqBgHLF8_vAL1HTOhjsLyWkwjz_SQtRWZBTCd9lkhs6gASQcA39z9vpLfIgeZgpPddtjKLYpOGFkUc9ZgotdUCQGq1d9u5BBKRhXaoJvG7usWl6syTuVDY6QxLBeqtGHicTaeMF5F/s320/DSC_0203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Red? it gets better and better!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24K8NR8s9Dn2iGm9WYua_H5fxsYCPgO8CgwEIXN2rNzTEWxJbbkVmodA6973bxKRJgTOJzCiFpovvlOxKW48xhZvqyHPmvYa_MND8K-tCylXYGsHyh8nI2Y2XF-jzHt84Ayl2mXNyy9g8/s1600/DSC_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24K8NR8s9Dn2iGm9WYua_H5fxsYCPgO8CgwEIXN2rNzTEWxJbbkVmodA6973bxKRJgTOJzCiFpovvlOxKW48xhZvqyHPmvYa_MND8K-tCylXYGsHyh8nI2Y2XF-jzHt84Ayl2mXNyy9g8/s320/DSC_0199.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, it looks coral to me, too. True red is still under <br />construction in the lily world.<br /></td></tr>
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Oops - i forgot black!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitX4FFYLxbXw7zaN8cAQ10ifCt4sudC27lcMG8cqukHgrhCNoWuSs_b3JiT2hmA0gKXxInAgwqQImDdyIabPz2DNW2fb70K3IYVKCzCK__9fvRwY6sBV0is1p-o9zgZg5lJsxxca1rnro/s1600/DSC_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitX4FFYLxbXw7zaN8cAQ10ifCt4sudC27lcMG8cqukHgrhCNoWuSs_b3JiT2hmA0gKXxInAgwqQImDdyIabPz2DNW2fb70K3IYVKCzCK__9fvRwY6sBV0is1p-o9zgZg5lJsxxca1rnro/s320/DSC_0206.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one came from Andre Viette - at his farm.</td></tr>
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How about a calla?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlnRBwZgo_IIk6q9zGWzkeQ4QNCkTEJSzNMjUy1gs98nXFF_Dwd-D5TO8kd21ExMA5XZ6dAJidv3_P4k_tPgYxqjAnbKbDKd0JVlaMiT7Ah4Ju9Lr3tR9jQAQqvooqB60SdRqZOdC2Fj5/s1600/DSC_0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlnRBwZgo_IIk6q9zGWzkeQ4QNCkTEJSzNMjUy1gs98nXFF_Dwd-D5TO8kd21ExMA5XZ6dAJidv3_P4k_tPgYxqjAnbKbDKd0JVlaMiT7Ah4Ju9Lr3tR9jQAQqvooqB60SdRqZOdC2Fj5/s320/DSC_0209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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or, two?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFzU49FmI-lRoQ2Cpu5BQHZKHlAMRC0cjPOgz-f4f9nJ-fOSUzUuXN-uG6_RC5mudEL554qHvOWlVLWPc127AFEiRRPdAvd9EdZuw9UUvtDI4wXd-jjT4XeNqYLrrE1qUPCiU3Fs9Y9Jy/s1600/DSC_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFzU49FmI-lRoQ2Cpu5BQHZKHlAMRC0cjPOgz-f4f9nJ-fOSUzUuXN-uG6_RC5mudEL554qHvOWlVLWPc127AFEiRRPdAvd9EdZuw9UUvtDI4wXd-jjT4XeNqYLrrE1qUPCiU3Fs9Y9Jy/s320/DSC_0207.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are not supposed to be hardy here - this one came from our "old" house 17 years ago. Still going strong, altho the color changes slightly from years to year.</td></tr>
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And, you've already met the tree lily ...</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsC4qDr7qtbY3s45S_7Bcv3pzRtqNsiEP7jWouqXi7Ilr_LLB0YUaIUSvqVQCk-XbKKrMR8P2Q5RFc1CzpjfE6qvGXmNDccqKyhqYH6whReOAezv4eJCGvsvrCrotiorZmsMiKuuFil-S/s1600/DSC_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsC4qDr7qtbY3s45S_7Bcv3pzRtqNsiEP7jWouqXi7Ilr_LLB0YUaIUSvqVQCk-XbKKrMR8P2Q5RFc1CzpjfE6qvGXmNDccqKyhqYH6whReOAezv4eJCGvsvrCrotiorZmsMiKuuFil-S/s320/DSC_0205.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does it occur to anyone that for a girl who doesn't like yellow flowers, I have a lot of them?</td></tr>
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I have not had a lot of success with some of the fancy orientals, but it may have been placement or the amount of clay in our soil. My asiatics lasted only a couple of years - again, placement, or clay? And, there are many I haven't tried, but you can bet that I will be scouring the catalogs for early-blooming and late-blooming varieties to add to my inventory for next year. I've already spotted a pretty pink one in my neighbor's yard that I'm going to request.</div>
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The new pink ones I planted last fall have not yet bloomed, but soon ...</div>
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Lilies are just too pretty to not have more!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-72248350569756937852017-06-17T09:31:00.002-04:002017-06-17T09:31:49.792-04:00Night of the Monsoon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It poured rain last night. </div>
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No streaking lightening, no rolling thunder, just rain, rain, rain, and then more rain. It was perhaps the heaviest rain i had ever seen, except during a hurricane. We got 4.5 inches in less than two hours. (You will have to take my word for it, since i dumped the rain gauge without thinking to take a photo!)</div>
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The damage this morning is not too bad. Plants in the cutting garden are flattened, but will probably stand up again when the sun gets overhead. The grass is flattened in areas where the water ran off to the the storm drains, but that will be fine. The worst mess is where the mulch washed out of the garden beds and into the grass. Now we have nicely mulched grass in the yard and bare dirt in the beds. It is clear that my assignment for the coming week is to get and spread more mulch - clearly something to be done in the early mornings this time of year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglPSG9rICm9WStG5ofVBbzKbG0w-75lFFsZoboOtj7qv3LvJJmpK-IsPOjelg83A_ZcoN_Rf_gXF5z8rGmYcNdBLHMgOouZQ-KSO_E3vEf49XFFrh2b91LgRKBnUm6Wcb_mSL-aVlaGUM/s1600/DSC_0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglPSG9rICm9WStG5ofVBbzKbG0w-75lFFsZoboOtj7qv3LvJJmpK-IsPOjelg83A_ZcoN_Rf_gXF5z8rGmYcNdBLHMgOouZQ-KSO_E3vEf49XFFrh2b91LgRKBnUm6Wcb_mSL-aVlaGUM/s320/DSC_0191.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But there is always a silver lining, and this time it is the tree lilies. After the deluge, they decided to bloom this morning. </div>
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I have not yet found a botanical name for them, but they are an "OA hybrid" - a cross between oriental and asiatic lilies (not to be confused with orientpets, OT hybrids between oriental and trumpet lilies). They typically grow 4-6 feet tall and spread over time into a large clump. Mine are about 10 years old and easily six feet tall - well over my 63 inch height - and all from only one bulb. It took about three years for them really to get going, but for the past five or more years they have been glorious. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKG9kRoqgl1KZiUL8_Po6t6c0_n9MWmjXIFUwD9nqzxkrHd7-iQ_A9n9gcM5snAnOmes0kAz6BB9kYrXK1BP5baZuufRaMjWgISdlGHhyphenhyphenmhSZXVswbT16NW8r2-P4tbnELJi4OswlXsTk/s1600/DSC_0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKG9kRoqgl1KZiUL8_Po6t6c0_n9MWmjXIFUwD9nqzxkrHd7-iQ_A9n9gcM5snAnOmes0kAz6BB9kYrXK1BP5baZuufRaMjWgISdlGHhyphenhyphenmhSZXVswbT16NW8r2-P4tbnELJi4OswlXsTk/s320/DSC_0190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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They are readily available - just Google for suppliers - come in many colors now, and not terribly expensive for what you get! Mine probably came from Breck's, and will continue to bloom for about four weeks and will then provide a lovely green background for later blooming plants. </div>
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A nice silver lining, indeed!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-76572310853164084952017-05-12T08:00:00.000-04:002017-05-12T08:00:01.415-04:00And, Finally ... a (Better) Place to Sit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There's always been this nice clear space under the elm to sit in the shade. We've tried a hammock, a a swing chair, and just putting chairs there, but nothing has ever felt right. It's the coolest spot in the yard in the afternoons, so too nice to waste. It was the obvious last step in the new garden plan.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUYyfCAMLAD_SnumOYIjMykN-8FgrK9JHu3RQQHlBguO4ETX8ASkPc7gGNNy7aB9d9x9fwA65OXoZwzQpLPII2mi3UtWqBrQ5qhDqRKlnXmiMsxkUCrJ7ic5SLKeD65tcsuP5oTRV9asg/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUYyfCAMLAD_SnumOYIjMykN-8FgrK9JHu3RQQHlBguO4ETX8ASkPc7gGNNy7aB9d9x9fwA65OXoZwzQpLPII2mi3UtWqBrQ5qhDqRKlnXmiMsxkUCrJ7ic5SLKeD65tcsuP5oTRV9asg/s320/DSC_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An okay place to sit, but nothing special.</td></tr>
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On the plans I drew it as a flagstone patio, but i always knew that I would not be able to do that. There are two main considerations: 1) it is over a main section of elm roots and has a noticeable slope from right to left, and a hump in the middle; and 2) it is over a main section of elm roots and I don't want to cut off water drainage completely. I have found roots for this tree 50 feet away, so it has a huge root system, but i still need to respect it.</div>
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My solution was to use 15-inch square concrete pavers and half-size pavers set wide apart. That will allow water run-off from the pavers to migrate down thru the wide sand "joints". The other advantage of using the large squares set wide apart is that I can adjust to the slopes in small increments, while a solid patio would require putting in a significantly thicker base and blocking out water from the tree. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn5psYKU2ddmBcJJSyPTiziqooBZ90dw_cLNIqOHSnkOK0v2fX1tfChN1VgusvJKe3sc9LilYDXWqBQH9Oi27RFxndt-_wXbqzQcFsTUWxCcMW-jkCd0QLR-KR5IJyJNgYjYX_psxkXZG/s1600/DSC_0057+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn5psYKU2ddmBcJJSyPTiziqooBZ90dw_cLNIqOHSnkOK0v2fX1tfChN1VgusvJKe3sc9LilYDXWqBQH9Oi27RFxndt-_wXbqzQcFsTUWxCcMW-jkCd0QLR-KR5IJyJNgYjYX_psxkXZG/s320/DSC_0057+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First raise the height of the back edge so that I could add<br />
paver base and sand to bring up the grade.</td></tr>
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If you hire a hardscaper to do a patio, she would not do it this way. She would have built a retainer wall all the way around, then installed 4-6 inches of gravel and then paver base to bring the entire area to a flat, level surface, then a couple more inches of sand, and finally the pavers. This would result in a step up to the patio of 6 - 8 inches or more. I did not want that. And, I did not want to risk additional damage to the tree roots. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHkaOO5hAbN-OI3qrdUHzm1fEPkhD7XlELJ8wP2b4U4uV8KnbWTyH9eRmZdRr-tuVN-kUSWW7t6JDJQXh_9B3Mct9NHvmA7rhZ2LpEA51VbopagHYGDYbvhNsA9PjLvjfw_K9uQ-phkdy/s1600/DSC_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHkaOO5hAbN-OI3qrdUHzm1fEPkhD7XlELJ8wP2b4U4uV8KnbWTyH9eRmZdRr-tuVN-kUSWW7t6JDJQXh_9B3Mct9NHvmA7rhZ2LpEA51VbopagHYGDYbvhNsA9PjLvjfw_K9uQ-phkdy/s320/DSC_0085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next, a layer of paver base spread out thicker at the back and front<br />
and at the left end to even up the slopes.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzVxAnLyqzb5W1XrPva-UI-eJFdP1-876xhAyKByRqg5ecK_BCHDi0BVd6UusSxz-lK_bqrmqMZuH5fgKRpnlZB1dxdoS1pt2YtaZHaJIDptIPTKDzH1Z6a3olzUAyEKAq4Gw5zmH4tBE/s1600/DSC_0090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzVxAnLyqzb5W1XrPva-UI-eJFdP1-876xhAyKByRqg5ecK_BCHDi0BVd6UusSxz-lK_bqrmqMZuH5fgKRpnlZB1dxdoS1pt2YtaZHaJIDptIPTKDzH1Z6a3olzUAyEKAq4Gw5zmH4tBE/s320/DSC_0090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
Then using sand to set the pavers and fill the spaces in between.</td></tr>
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Instead, I cleared the space as much as possible, and leveled as much dirt as I could - moving it from the top of the hump down to the back edge and then installed half-bricks along the back steel edging to provide a higher back edge to support the paver base and sand. In the front, I used the existing steel edging. Next came the paver base, which is basically a coursely ground gravel - very fine, but heavier than sand - which will pack down to a nice flat, supportive surface. And then the sand. I used it to settle each paver and then in between. Then a couple more bags of sand to fill the spaces until it looked level. It is not actually level, but i was able to minimize the changes using sand.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GeJNfD45eSxBZyQhHspRqKbLwjN6UTVuOE51FqO-_b7ctE77wqYW2TfGNDcnKqDCOPISs9wpndRpq0mC242deKm2cikWlPu3d7LCyLlQ1eFAX2UsS1vQ6Zfpqvk1SjDuhzaE5OU8o3TW/s1600/DSC_0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GeJNfD45eSxBZyQhHspRqKbLwjN6UTVuOE51FqO-_b7ctE77wqYW2TfGNDcnKqDCOPISs9wpndRpq0mC242deKm2cikWlPu3d7LCyLlQ1eFAX2UsS1vQ6Zfpqvk1SjDuhzaE5OU8o3TW/s320/DSC_0101.JPG" width="320" /></a>:</td></tr>
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Finally, a little sweeping, two chairs and a table to hold a couple of wine glasses. Add some pots of coleus for color and voila! Instant party. It must be 5:00 somewhere!</div>
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<b>The Nuts and Bolts:</b><br />
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For a space that is 7 feet wide and roughly 6 feet deep (curved on the front edge), I used:<br />
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7 15-inch square concrete pavers <br />
8 rectangular pavers 7x15 inch<br />
4 bags of paver base<br />
5 bags of sand<br />
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About $75 for supplies.<br />
I could have done it in two days is I had had all the supplies. Instead, I made three trips to the big box store and worked a few hours over several days.<br />
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-80321010418435861312017-05-05T08:00:00.000-04:002017-05-05T08:00:35.312-04:00Next ... the Plants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Planning the shade garden was by far the most fun part of this project. I started last fall to go thru catalogs and several reference manuals I have on perennials and woody plants (taking classes has greatly expanded my gardening library!) to find plants that would be happy living in Central Virginia in the shade. There are two main criteria, other than shade-loving: their ability to tolerate heavy clay soils and to tolerate the heat and humidity of the summer months. This is especially a problem at night here. Many nights in July and August the humidity stays above 70% and many plants don't like that at all!</div>
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Oh, the photos! It was like gorging on your favorite chocolate! In recent years I have started trying to use colorful foliage to add interest to the gardens, so foliage was a factor, and I wanted to choose a variety of leaf sizes and shapes, flower colors, and look for ways to bring light into this darker part of the yard. </div>
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I looked first at shade-loving selections and then checked them against my "hates this climate" list. A lesson I learned years ago is that you cannot go by zone tolerance alone. Zone 7 on the west coast is very different from zone 7 here. Then I scoured catalogs and web sites to find the best deals on the plants i wanted and placed my orders. Purchases at local nurseries would come later. Once I had settled on most of the plants, I drew the plan:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgxW6ybjxoY929JAzTNlQn4t-GSxJ0tC-e-Vul_XJdzAFOBRQdxlxvWPuw8fnKG_8mDg9zNl9BFs6LvSYX5jjSR6FBstVePxQy4GXfeeVu-9Y2EsaHGKv2GKOcFhr0Asgav3iFIasFuoK/s1600/Shade+plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgxW6ybjxoY929JAzTNlQn4t-GSxJ0tC-e-Vul_XJdzAFOBRQdxlxvWPuw8fnKG_8mDg9zNl9BFs6LvSYX5jjSR6FBstVePxQy4GXfeeVu-9Y2EsaHGKv2GKOcFhr0Asgav3iFIasFuoK/s320/Shade+plan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKliv6j73LgcFt532jislQjARSZHZtHe7rGXvJRuYsq2tHQfx5BHYldGJqYTnY_TSxXWFQHOWcOIyq1ogyV2FvGW3ZJgMT1d86VVDDNSYBhvDhhzBaDn8xNoa0pQjsWaiW6FuVIPzT_6M3/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>
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The elm tree that provides so much of the shade is actually to the right of the drawing, with the Vitex underneath the elm. The neighbor has a water oak (<i>Quercus virginiana</i>) that partially shades the elm, as well as a lot of our yard. Most of this area gets a little sun in the morning, and a little in the late afternoon. From the birdbath to the left is sunny all day. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhPiSHROecZJt0_n4Drp_ndZO8aXyk9w2wOilG8LxP46_5KSRJuhheeKPSKyEbxRup6LAwycF4TMR_Cc4XfnkuoEyVEFTVsxT2xE7dNs9dH7pENCnK_xaCV2lU_PbHebo5Bj67X1dJJll/s1600/DSC_0146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhPiSHROecZJt0_n4Drp_ndZO8aXyk9w2wOilG8LxP46_5KSRJuhheeKPSKyEbxRup6LAwycF4TMR_Cc4XfnkuoEyVEFTVsxT2xE7dNs9dH7pENCnK_xaCV2lU_PbHebo5Bj67X1dJJll/s320/DSC_0146.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before - Solomon's Seal from front to back in the bed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKliv6j73LgcFt532jislQjARSZHZtHe7rGXvJRuYsq2tHQfx5BHYldGJqYTnY_TSxXWFQHOWcOIyq1ogyV2FvGW3ZJgMT1d86VVDDNSYBhvDhhzBaDn8xNoa0pQjsWaiW6FuVIPzT_6M3/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKliv6j73LgcFt532jislQjARSZHZtHe7rGXvJRuYsq2tHQfx5BHYldGJqYTnY_TSxXWFQHOWcOIyq1ogyV2FvGW3ZJgMT1d86VVDDNSYBhvDhhzBaDn8xNoa0pQjsWaiW6FuVIPzT_6M3/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After: same part of the bed, slightly different angle, but you can see how much less material there is. Locations for new plants are flagged - both white and green. (I ran out of white.)</td></tr>
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In mid-March i started cleaning out plants that had become invasive, and moving things around. Then I marked out the location of new plants (white flags) and the spray heads (orange heads). Later as I added plants that were too small to see clearly, i added green flags until they grew a bit. </div>
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Existing plants that I kept include huchera, Lady's Mantle, nandina, Monk's Hood, a native aster, phystostygia, and Solomon's Seal. The latter three are invasive at best, so 50-75% of what was there needed to be removed. (That will be a continuing project all summer.) New plants include Bear's Britches 'Whitewater', Goatsbeard 'Kneifii', columbine mountain rue, several different heuchera, hosta 'White Feather', Brunnera 'Jack Frost', and sarcococca. The last planted in hope of growing pretty foliage for arranging.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3PBdJyAAPIzliVwFyUJ4-r7ZJVOdN-7M38YQ-Wxor9MSPB-M-HKN_LRGfvaONJsBO_ko9Bm9PWNQkjlCq8prGMCKgzmKfg3IpHFKi16usmN6XqNYjrGdVD8_rHCqgTmDekH0ggg_wplf/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3PBdJyAAPIzliVwFyUJ4-r7ZJVOdN-7M38YQ-Wxor9MSPB-M-HKN_LRGfvaONJsBO_ko9Bm9PWNQkjlCq8prGMCKgzmKfg3IpHFKi16usmN6XqNYjrGdVD8_rHCqgTmDekH0ggg_wplf/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "mill wheel" in the center is actually the top of an old birdbath. <br />We had left it to hold water for the butterflies. When I sat it up<br /> to clean around it, it just stood there and settled in, so i left it. <br /> It seems to fit.</td></tr>
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With the planting spots marked, planting was a snap and I was able to plant things the day they arrived, and finally made my run to local nurseries to get the last things into the ground. By mid-April I had finished planting and had started watering .... and, so far it all works.</div>
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It will be the end of the summer before I have a good idea what will make it and next spring when things come up again before I really know if it's a successful plan and planting, but i already love the new look. (Have lost one goatsbeard already, but if I can find it locally, I may try replacing it in the fall.)</div>
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But here's how it looks today:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiF-WFRX7iJVqQdFQwNcSp7CdcGB4dHyJLrFOwWzFRtR2onXQSIWiBPdLc5acLMxkIknqnH4JVoUPlTi1V-EmWOERk3sqapQYJcOl7RQx6g7b0pMuoqFwme5HeXextdXKUexhIBa-wJxxB/s1600/DSC_0103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiF-WFRX7iJVqQdFQwNcSp7CdcGB4dHyJLrFOwWzFRtR2onXQSIWiBPdLc5acLMxkIknqnH4JVoUPlTi1V-EmWOERk3sqapQYJcOl7RQx6g7b0pMuoqFwme5HeXextdXKUexhIBa-wJxxB/s320/DSC_0103.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right end: Heuchera and Solomon's Seal. There's room to add a couple of tiarella in this area. <br /> I see a trip to a nursery this week!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR7-VpS4DZxobxwEF8d4da3lI9t0bkv36ZQqmaZZv7W-oWr-X2Pz85WJ4dX4EniHRs3Q3XoESor4p-E83tms799ee7djOGyJit5uBGJY-i370cMjwnoEmf14dSr6F5U0p22tyC6VugmcK/s1600/DSC_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR7-VpS4DZxobxwEF8d4da3lI9t0bkv36ZQqmaZZv7W-oWr-X2Pz85WJ4dX4EniHRs3Q3XoESor4p-E83tms799ee7djOGyJit5uBGJY-i370cMjwnoEmf14dSr6F5U0p22tyC6VugmcK/s320/DSC_0107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left end from the back side. White plant is Acanthus mollis, then phystostygia and<br /> a native aster (too invasive ... am pulling it as other things grow).</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-sTx3ls_wss0lhft84xd2cDOgKY2IXhdDLur1sfKxeYCZgs0An9Jp5nDz9xPYdlhyhDlumsXQxEQQ4DXBumta1WsGXUqrYt1K_y3UHRLnxWDi56z9RLc9EVlElRv0Prolp3f7TIJK7a1/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-sTx3ls_wss0lhft84xd2cDOgKY2IXhdDLur1sfKxeYCZgs0An9Jp5nDz9xPYdlhyhDlumsXQxEQQ4DXBumta1WsGXUqrYt1K_y3UHRLnxWDi56z9RLc9EVlElRv0Prolp3f7TIJK7a1/s320/DSC_0109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "wheel". It's settling in nicely with Columbine Mountain Rue behind it <br />and hostas in frong.</td></tr>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-41379571518266406872017-04-30T14:25:00.001-04:002017-04-30T14:25:07.116-04:00First ... the Water<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Water is always a problem in this neck of the woods. We have hot, very humid summers when we must provide water for all the plants, but our soil is way too heavy with clay, so drainage is crucial - especially in the winter. Fortunately, 15 years of soil amendment has taken care of the drainage issue - at least in the garden beds - so putting in an irrigation system has been at the top of my list of projects for retirement. </div>
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Many years ago I admired the solution of a neighboring gardener, who simply ran irrigation pipe on top of the ground and covered it over with mulch - LOTS of mulch. But she did have sprinkler heads and could just attach a hose and run it. Unlike my yard, that is lawn areas and planting areas, hers was entirely planting areas built in a series of mounds, so the mulch-covered pipe was just hidden in plain sight. That doesn't really appeal to me for my situation, so i have been looking for a different answer.</div>
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Fall semester i took an Irrigation class at the community college in the hope of learning enough to do most - maybe all - of it myself. I learned two important things: 1) what i wanted would be more expensive than i wanted to spend, and 2) I did not want to dig up the whole yard - both lawn and gardens - to "do it right". What i did learn, tho, was how to design what i wanted, how to measure precipitation, and how to make sure that the different zones received enough water to meet their various needs. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f9MzO9NBr5YaSZiSBRX8AWzCgZCrrbUwoNAejOOGSpZE7bEQfJz-m-Kh6uxa4PNPeuL11HdYOEvsiTBd4wYp96SU75jpBIiseWOq072Od3jYOAcZBRkBxfLCWkmt9llxs_uZL8b-0fxx/s1600/Scan_20170430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f9MzO9NBr5YaSZiSBRX8AWzCgZCrrbUwoNAejOOGSpZE7bEQfJz-m-Kh6uxa4PNPeuL11HdYOEvsiTBd4wYp96SU75jpBIiseWOq072Od3jYOAcZBRkBxfLCWkmt9llxs_uZL8b-0fxx/s400/Scan_20170430.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the shed (bottom) to the top and then right to the end of the bed there are four zones. Look hard and you may be able to see the colors.<br /></td></tr>
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And, luckily i discovered a commercial product that met my needs: an above ground "snip and spray" system from Gardener's Supply.* From there it was a snap. I laid out a four-zone plan and ordered a sprinkler kit for each zone, while stopping by the local big box garden center to pick up a four-zone control box.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAL9U-8EIy2M5QPFNW0pEI9HpVo3L4dWL4rO9baFdmMdHf9xjRleYdjsftattSrQGUMoSt8CWv4eluwK6Y-3L0EdFw6p-V8f00CtXFvwsQg6Hc1UsaaFgKPCk5yCQOYSeGVAtJo5uLWDY/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: small; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAL9U-8EIy2M5QPFNW0pEI9HpVo3L4dWL4rO9baFdmMdHf9xjRleYdjsftattSrQGUMoSt8CWv4eluwK6Y-3L0EdFw6p-V8f00CtXFvwsQg6Hc1UsaaFgKPCk5yCQOYSeGVAtJo5uLWDY/s320/DSC_0010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the plants fill in and we add the normal yearly mulch the tubing will start to disappear.</td></tr>
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Once the design was done, I just needed to figure out how to set up the operating system and I found a neat garden tuteur on Etsy from The Diligent Gardener.* My plan was to mount the control box on the back of it, while planting a climber on the front as camouflage. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UdqdWsfj9Tdl8JXuwGSHCdqYh_HCNCPbpQOVCYMiClDWthqWm8Pnys1O6tIXy6bZ4JcSHHKy0SgCyPdKe2avv6BokCEx7rKROgXyTSwRBMYawY04ANquERp9R86onkwiMYVBwN67LXhD/s1600/DSC_0002+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UdqdWsfj9Tdl8JXuwGSHCdqYh_HCNCPbpQOVCYMiClDWthqWm8Pnys1O6tIXy6bZ4JcSHHKy0SgCyPdKe2avv6BokCEx7rKROgXyTSwRBMYawY04ANquERp9R86onkwiMYVBwN67LXhD/s320/DSC_0002+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><b>Green</b></span> are small plants; white places to put future plants; and <span style="color: orange;"><b>orange</b></span> for spray heads.</td></tr>
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After marking the location of the spray heads with little flags, I bought a 3/4-inch hose to increase the pressure coming from the house water to the control box, built the tuteur, installed the spray heads and voila!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi467fmJaKbYbQGGWnpVlzMdCxsjqIZcnm23VwIGRYAp9AXWXwNr7Lxak-ew6m9mOLXWPIr7EnhT8sI0N6V4floyiCUs4Gxkr500vjs2gKWhiPo_qRjDyLdGog_UjBaAyHICD0ssDiKpNhd/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: small; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi467fmJaKbYbQGGWnpVlzMdCxsjqIZcnm23VwIGRYAp9AXWXwNr7Lxak-ew6m9mOLXWPIr7EnhT8sI0N6V4floyiCUs4Gxkr500vjs2gKWhiPo_qRjDyLdGog_UjBaAyHICD0ssDiKpNhd/s320/DSC_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water covers a 7 - 10 foot circle from each head.</td></tr>
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It took me about a month to order everything and several days to put it all together, but if i had had two days without interruption, i could have easily done it that quickly. Details about both follow, in case you have a need for more information. Otherwise ... hope your day is sunny!</div>
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<b>The Nuts and Bolts:</b></div>
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Snip 'n Spray kit contains three (3) sprinkler heads, 50 feet of tubing and all the connectors you need to set up a straight line or a circle. Literally, the only "tool" you need is something to cut the tubing the the right lengths for your system - heavy shears, an exacto knife, etc. The heads are totally adjustable and will spray from 0 - 360 degrees, and in any direction. They also adjust from full pressure to no pressure at each head. I added two (2) more heads to each circuit for a total of five (5) each - which is the recommended maximum. Total $45 per circuit. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VPx2IJoeAirAVq5BRYBSWKdCuLQvKMvXjjHPymfrt_QdjNIB6M5zxJLKJ7CLxsPr2VlUjFuvH1BNRfR_cV6pL_2cS5VGKP_0czVrPTw_1V9CwzKgzqCiQatmxud6X05nDRS99iEtIyli/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: small; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VPx2IJoeAirAVq5BRYBSWKdCuLQvKMvXjjHPymfrt_QdjNIB6M5zxJLKJ7CLxsPr2VlUjFuvH1BNRfR_cV6pL_2cS5VGKP_0czVrPTw_1V9CwzKgzqCiQatmxud6X05nDRS99iEtIyli/s320/DSC_0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mounted on the back of the tuteur. We had to add an extra piece to hold the top of the controller flush. It's just screwed into the frame like the rest of them.</td></tr>
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The controller is a Melnor Hydro-Logic Advanced Four Zone Electronic Water Timer. It is battery operated and can control up to four zones individually. Easy to program, altho i did have a problem and tried to contact customer service for help. They have never responded and i figured it out by myself. $50 at Lowe's or on line. It gets good reviews on line, and so far is working fine for me.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDO9bMoKH03wA_sKeHaxjKDWUb3LWrhVXNk_qALzupqrEKmtsWacTyDgxYHJz-BwjQASJV4xJ6JW2z5SFwKA6RZi065lVD0kPfLXL0FfKTTukmAQvp3HHQGXa3Y2wQWNk2cu5rdTA1NGO3/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: small; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDO9bMoKH03wA_sKeHaxjKDWUb3LWrhVXNk_qALzupqrEKmtsWacTyDgxYHJz-BwjQASJV4xJ6JW2z5SFwKA6RZi065lVD0kPfLXL0FfKTTukmAQvp3HHQGXa3Y2wQWNk2cu5rdTA1NGO3/s320/DSC_0026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took less than an hour to assemble the tuteur. Nice design in cedar.</td></tr>
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The tuteur is from The Diligent Gardener. It comes in two sizes and is made of cedar; came as a kit. Was easy to assemble. Could also get it painted. I found it on Etsy, but you could Google and find him. About $80.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Neither Gardener's Supply, Melnor nor The Diligent Gardener paid me for endorsing their products. Am pretty sure they don't read this blog! But i do recommend them all - easy to put together and well made. Kudos all around</span></div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-73120689689303769542017-04-16T18:25:00.000-04:002017-04-16T18:25:22.415-04:00Spring is in the Garden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Five months without posting ... lazy indeed. I wish i could say that i've been traveling, or even ill, but neither would be the truth. Just terminally lazy. </div>
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Now that spring has finally arrived - after all the fits and starts that everyone on the East Coast has talked about - I have plenty of projects and plenty to share. Perhaps that will inspire me to write more regularly. </div>
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It's always wonderful to finally be able to get my hands into the dirt after the long winter of waiting, and this year is no exception. I spent the winter planning out a new shade garden. After much consideration, it has turned into three projects that together will accomplish my goal. </div>
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We have an area in the "big back garden" that is almost entirely under an elm tree and a vitex - which is more of a large open shrub, since it, too, is under the elm. Most than 15 years ago I planted a chunk of 'Obedient Plant' <i>(Physostegia virginiana)</i> which came from our old house (my mother-in-law's garden) and three 'Solomon's Seal' <i>(Polygonatum biflorum)</i>. Later i added 'Lady's Mantle' <i>(Alchemilla mollis)</i> and just left them alone to grow and spread. The result was a sea of the first two and several large clumps of the latter. Not unpleasant to look at, but over time i have learned about so many other shade loving perennials that i would like to try. So, this was the year to make a major change and install a planned shade garden.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZb8dgWIjbciJx13oz17O1-qPHPLCAPT3rxqlUne5ncX28fuqCg0EiafSPg07HDEahVvqI8bs0NbxjCqZClMpdNvyqQK5a7WHCd5n6QuJhUrcd5lf6ovhyAAHoyNqb5UhTGdv1AqJ9MTHS/s1600/DSC_0147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZb8dgWIjbciJx13oz17O1-qPHPLCAPT3rxqlUne5ncX28fuqCg0EiafSPg07HDEahVvqI8bs0NbxjCqZClMpdNvyqQK5a7WHCd5n6QuJhUrcd5lf6ovhyAAHoyNqb5UhTGdv1AqJ9MTHS/s320/DSC_0147.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the left end of the shady area, starting at the arborvitae and moving right to the vitex. There's a spirea with Lady's Mantle on both sides and the entire "back" part is Obedient Plant.<br /></td></tr>
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And, here's where it became three small projects.</div>
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<b>1) Water. </b> I decided that a way to get water to this part of the garden was imperative - hence, i needed to install some sort of irrigation. Last fall I took a class in irrigation at the community college to see if i could handle this myself. By the third week i knew that i did not want to dig up my entire yard and disturb all the beds to get an underground system installed; that it was probably more than Mitchell and i wanted to tackle by ourselves; and, that it would be too expensive to do what i really wanted to do. But i did learn the principals of irrigation: how to lay it out for complete coverage; how to plan for different amounts of water for different parts of the garden; and how to measure and test precipitation. I found an above-ground product that i thought would work.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6A3mGYtEyrDJNncT9nzETNhbCXI_MaYJaU4W-Zi6pzV-0-vQKeQXvLf-xarPMXM1-Hf_L9UPTWpnT3aL9FtcAiwSWeKzkmGa8NbzNxczbhltbTRWRU74pZ_30mgYEcCW3vbAJ4IADEzs/s1600/DSC_0146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6A3mGYtEyrDJNncT9nzETNhbCXI_MaYJaU4W-Zi6pzV-0-vQKeQXvLf-xarPMXM1-Hf_L9UPTWpnT3aL9FtcAiwSWeKzkmGa8NbzNxczbhltbTRWRU74pZ_30mgYEcCW3vbAJ4IADEzs/s320/DSC_0146.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the vitex to the right is filled with Solomon's Seal - solid left to right and front to back. It's gorgeous in April, and provides lots of foliage for flower arrangements, but honestly ... it's become invasive. There are also two <i>Nandina domestica 'Nana'</i> at the very front. I will keep them, but not there.<br /></td></tr>
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<b>2) The shade garden.</b> I spent the winter planning and designing the space, researching plants, and comparing prices so that i would be ready to jump in when spring arrived. </div>
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<b>3) A sitting area.</b> If one is going to have a new, shady garden with lots of new plants, then one will want a new sitting area from which to enjoy them. And, perhaps kick back and enjoy a book.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynDly_KGAU4xTznC6Wo4b6AxFhfSOxa6dgbsuRuJPNRP9niQBjAf-r2NMya9eLiVP09grTyhRLJkURadcDrG58AqP718nwglgPr4NPmWiWr07vDMroBZKeVHNKFXAaY31HzgrRExD1vjU/s1600/DSC_0151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynDly_KGAU4xTznC6Wo4b6AxFhfSOxa6dgbsuRuJPNRP9niQBjAf-r2NMya9eLiVP09grTyhRLJkURadcDrG58AqP718nwglgPr4NPmWiWr07vDMroBZKeVHNKFXAaY31HzgrRExD1vjU/s320/DSC_0151.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Seen from the "back" side ... first Obedient Plant, then native (wild) asters, and then Solomon's Seal.<br /></td></tr>
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So, this is the tease. Three posts to come on the three mini-projects. </div>
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Hope your spring is going well, too!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-61298984564757170402016-11-16T07:00:00.000-05:002016-11-16T07:00:15.478-05:00Consider the Marigolds ....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Actually, i have had to reconsider the marigolds. </div>
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They have never been a favorite - you know, too orange or too gold. But I planted some this year among the tomatoes to work their magic on keeping away the bugs. </div>
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[I wonder if that is a myth?]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9C1pefeGtB9gPPKXzqjm8tZ73EPwfjenr1rrfn78CnkN9dQBtV93Mk0Svur1lYdrDWMuXGTN4r-6AnZVzzrm616opJ6Jasa4d1uRvTrb0Mw53FsyBl7BhMWSAMyzoMWlJ8p6uHjNhF-j/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9C1pefeGtB9gPPKXzqjm8tZ73EPwfjenr1rrfn78CnkN9dQBtV93Mk0Svur1lYdrDWMuXGTN4r-6AnZVzzrm616opJ6Jasa4d1uRvTrb0Mw53FsyBl7BhMWSAMyzoMWlJ8p6uHjNhF-j/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now, as the rest of the garden is falling asleep and a nip is in the air, they continue to bloom and bloom and bloom. Seen from the kitchen window they are first thing to catch the sunshine in the mornings and they catch it again in the mid-afternoon before it descends to its southern reaches in late fall and winter. </div>
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Bottom line ... they have made me happy this year. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBF3dioH6aI-BoOQ2VGywJqH57ZbqfLfzVIbh6O1PA1WZGDZitFf86csgzbtEQEhq5EzfoyGnhMUzZgKgtp7F_sSHeUSXmW7tN6ohxGlXhzGTQmgbpIIikATXDlGIqjTmv-H3nBuRlKYS/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBF3dioH6aI-BoOQ2VGywJqH57ZbqfLfzVIbh6O1PA1WZGDZitFf86csgzbtEQEhq5EzfoyGnhMUzZgKgtp7F_sSHeUSXmW7tN6ohxGlXhzGTQmgbpIIikATXDlGIqjTmv-H3nBuRlKYS/s320/DSC_0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Over the weekend Mitchell asked if we were "out of flowers". The answer is "just about". There are a few chrysanthemums left and some tiny roses, but not much that would look nice in a vase. </div>
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But, there were plenty of marigolds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1LEen2xMSm1iaOxHP6gL1zf2p5r8EoUIYBlu8djB23yAlp6-eaj7vsazIN4tNE3DFVu7xX5-ZT3bPJrwHtP3o1HOCqWAwdHblwZW-J_gHOA6iIVoIpBLcg19eH1oHOmvJtGfb0Mtoja-/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1LEen2xMSm1iaOxHP6gL1zf2p5r8EoUIYBlu8djB23yAlp6-eaj7vsazIN4tNE3DFVu7xX5-ZT3bPJrwHtP3o1HOCqWAwdHblwZW-J_gHOA6iIVoIpBLcg19eH1oHOmvJtGfb0Mtoja-/s320/DSC_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Perhaps I need to re-think our relationship ...</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-68018090875981458332016-11-12T14:34:00.001-05:002016-11-12T14:34:31.542-05:00The Freeze Cometh ....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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All the Weather Guessers are predicting a real killing freeze tonight, so it seemed like one last walk-about was important. Altho we will still have plenty of warm days and nights above 32, lots of things will be dead tomorrow. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-LQiRSI_TP-AYZytcZ1lTmbb2xs0MPzoMlXkmaW6ipNqkmkHV_DGlLx9rdsZOPrTGzFS9hal3evdKHMzk2Ku1sPwSlPxmZ19Feqwp7FJlHC6A3NSpH8U7nUOjRp0_ous1klL8IDRKyvM/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-LQiRSI_TP-AYZytcZ1lTmbb2xs0MPzoMlXkmaW6ipNqkmkHV_DGlLx9rdsZOPrTGzFS9hal3evdKHMzk2Ku1sPwSlPxmZ19Feqwp7FJlHC6A3NSpH8U7nUOjRp0_ous1klL8IDRKyvM/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The brightest spot in the garden - both literally and figuratively - belongs to the marigolds. Since i pulled out the tomatoes some weeks ago, they have continued to grow and glow. [They are on the "menu" for Wednesday, as well.]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqJyDunJk_0OWX8tdd5RDmF34rlQnz8HR3eyXIWPMVnvI4v_iSHG2z7mvE5F-BUNaxga2nrgAFN91m417zaoQ8mbmWiU1PBH70bxqzXi1ZfWa6DoPm3UII15c0zYzGUDll0uNnOXzYwC8/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqJyDunJk_0OWX8tdd5RDmF34rlQnz8HR3eyXIWPMVnvI4v_iSHG2z7mvE5F-BUNaxga2nrgAFN91m417zaoQ8mbmWiU1PBH70bxqzXi1ZfWa6DoPm3UII15c0zYzGUDll0uNnOXzYwC8/s320/DSC_0012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The tiny rose continues to bloom prolifically and will probably not care about the cold night. </div>
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The same with the chrysanthemums.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHhJW3-dmw6UJ6HNDh54tn-yArQUtXjkoOs-BfuRCGJIlFt1kalcCxFjh7tfpQFga_mDFevF2AIlUZuEqt-Iq9EruTy2_JERQN_u8qJUpnwCGLXOguvD_M_7r9jw-rN2rf_6WC3fZIM00/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHhJW3-dmw6UJ6HNDh54tn-yArQUtXjkoOs-BfuRCGJIlFt1kalcCxFjh7tfpQFga_mDFevF2AIlUZuEqt-Iq9EruTy2_JERQN_u8qJUpnwCGLXOguvD_M_7r9jw-rN2rf_6WC3fZIM00/s320/DSC_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This azalea is NOT a re-bloomer, but decided a few days ago to throw out some extra fall blooms. I suspect they will be gone in the morning. </div>
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Don't know about the galliarda ... this is a first time plant for me. Since i planted them in early October, they have doubled in size and bloomed steadily. I will be sorry to see them go.</div>
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We are in a warm spot of Zone 7. Typically in this zone the first frost is October 15th, but we seldom get one until around the 5th of November. And, a first freeze at mid-November is about right. So the seasons seem to be on time this year and we move steadily on toward the really cold nights to come.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZawqSlDyilNpelcHtAkF3lrtMZtbGlA7IweXvzmHGEtU-CQelSnZKs_i88ojrS9e7ufqWURwAe7RLBR9iouXAcpjTG8SPuLZSrVi00W0CllN3LHwQhYqjdLFmHmhV15DsOeBeDZ8khUk-/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZawqSlDyilNpelcHtAkF3lrtMZtbGlA7IweXvzmHGEtU-CQelSnZKs_i88ojrS9e7ufqWURwAe7RLBR9iouXAcpjTG8SPuLZSrVi00W0CllN3LHwQhYqjdLFmHmhV15DsOeBeDZ8khUk-/s320/DSC_0016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The deciduous holly is covered in berries for the birds, as are the nandinas. While the fothergilla is turning from green to gold to russet. It's nice that you can depend on it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsO86xFWWXCu52ahatST2YTlqiHyV_QKt0NBKkRKXRGlNGhEWMAKqCg9IsxRLkaCwyCPmp5bJILv3SXwh9RCMz4uVDm8aXADc_9Bs7P5yJQuoYOK2pd1hMC4uDAFqlYbwvYL6BPGleRUF0/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsO86xFWWXCu52ahatST2YTlqiHyV_QKt0NBKkRKXRGlNGhEWMAKqCg9IsxRLkaCwyCPmp5bJILv3SXwh9RCMz4uVDm8aXADc_9Bs7P5yJQuoYOK2pd1hMC4uDAFqlYbwvYL6BPGleRUF0/s320/DSC_0018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Only 90 days until we start to see the beginnings of spring, and less than that until the camellias and hellebores bloom and we start all over again.</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-34067486683746774752016-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:002016-11-02T08:00:17.020-04:00Wednesday Workdays ....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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.... many of them!</div>
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In June i told you that we lost our beloved 'Thundercloud' plum in a storm. Taking the treeman's long time advice, we did not replace it with another tree. "Too close to the house," he said.</div>
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Instead, i took the opportunity to turn a shady spot into a sunny garden - and hopefully, a fragrant garden.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-eZUTQkXk_HkpV_Yie66oX1tdZXWsSZeZRujJSgER7BMubptqAwTi_GoWL51W55krP-5mHhGul3U9_juf0UuJd8dYrGES7_HOMQC-zw1yYY1sFTqk0kcxx6bZqmy2bZnptKmonAtn-4E/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-eZUTQkXk_HkpV_Yie66oX1tdZXWsSZeZRujJSgER7BMubptqAwTi_GoWL51W55krP-5mHhGul3U9_juf0UuJd8dYrGES7_HOMQC-zw1yYY1sFTqk0kcxx6bZqmy2bZnptKmonAtn-4E/s320/DSC_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After the tree was cut down it took us weeks to grub out the stump and prepare the area. By then it was too hot to plant in this "neck of the woods", so i spent August planning and then September and October actually planting. </div>
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Because this bed is at the entrance to the backyard, as well as to the back deck, i decided to create a much for formal layout than any garden space i have ever had. We already had azaleas at the base of the deck, so we added a larger rhododendron 'Gibraltar' that is both reblooming and fragrant (or so they promise!) and a gardenia 'Chuck Hayes' that is recommended for this area. [Many of the older, traditional jasminoides-type gardenias do not like our winter soil conditions and struggle. This is a newer cultivar that is <i>supposed</i> to be happy here - year-round, they say.]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMI8HR6FlmsrplFJNSd0bJ_0oIdEoZAnHcLk-UIKlS2VFKWz5Ka40CcSx0AoA3AbvjfzAbandB1O0t3Ck_nDHOYpv48mpM-rIJPVvXiWjy0YQ-ftX_QiAJ-bGr2MhZjbTcUDHnBxuCZADZ/s1600/DSC_0093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMI8HR6FlmsrplFJNSd0bJ_0oIdEoZAnHcLk-UIKlS2VFKWz5Ka40CcSx0AoA3AbvjfzAbandB1O0t3Ck_nDHOYpv48mpM-rIJPVvXiWjy0YQ-ftX_QiAJ-bGr2MhZjbTcUDHnBxuCZADZ/s320/DSC_0093.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then i laid out a triangular bed of concentric arcs. This was the most fun part. I got the ground spray paint that you see marking water lines and used string to create a "compass" so that I could accurately space the rows and then filled in the plants. </div>
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From the "point" backward are:</div>
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1 - Carex 'Everest' - can take more sun that some other cultivars</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgE9H2R7GfysFfckVB2FgrIWJYbmpx-QuclfdOUu8QnkZZsP8i5KL4QaaY7YeGr-sHSmETcAdHTRevEKy_WSLBJCKV0zFfGVN5lzMmFZJdx97Gzp3LX1R-SAP9DjE4SoF8l3JjpV5q9Ua4/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgE9H2R7GfysFfckVB2FgrIWJYbmpx-QuclfdOUu8QnkZZsP8i5KL4QaaY7YeGr-sHSmETcAdHTRevEKy_WSLBJCKV0zFfGVN5lzMmFZJdx97Gzp3LX1R-SAP9DjE4SoF8l3JjpV5q9Ua4/s320/DSC_0122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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2 - Gaillardia 'Grape Sensation' - the grower claims it's the best blanket flower that she has tried - a deep purple, instead of red, orange or yellow</div>
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3 - Sedum 'Madrona' and Sedum 'Neon' - coordinating colors (shades of pink) and different textures - both moved from existing places in the yard</div>
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4 - A row of oriental lilies - shades of pink to burgundy and all supposed to be fragrant</div>
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5 - A row of grasses - two in the center are pink Muhlenbergii capillaris (fall bloomer) and four are Koeleria macrantha glauca (spring bloomer)</div>
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As one approaches the bed will spread out in front of you with the larger shrubs forming a wall before you reach the lawn. And, from the rear the grass and lilies will stand taller than the shrubs and the flowers will peek out behind.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmjZPSWjGWZaB7BJKV_tgg-UG8xTOz8FBsLs351RPxbdwmCYLKvtLnKEdjZmqNl2apTHzsnmtyJWxHj6EJU4L0k931bbj6pzMBryrX3un9tUEgdF0cGaOcxzdViUwWuGZNtMWc6juafiF/s1600/DSC_0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmjZPSWjGWZaB7BJKV_tgg-UG8xTOz8FBsLs351RPxbdwmCYLKvtLnKEdjZmqNl2apTHzsnmtyJWxHj6EJU4L0k931bbj6pzMBryrX3un9tUEgdF0cGaOcxzdViUwWuGZNtMWc6juafiF/s320/DSC_0121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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For winter - and to help me wait until spring to start to see if it works! - i over-planted pansies, too.</div>
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Only time will tell if it works ...</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-20734383128417581112016-10-27T13:09:00.004-04:002016-10-27T13:09:41.711-04:00Fall - Love it? or Hate it?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Fall. </div>
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I have such mixed feelings about it.</div>
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In college days the return to school was exhilarating. Football season, reconnecting with friends, new housing, new classes, new, new, new - so much to love.</div>
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Today it's more about cooler temperatures, putting the garden to bed, and the end of hazy, hot and humid August days. I still love all of that, and as a "returning coed" i do have a new class that i am enjoying.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKh5ehyjnn8ryi9jwjR7_i_rUT4N6AgeyjJ7dma3vrEOy9R2xQABDqRqurr6hbvBbQbcSDv9msLlxb7yhjubm4H4chOadZf8uEV8OEvXcdz6Cu89OfOcz0zVJhnf3RtoXLZnURb1fFuLC/s1600/DSC_0097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKh5ehyjnn8ryi9jwjR7_i_rUT4N6AgeyjJ7dma3vrEOy9R2xQABDqRqurr6hbvBbQbcSDv9msLlxb7yhjubm4H4chOadZf8uEV8OEvXcdz6Cu89OfOcz0zVJhnf3RtoXLZnURb1fFuLC/s320/DSC_0097.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chrysanthemum 'Volunteer' (far left), Chrysanthemum rubellum 'Clara Curtis' (center), and Chrysanthemum 'Show Off' (right). 'Clara Curtis' actually came from our previous yard and has bloomed for more than 20 years. Quite a girl!</td></tr>
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But, i am not so happy to see all the flowers dying, the cooler temperatures, and the prospect of cold and damp January and February that suddenly seem to be just around the corner.</div>
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Guess i'm never satisfied.</div>
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And, then the chrysanthemums bloom - and love/hate is forgotten and replaced with only LOVE.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo-MsmjNYfrlC_RBQ8aA_C8QRGoEUXhqwAXccNkd8hZniBVufP09w2tnJdA0Awl9U0ZE8UboD9oBr9EmfLfgNYS2CYaTYmT_2Em5V9L1g-BVLSWH4kdGqYEPhW5pj4etgZ6dfIlXWipsd/s1600/DSC_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo-MsmjNYfrlC_RBQ8aA_C8QRGoEUXhqwAXccNkd8hZniBVufP09w2tnJdA0Awl9U0ZE8UboD9oBr9EmfLfgNYS2CYaTYmT_2Em5V9L1g-BVLSWH4kdGqYEPhW5pj4etgZ6dfIlXWipsd/s320/DSC_0154.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed with some straw flowers (annual) they make the perfect fall vaseful.</td></tr>
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On faith I ordered a handful of "real" chrysanthemums in the spring - all in shades of burgundy and coral. Only three of them made it thru the summer, but what a gift! Enough to get me to order some more to add for next year.</div>
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With the last roses on the bushes, the last dahlias standing proud outside my sunny window, and the pansies just starting to perk up from replanting, there in all their glory are chrysanthemums ... enough to cut and bring in the house. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTTdXvhYlJga0FKf62IFaNAXFWGEzxoeShmWL449qASGLPKkBnkUUBuTcM1saT2KJ7AvclabhqMoWleAtMbiLrLxuG_QXV4IlYnAepgRUCt5MLkX4ErI_EsKb8OPuqRGouxDBuJVNCbQs/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTTdXvhYlJga0FKf62IFaNAXFWGEzxoeShmWL449qASGLPKkBnkUUBuTcM1saT2KJ7AvclabhqMoWleAtMbiLrLxuG_QXV4IlYnAepgRUCt5MLkX4ErI_EsKb8OPuqRGouxDBuJVNCbQs/s320/DSC_0155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Heaven!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-3736142790682309102016-09-26T11:51:00.002-04:002016-09-26T11:51:58.087-04:00In the Blink of an Eye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Three months have flown past since my last post ... seriously. I have been a lazy slug.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNWmGSY782AwZFf8ENJQUtPZbw-V1eFMNmIqvggR3Dxb0kSXZplGMN3SduxEmWL7r3Qgp-ugLXci5FCkfXTGZDuoPOUHVKoxhExs4W5ErodM_bBScjzWgC_1ykGstddQYrRCr9eB7MuvZ/s1600/DSC_0117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNWmGSY782AwZFf8ENJQUtPZbw-V1eFMNmIqvggR3Dxb0kSXZplGMN3SduxEmWL7r3Qgp-ugLXci5FCkfXTGZDuoPOUHVKoxhExs4W5ErodM_bBScjzWgC_1ykGstddQYrRCr9eB7MuvZ/s320/DSC_0117.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nicest dahlia this summer. It's supposed to be pink - and occasionally i do get a pink bloom - but i assume it's reverted to some of its parent genes to produce this interesting blend.</td></tr>
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It's not that nothing has happened. There's always something happening in the garden, but it was so easy to fall into that summer lethargy of reading, evening drinks on the deck, and the doing the least work necessary in the garden. That, and taking a class in <i>"Perennials" </i>is how i spent my summer. </div>
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I have realized that in Central Virginia gardening is really a spring and fall activity. For so much of my life i have been fitting it in around family, work and my other activities that i did not know that, even given all the time in the world, it's simply too hot and muggy all summer and too cold and damp all winter to really plan on a few hours every day in the garden. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLFDnbkHx-Nsx4lfeLYokGyd-SWFOAoJSyF1XQE2NTqeZarNsOZF2RDfl6fPn7ToQ6mln5TrM_RtUy2bUdcQV6-OuWweBiNfZlSucmpzk5kyHedLDXofl1VB4boW7erlBrOvZMizeIGlM/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLFDnbkHx-Nsx4lfeLYokGyd-SWFOAoJSyF1XQE2NTqeZarNsOZF2RDfl6fPn7ToQ6mln5TrM_RtUy2bUdcQV6-OuWweBiNfZlSucmpzk5kyHedLDXofl1VB4boW7erlBrOvZMizeIGlM/s320/DSC_0069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ageratum 'Artist Purple' and Ecomis 'Katie' (pineapple lily) blooming in July.</td></tr>
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Since my retirement plan was to spend nearly every morning out there, at first it was a disappointment. Then i realized that i can stay caught up in just a morning a week for most of the summer, and have time to do other things - like be a slug.</div>
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We are now into the cooler, more comfortable days and once again i wake up anxious to get outside to see what i can get done. I'm invigorated with new ideas and enjoying the dirt under my nails once again. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJNJf9dt6KrXEoZDQhSnS8lXamBq1IFcRZ7CeeCx9ZtUmlEOTz8PtZmPWFGK0Z6kZrPsu8K41GyJ-VJsIGCOXipar1ThH3e1vD-2fu2FQ6CHvwAntd0WJFS2-ZK2S9x8WZ0EgpPnIuBaK/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJNJf9dt6KrXEoZDQhSnS8lXamBq1IFcRZ7CeeCx9ZtUmlEOTz8PtZmPWFGK0Z6kZrPsu8K41GyJ-VJsIGCOXipar1ThH3e1vD-2fu2FQ6CHvwAntd0WJFS2-ZK2S9x8WZ0EgpPnIuBaK/s320/DSC_0064.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The star of the summer veggie garden.</td></tr>
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So, plans aplenty for the fall - and i will try to share them with you over the next couple of weeks. No promises for posting, altho i will <i><b>try</b></i> to do it at least weekly. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_FOe_eXFzmMgq0vBxH-NaMjkzuAgbxSv4u9A1vK23L1n6QEFdWKYrjudM8GF8uSh6Eik4qo9W2pik24NqfXzFbTIOWqbAKVVx_JO3jRFmZX3YEFeiRE5gwIlvmC5zfvy6mnr1SG6vxkt/s1600/DSC_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_FOe_eXFzmMgq0vBxH-NaMjkzuAgbxSv4u9A1vK23L1n6QEFdWKYrjudM8GF8uSh6Eik4qo9W2pik24NqfXzFbTIOWqbAKVVx_JO3jRFmZX3YEFeiRE5gwIlvmC5zfvy6mnr1SG6vxkt/s320/DSC_0057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got sucked in by the photo in the catalog. This sunflower was supposed to be a deep burgundy. Instead, it was ... brown. Tried to cut off all the blooms before it had the chance to re-seed for next year.</td></tr>
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On the education front, this semester I am taking <i>"Irrigation Design and Installation"</i> and hope to figure out a way to install a simple irrigation system in the back beds and the veggie garden. I have no desire to dig up the whole yard to put in a "real" lawn system. I don't care about watering the grass. Years of cutting it "long" have given me a deeply rooted turf that pretty well takes care of itself - even in the driest of summers. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAEvuYmVXQjF3iBX-qrCq7h-vzNMIArFUqoj6wHx1tOKNwv5KCoS2MwS1yB-y4iMSbiYlr7ZJU5dLW313SZWkXJfd7b3UPvultnvkD6cDKzkFyYjeI_5ELLWkSAsS6VnuJgQ1Qx47BA5Y/s1600/DSC_0119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAEvuYmVXQjF3iBX-qrCq7h-vzNMIArFUqoj6wHx1tOKNwv5KCoS2MwS1yB-y4iMSbiYlr7ZJU5dLW313SZWkXJfd7b3UPvultnvkD6cDKzkFyYjeI_5ELLWkSAsS6VnuJgQ1Qx47BA5Y/s320/DSC_0119.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly planted re-blooming azalea. Have decided that all future azaleas will be the Encore series. Why not have the blooms twice a year?</td></tr>
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Instead, my goal is better water coverage for all of the perennial beds with less wasted water than I currently have with my overhead sprinklers. Will probably not do anything until spring, but am working my way thru both a class project to design a full system and a stealth project to also design a "beds only" plan that i hope to actually implement. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetAZBisXMHvXzorfbnRi-xhOWsDLsv1D5VDUm1b_8OD8PsiuaxKOpD_WGqKV-YnWTgNeOdqVPgL61B1mHKuxLd4PL6vK5y5t0lho99i2AhQb8iblapSEYe7IRzJQofcv4Bee9erF3vvh0/s1600/DSC_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetAZBisXMHvXzorfbnRi-xhOWsDLsv1D5VDUm1b_8OD8PsiuaxKOpD_WGqKV-YnWTgNeOdqVPgL61B1mHKuxLd4PL6vK5y5t0lho99i2AhQb8iblapSEYe7IRzJQofcv4Bee9erF3vvh0/s320/DSC_0099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Think of a margarita on that little table in between - well, actually two.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">So, have a late afternoon beverage and enjoy the sunset.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-86042758189914155192016-06-22T11:02:00.001-04:002016-06-22T11:02:13.161-04:00Wednesday Workday ... or Archaeology for the Urban Gardner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A freak storm blew thru last Thursday night - many of you got pieces of it, too. Sadly, it took down our beloved plum tree. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0-m4GKeJlh-IE1-CrVc4bTHCT11d4LJ2OmpZUSNIG1PILu71pl8wVjCW8UFhiEZWVbMbEvOZP5hb16DWbf3UtL5Su6dop9sDlzq6wULGfJKe9bhDbiuswt7vx49XVShzwWUgI-L6c5xC/s1600/DSC_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0-m4GKeJlh-IE1-CrVc4bTHCT11d4LJ2OmpZUSNIG1PILu71pl8wVjCW8UFhiEZWVbMbEvOZP5hb16DWbf3UtL5Su6dop9sDlzq6wULGfJKe9bhDbiuswt7vx49XVShzwWUgI-L6c5xC/s320/DSC_0060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was the first tree that we planted and had flourished for 16 years - even providing plums last year. It had survived both Isabel and Gaston and a derecho last year, but something was different this time and over it tumbled. </div>
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Our "tree man" has complained about it for years - he thought it was too close to the house (12 feet) and is sure that it had weak roots on that side and that's why it fell. We thought it was a perfectly wonderful source of shade for the deck and loved the look of the red leaves against the yellow house. Guess i need to find a good picture to frame and let it be a good memory. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqXHIFQePh6J9TN0pa54iRcuxyy0D3X1d4BvoWMkae7dxUYAskQLNeaK6hhD1Pu34xbtDvjdW8e8ifsp_a5B4cuFY_mPgTmvo3iuH_l4emyp1DQbGwJ3p2Vq312G8HjReTIo-KLXfSJEh/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqXHIFQePh6J9TN0pa54iRcuxyy0D3X1d4BvoWMkae7dxUYAskQLNeaK6hhD1Pu34xbtDvjdW8e8ifsp_a5B4cuFY_mPgTmvo3iuH_l4emyp1DQbGwJ3p2Vq312G8HjReTIo-KLXfSJEh/s320/DSC_0011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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No matter what we do in the future, we have to get the roots out before we can do anything. We may end up calling someone with a "stump eater" to just grind it up, but first we are trying to do it ourselves. The tree man thought he was being helpful when he pushed the stump back into the ground and raked the dirt back around it - or, maybe that's just the professional way for him to clean up a job. We would have preferred that he leave it alone, since we have had to dig out the dirt again to get to the roots. </div>
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Normally, i spend about an hour each morning hoeing out dirt from the roots, and then Mitchell comes back later and cuts off as much as he can. As you can see ... we have a long way to go.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAil8pwAVT2dcQXJ9dEVyGWhBD8s8T3Tp0-xyP0cbJhAK7C-6P03fp7n3UmcsAbnaG7qBVbKubyNqaqIGs-O9tzObbY_W7Ey3zFAVer5cEyYsrS8DynqNUsCA2BeXF4SZ1BpYKNYZwkGS6/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAil8pwAVT2dcQXJ9dEVyGWhBD8s8T3Tp0-xyP0cbJhAK7C-6P03fp7n3UmcsAbnaG7qBVbKubyNqaqIGs-O9tzObbY_W7Ey3zFAVer5cEyYsrS8DynqNUsCA2BeXF4SZ1BpYKNYZwkGS6/s320/DSC_0019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But it's also an opportunity. This has always been a shady place, but if we take the tree man's advice and not replace the tree, it opens up the space for another shrub and perennial border. I think i need to go thru my class notes and look for shrubs and plants with long bloom seasons and fragrance - and things that we don't yet have somewhere else. </div>
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If you don't have shade, at least you should have fragrance. Don't you think?</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-89595335599447359272016-06-13T07:00:00.000-04:002016-06-13T07:00:05.057-04:00Sunday - What's Bloomin' Now?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We're in that best of all months in the Central Virginia garden. Everything is even more lush than usual with all the rain in April and May, but the two very late freezes have caused some interesting [perennial] bedfellows.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-HiL2fzAINsEKwnC7K6YQN2o7PKFpbODVY_8oJZwnHwv_XGJ4svZMm4dQBFpk-ccnKLl0uXfbsU3BvVsXs-Sdvt1zINgG7Kx4UlLLjdv8KY1C7zv_jyHfg1oSX0DzbSnVeuYkBp6RIVi/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-HiL2fzAINsEKwnC7K6YQN2o7PKFpbODVY_8oJZwnHwv_XGJ4svZMm4dQBFpk-ccnKLl0uXfbsU3BvVsXs-Sdvt1zINgG7Kx4UlLLjdv8KY1C7zv_jyHfg1oSX0DzbSnVeuYkBp6RIVi/s320/DSC_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Something new opens almost every day, making my morning strolls oh, so satisfying. [Is there anything in the world better than taking that first cup of tea - or coffee - and just wandering around looking for what's changed since yesterday?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1W2gfZImdckpq3JSrxGKsCyNRwgLMa4C-FesTE1Pjd1TTPb2qXULu-rI6q7eQp_DPEXrjtF_nchuHNRYAeW1xXEanvQ1rxDJQUX20MdfqVaXHcCxU47pyZHtGryl_HQJM2pch7MEFDlT/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1W2gfZImdckpq3JSrxGKsCyNRwgLMa4C-FesTE1Pjd1TTPb2qXULu-rI6q7eQp_DPEXrjtF_nchuHNRYAeW1xXEanvQ1rxDJQUX20MdfqVaXHcCxU47pyZHtGryl_HQJM2pch7MEFDlT/s320/DSC_0069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today was the first day that i could wander thru and gather posies for the table and have way more than i needed.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8ilRpLw4sRW_e3v7JjKqmSUNCJySWIwt5ANYRXU3TX7OIL-HjYZ8OFEjvsoBZrxG4M5kI8Z9vGaEIV_GuwIZicgwfh-3UaA4XN4EMjeoXy4MO9kbKU-VYh_kyWKAYeNaJPPSSNhp0o3q/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8ilRpLw4sRW_e3v7JjKqmSUNCJySWIwt5ANYRXU3TX7OIL-HjYZ8OFEjvsoBZrxG4M5kI8Z9vGaEIV_GuwIZicgwfh-3UaA4XN4EMjeoXy4MO9kbKU-VYh_kyWKAYeNaJPPSSNhp0o3q/s320/DSC_0079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hydrangea, yarrow, bachelor's buttons, lavender, bee balm, and Budeleia globosa. </td></tr>
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And, then there was this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTEjgS4SONJBLwDiv4t3T8Zftw8Bj0MgtBLeCWAoeCQ50EV_expblv9mRBMErq9V6QvsQXx6loPOBHNt2eyeDYVCJLarr0FgQ9JR60C6sGN0-90HfhSx8Ygmj0p38sO9JWNkoQfXGoKFq/s1600/DSC_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTEjgS4SONJBLwDiv4t3T8Zftw8Bj0MgtBLeCWAoeCQ50EV_expblv9mRBMErq9V6QvsQXx6loPOBHNt2eyeDYVCJLarr0FgQ9JR60C6sGN0-90HfhSx8Ygmj0p38sO9JWNkoQfXGoKFq/s320/DSC_0072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes. It's aster. Not due until September, but happily blooming with the first of the lilies. I love June!!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-5249917019579673582016-06-12T13:11:00.001-04:002016-06-12T13:11:55.515-04:00What Were They Thinking?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On days like today, i find myself wondering about the Founding Fathers ... what were they thinking?</div>
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Was it this?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3HRrQoEfSzvZiloJkKt7WtTQGma2BtMxwbXTMxeXAici95MjdyiEg3d3AMvU8_qgY7kBbAZTWd08Qk_QvoBQwCxP-PhHYd8hoLiBrR5-q_PlLq7CCLx6MfBqimsxfLX3LZuIyC3y3Z2u/s1600/ar47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3HRrQoEfSzvZiloJkKt7WtTQGma2BtMxwbXTMxeXAici95MjdyiEg3d3AMvU8_qgY7kBbAZTWd08Qk_QvoBQwCxP-PhHYd8hoLiBrR5-q_PlLq7CCLx6MfBqimsxfLX3LZuIyC3y3Z2u/s320/ar47.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or, perhaps only this?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgwnOb0ImYJ31BOa579eVCRGpwZ7WvFFaCQUTtKUTS-VTlk7oyb251At-xpZAP-TtCT7mSKsOxBhLTLDnXliC3jyJ9fZtuZrpm6V1A4PZOFJ9d4TQqSgbLKYE_VcLb0FSXY9HA4GvYK5v/s1600/pistol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgwnOb0ImYJ31BOa579eVCRGpwZ7WvFFaCQUTtKUTS-VTlk7oyb251At-xpZAP-TtCT7mSKsOxBhLTLDnXliC3jyJ9fZtuZrpm6V1A4PZOFJ9d4TQqSgbLKYE_VcLb0FSXY9HA4GvYK5v/s320/pistol.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And, what do we do now?</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-88611915814965617332016-06-08T07:30:00.000-04:002016-06-08T07:30:01.866-04:00Wednesday Workdays - Lots of them!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Clearly, i have not been hanging out at the keyboard keeping you up to date. Rest assured that i have been either in the garden or learning more about plants, so that i can get back to the garden!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOJ_e5hnO_nvxwaK4SIfTou7mTybdeC3MZUnCaPgYQ1vks7FWW4DQb7ZHhafhRUA5WtVtai1MsNYWj0f1FPvEvmZRF3-xGE8NmBlXlQ81J2PLhjGHHb602ODhdpypNGFN7N6O4EG5H8BK/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOJ_e5hnO_nvxwaK4SIfTou7mTybdeC3MZUnCaPgYQ1vks7FWW4DQb7ZHhafhRUA5WtVtai1MsNYWj0f1FPvEvmZRF3-xGE8NmBlXlQ81J2PLhjGHHb602ODhdpypNGFN7N6O4EG5H8BK/s320/DSC_0027.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the things i love most about retirement is that i can do what i want, when i want ... within reason. So, here's what i have been working on recently. </div>
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<b>The Veggie Garden.</b></div>
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Somehow, i just can't call it the "potager", even tho that is what i had planned. It came out too rustic for that fancy colonial name. When we left it in October, it looked like this:</div>
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and now it looks more like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREbsHxeQYxpwx0VRb-N1_OWNycMjnIn-y_Z9f9m1AWHWqPwA_Awp1mzoOCtTC6gJEojAKYuwNTWAKY_BgPdtXpr8YxlVicIHJAFeUf-EOIQxUg4IX2FWwzepGt2riEwZSEHhO6339GQva/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREbsHxeQYxpwx0VRb-N1_OWNycMjnIn-y_Z9f9m1AWHWqPwA_Awp1mzoOCtTC6gJEojAKYuwNTWAKY_BgPdtXpr8YxlVicIHJAFeUf-EOIQxUg4IX2FWwzepGt2riEwZSEHhO6339GQva/s320/DSC_0011.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've been harvesting greens (lettuce, spinach, kale and arugula) since April, but also broccoli for a month now, and English peas for the past week. We are loving all the fresh food, but experiencing the "farmer's dilemma of having to eat the same thing for many days in a row. I really don't want to freeze any of it, but it may come to that. </div>
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The tomatoes are setting small fruit and we may have many sweet potatoes in the fall - time will tell.</div>
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<b>The Cutting Garden</b></div>
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Sweet peas were my big experiment this year and they have done well (see first photo). I have cut two large bunches and hope to have two or three more small bunches before they are bloomed out. The spot was good until early May, but as the sun has risen in the sky the shade has encroached. (Retirement has also given me a lot more time to follow the track of the sun. I hope that will help in future planning.) I'll plant them (the sweet peas) again next year, but will move them to the back fence where it is sunny all day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzON_Nm9Vbj63vIAGwTnkw8hsoLZ1KxJDlJDtRjLjP2LSrXJ-WQNH9IFX5QpOl03DvbqaAxHEEHQcQVFhs-idso9QjV6NmiO-MC6SpGNaJfjuX9E_m0ARMbmBpc4P-xES4xZVimvvV55Wf/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzON_Nm9Vbj63vIAGwTnkw8hsoLZ1KxJDlJDtRjLjP2LSrXJ-WQNH9IFX5QpOl03DvbqaAxHEEHQcQVFhs-idso9QjV6NmiO-MC6SpGNaJfjuX9E_m0ARMbmBpc4P-xES4xZVimvvV55Wf/s320/DSC_0047.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="212" /></a></div>
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Dahlias and zinnias are up and will be blooming in a few weeks. Meanwhile the roses and lilies around the yard are starting to bloom so i will have flowers for the house.</div>
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<b>The Front Entry Garden</b></div>
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Have been working on this area for a couple of years and it's still "in progress". The chrysanthemums have all died, so have replaced them with small everygreens and removed all the vinca minor. i also did a big pruning on the azaleas to clear back the walkway and re-shape the entire area. The dogwood has canker and is dying, but there is a volunteer crepe myrtle coming along fast to replace it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqtXnO-ynO-fgpvxa3fbfHgr83MYT8gjSkIYjp1k7nRJW8o5fdn87dwV4nWS2QfGOdQq3k4zToDTR-A3xmCH0oWLrQhSTyePkLhe4Qh5NArYIbxp5rbGScBDg2TesEmvXICotOTYGlt9t/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqtXnO-ynO-fgpvxa3fbfHgr83MYT8gjSkIYjp1k7nRJW8o5fdn87dwV4nWS2QfGOdQq3k4zToDTR-A3xmCH0oWLrQhSTyePkLhe4Qh5NArYIbxp5rbGScBDg2TesEmvXICotOTYGlt9t/s320/DSC_0016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new plant for me - <i>Distylium</i> 'Blue Cascade' - whose new growth is red that "fades" to green and then to blue.</td></tr>
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Other than that, it's been weed, weed, weed for the past month. A friend recently described her garden as <a href="http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com/2016/06/weltschmertz-welshrats.html">"oppressively green"</a>. It's the perfect description for these last weeks of "cooler" weather before the heat and oppressive humidity of summer arrive. </div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-132228055157774032016-06-05T14:04:00.001-04:002016-06-05T14:04:09.787-04:00What's Bloomin' Sunday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDBIJxJGvLuEbxBWegq0xGgLX5f41b3fsXCdzXlxJa71mGxiLQEIkmgOwPANytEKTl0HV77e7i9CuRUyKKKa4JGKAiUOY-PtiiYaHeS2TU88XnznDglmje62Z21m2AAaH0cYtJZR50Bll/s1600/DSC_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDBIJxJGvLuEbxBWegq0xGgLX5f41b3fsXCdzXlxJa71mGxiLQEIkmgOwPANytEKTl0HV77e7i9CuRUyKKKa4JGKAiUOY-PtiiYaHeS2TU88XnznDglmje62Z21m2AAaH0cYtJZR50Bll/s320/DSC_0056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After several years of procrastination, this year i finally made a bed for sweet peas. Was it worth the work? Absolutely!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6P8-EAoHakbLFC_McHoIF1qKreZwmYY4tVL2kVe5m54_OsLrUS7rTs0T0eukxQEPYmwa-GeiY4TFVr5bgeMeaSh6l3kYgV1h8zr3GPcAxA5l4W1kVrLHFJ0eQEnKrXL07BFT5-6mBIMs/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6P8-EAoHakbLFC_McHoIF1qKreZwmYY4tVL2kVe5m54_OsLrUS7rTs0T0eukxQEPYmwa-GeiY4TFVr5bgeMeaSh6l3kYgV1h8zr3GPcAxA5l4W1kVrLHFJ0eQEnKrXL07BFT5-6mBIMs/s320/DSC_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This may be the only large cutting i get, but there should be enough over the next couple of weeks for a few small bowlfuls.</td></tr>
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The "old wife's tale" in these parts is that one should plant peas on George Washington's birthday. I took that to mean the "real" one and not the second Monday in February. Using the various warm days in January and early February, I had the bed ready - the sunniest part of the cutting bed and where i could see the progress from my desk.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBFwTH9Z9w0X7jVAUl2HaaLW2MJN5aOD90OiXzQekbPQPGbtIqczTVTKiJTfqLgp7REvnjqrt2ndLBBOdqaw83B_23aRaPyklDAJ9VLODcnn3OFAwi2trjOuTgtfiHbPa0Z2Lp1qv1oBU/s1600/DSC_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBFwTH9Z9w0X7jVAUl2HaaLW2MJN5aOD90OiXzQekbPQPGbtIqczTVTKiJTfqLgp7REvnjqrt2ndLBBOdqaw83B_23aRaPyklDAJ9VLODcnn3OFAwi2trjOuTgtfiHbPa0Z2Lp1qv1oBU/s320/DSC_0051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My support system worked (well, marginally). It needs to go higher and i need to be more pro-active with the twining.</td></tr>
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I've watched, watered and weeded for three months now and have finally been well rewarded. Will definitely try this again ... with more support and in a more sunny place. It's not <a href="http://www.floretflowers.com/2014/01/growing-great-sweet-peas-part-2/">Floret Farm</a>, but they smell as good as they look!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-71551792798904277922016-04-03T07:17:00.000-04:002016-04-03T07:17:00.679-04:00First Harvest!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Four short weeks after I planted* spinach, argula, Romaine and kale, I picked my first harvest!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ0YOtbvwZ33jH-kxfrjCL5-yFdu35d8T_RkLjKDL2dXWUlsIcCTeFWlfdxhHLYIr4VLXk9OKaznomhsMRRT44jaJjfvUZA4lu1AVDjlpKfs5z9W-W_kA1yX9W28Jt-TnUj0cNZxHkDJO/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ0YOtbvwZ33jH-kxfrjCL5-yFdu35d8T_RkLjKDL2dXWUlsIcCTeFWlfdxhHLYIr4VLXk9OKaznomhsMRRT44jaJjfvUZA4lu1AVDjlpKfs5z9W-W_kA1yX9W28Jt-TnUj0cNZxHkDJO/s320/DSC_0023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know it's this crazy early, warm spring, but couldn't be more thrilled. I hope this means that the market will see little of me until July!.</div>
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Ten days and I can put seeds in the ground (tomatoes, ground cherries, and scallions from GrowJourney) and then a week later the bedding plants! Can hardly wait!</div>
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*I started with four-packs, not seeds. Will try that in the fall. </div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-2095890747551584432016-03-20T08:17:00.003-04:002016-03-20T08:17:51.020-04:00Happy Spring!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Altho we are expecting cold, rain and perhaps snow today to celebrate the first day of spring, it does not appear that the temperatures will fall to freezing, so most of the things that are blooming too early will be fine. And, perhaps more importantly, the too-early-spring will continue.</div>
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I continue to be a Doubting Thomas, so am working on "infrastructure" and avoiding the desire to start sticking plants into the ground. Have raked, raked, raked and cleaned the beds so that i can order a big delivery of summer mulch in the next couple of weeks. Am replacing rotted borders and have finished "restoration pruning" on several shrubs that were in bad condition. </div>
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Am re-setting all the paving stones in the garden walk. Over the years the soil builds up and they "bury themselves". A few bags of paving sand and a lot of lifting and shifting later and the whole walk will "rise" from the dirt!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40HXhMvLYsKPB2A3_QD46qksDXCnP3h6FrDaEahN-dPNYDDtbbAGjxeXFdFWE86qSUpjjPpR4dOxeo7kO5IT0tX6a490Ytc_LWsnZipm-CGpzVdZU534XbL8k6E4-UsKvIowqmSN0KcoB/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40HXhMvLYsKPB2A3_QD46qksDXCnP3h6FrDaEahN-dPNYDDtbbAGjxeXFdFWE86qSUpjjPpR4dOxeo7kO5IT0tX6a490Ytc_LWsnZipm-CGpzVdZU534XbL8k6E4-UsKvIowqmSN0KcoB/s320/DSC_0030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With its hole filled with sand, the paver (under gloves) can go back in place and be above ground again.<br /></td></tr>
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But, i am having fun in the greenhouse at "school", where I volunteer in the Horticulture department on Thursday mornings. In the fall it was mainly cleaning up the outdoor beds and mulching - a lot like what i was doing at home. </div>
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But planting time for the greenhouses is a whole different story.</div>
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The college grows plants for one of the local historical sites and holds a spring plant sale in late April, so we have been planting seeds and transplanting from starter cell packs to plastic four-packs and hanging pots for weeks now. It's all planned out by the head of the greenhouse and i just follow orders, but it has shown me a whole different side of the growing industry.</div>
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Everything is timed to be ready to go into the ground on May 1st.</div>
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The historical site will pick up many, many flats of summer annuals ready to go into their oh-so-lovely gardens. We will sell flowers and veggies to local gardeners to kick off the local growing season. And, we will plant both annuals and veggies in our demonstration gardens on campus. And, then the maintenance will start! </div>
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Here, is <i>literally</i> what i have been doing for the past few weeks. </div>
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In mid-February (weeks 6 and 7) I planted seeds in starter cell packs. Two weeks ago (week 10) i transplanted them to four-packs.... the ones below. All of these plants will be going to the historic site ... and i planted them. Remarkably, they are all thriving. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESUQvLbl4nfIH93oPb7B6Un7P7qsHlxxCQmoSiXm1TFAV_Sv63Fvy_ZTrn2SR8qs2PEuXyZKTzRw5ry31H9KwASBWV7URQmd6aObjXH3NtUH0D4htgWhnhihyH3EfUm2LIMDozE5tPl7b/s1600/Plants+in+greenhouse+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESUQvLbl4nfIH93oPb7B6Un7P7qsHlxxCQmoSiXm1TFAV_Sv63Fvy_ZTrn2SR8qs2PEuXyZKTzRw5ry31H9KwASBWV7URQmd6aObjXH3NtUH0D4htgWhnhihyH3EfUm2LIMDozE5tPl7b/s320/Plants+in+greenhouse+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I realize that has more to do with greenhouse conditions than with my good work, but for the first couple of weeks i did live in fear that i had done them all wrong and none would germinate. </div>
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All of the white tags below are mine, too, and will either go in the plant sale or into the demo gardens.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH7lFG-w3ZzclXGArXX6MTo4tjmBzRhCxHBsPE0935dzdoLNoYRRKHG5zKYBfULcylCS9D1Ko6BZS9eIEvKZjFEpNtRcywDW5hgfJN0I1dO7UZTlp9fqkKpftZrcqTVkjuAxbJew9ZiAO/s1600/Plants+in+greenhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH7lFG-w3ZzclXGArXX6MTo4tjmBzRhCxHBsPE0935dzdoLNoYRRKHG5zKYBfULcylCS9D1Ko6BZS9eIEvKZjFEpNtRcywDW5hgfJN0I1dO7UZTlp9fqkKpftZrcqTVkjuAxbJew9ZiAO/s320/Plants+in+greenhouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've never had any real interest in growing from seed, but if someone would give me a greenhouse, i think i could do it!</div>
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Hope your spring will get off to a good start this week! Happy Spring!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-55408728864945044832016-03-15T09:46:00.000-04:002016-03-15T09:46:18.018-04:00Hope You are Seeing ....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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.... some of this in your "neck of the woods".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-kZBPaIWw4BVnJYL_tOvYdl3xTNfbdI0AagDpU55ylsEk0pk74XkM42s8fqNwZLbCERbFESR_cnq-cbKX1k91UT8oEO_MYeI3BDjYGcAR70sRZ1T1KRSeQj23ATlmQLFk0hmHGdNCUZ7/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-kZBPaIWw4BVnJYL_tOvYdl3xTNfbdI0AagDpU55ylsEk0pk74XkM42s8fqNwZLbCERbFESR_cnq-cbKX1k91UT8oEO_MYeI3BDjYGcAR70sRZ1T1KRSeQj23ATlmQLFk0hmHGdNCUZ7/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A surprising second flush of blooms on the camellia. Lots of winter damage, but still the imperative to bloom must be really strong. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdniso42x3YNO7s5dhz9QEh8UJ5-4mVPuRRae4kgrL8OjvaWTxvgwKacMOgttC_-rKxTexwpNncjpfi9NXJFVDCeo8JyulIBtIGwfkfPPNqVQNUbUV3ggP4-tSohemZdeBIdJN89qgJOHG/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdniso42x3YNO7s5dhz9QEh8UJ5-4mVPuRRae4kgrL8OjvaWTxvgwKacMOgttC_-rKxTexwpNncjpfi9NXJFVDCeo8JyulIBtIGwfkfPPNqVQNUbUV3ggP4-tSohemZdeBIdJN89qgJOHG/s320/DSC_0019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiOhjlGCsY-5DKMWDo6LkVEw1Q4jnmy4EfwwjHTjj7W9K59MK82-U0ott6KYARhWx6SOmRcSFtXluBRu5hwkB8OqRwlEQl109B414IsCgtKQcfvWLDnFWaDHxKkbxWTOGwUGgrwmrZ6Rl/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiOhjlGCsY-5DKMWDo6LkVEw1Q4jnmy4EfwwjHTjj7W9K59MK82-U0ott6KYARhWx6SOmRcSFtXluBRu5hwkB8OqRwlEQl109B414IsCgtKQcfvWLDnFWaDHxKkbxWTOGwUGgrwmrZ6Rl/s320/DSC_0021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too soon, too soon. </td></tr>
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If the frost next week is not too heavy, we really may have turned the corner. One can only hope. </div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-38559873336212539122016-03-09T07:00:00.000-05:002016-03-09T07:00:02.337-05:00Wednesday Workday - Veggie Garden!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This bizarre winter/spring that we are having is providing all sorts of opportunities to get things done early. Beginning on Monday and going for the next ten days we are 10-20 degrees above normal ... normal being high 50's and this warm stretch ranging from mid-60's to the low 80's. What?</div>
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There's plenty to be done, but i'm concentrating on getting the veggie garden up and ready for the plants when they arrive.</div>
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I've bought soil mixture and made soil mixture - and mixed the two together. </div>
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I've created a cold frame in the hope of getting some seeds started outside early. (Our last freeze date is April 6 or 15 - depending on your authority - so i am trying to push it by three weeks.) Am hoping to use this warm spell to heat the soil enough to germinate the seeds now, and then protect them in the cold frame until they are large enough to harden off after the last frost.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvNA7fD6nflvPqtgut6moK4DDs8KJerOmp43ABUPPKn-ielOQj4ocSURKnHo3Tm0vTxlKlrPtx8MiqM4RRR5zZt9Pv0ymYKj6YamvT7w7xXdkDkj1DYWAjamUOehDripRrXgFCMeYiCV6/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvNA7fD6nflvPqtgut6moK4DDs8KJerOmp43ABUPPKn-ielOQj4ocSURKnHo3Tm0vTxlKlrPtx8MiqM4RRR5zZt9Pv0ymYKj6YamvT7w7xXdkDkj1DYWAjamUOehDripRrXgFCMeYiCV6/s320/DSC_0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Am testing early seeding in the cold frame - with seeds held back in case i need to re-seed in mid-April.</td></tr>
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I've set up two more planters - one for peas and one for a second blueberry. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7G7Q7ol7o98JlMuqId3wZ3BehFcl1tpYxkjhJwFihXDj5hBA2z0_HxcsuHc4iy4VoFfbpuBa2ro-nD18AkO53SLWCNup_53FyOnowwgf2sQfy85qQKfYtkUCLsbeeNjYVYfeYVKBpO4u/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7G7Q7ol7o98JlMuqId3wZ3BehFcl1tpYxkjhJwFihXDj5hBA2z0_HxcsuHc4iy4VoFfbpuBa2ro-nD18AkO53SLWCNup_53FyOnowwgf2sQfy85qQKfYtkUCLsbeeNjYVYfeYVKBpO4u/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "tuteur" was a Christmas gift from friends.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkhnIovO1h_kAewPmBPFVd44qi2VagA2_Fx0L3GazAFKftzkgVkaSC1xzhFHCyYm_63kRf-jezkvTU8IR4ImEtJPsTcExsrvFCD66pP20RMr00p-6eZV9GrAFhjJI2RJlwODk0aJBM6Vc/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkhnIovO1h_kAewPmBPFVd44qi2VagA2_Fx0L3GazAFKftzkgVkaSC1xzhFHCyYm_63kRf-jezkvTU8IR4ImEtJPsTcExsrvFCD66pP20RMr00p-6eZV9GrAFhjJI2RJlwODk0aJBM6Vc/s320/DSC_0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's filled with little birds!</td></tr>
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And, i've started planting cool season herbs and greens - lettuce, spinach, arugula, broccoli, kale, cilantro and Italian parsley plants and spinach and kale seeds. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE5w6sTO9-XIP6KHDRi1dTFs0YVjOgIUkPLM1ceNgXhnhlMfYImYMZ0GmhQEgV9N9SiPkQXj7PzRvFRYO0PWPz3KauTlkVeitf5LoxYG7JcRHKY5SbegE_vTHOxhCjv2rCUN9O2zhrx2X/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE5w6sTO9-XIP6KHDRi1dTFs0YVjOgIUkPLM1ceNgXhnhlMfYImYMZ0GmhQEgV9N9SiPkQXj7PzRvFRYO0PWPz3KauTlkVeitf5LoxYG7JcRHKY5SbegE_vTHOxhCjv2rCUN9O2zhrx2X/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
I joined GrowJourney and the first seeds (cherry tomatoes, eggplant and spinach) have already arrived and are planted in cells in the cold frame, with scallions, beets and ground cherries due later this week. If you are not familiar with GrowJourney, see Marie's post <a href="http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com/2016/01/grow-journey-seeds-to-plan-by.html">here</a> on "Sixty-six Square Feet (Plus)" for good information.</div>
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There's another order of tomato plants, peas and an additional container-sized blueberry due to arrive over the next couple of weeks. In other words, spring planting is well underway - even if it's not really spring. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqlV5LDEdZZES1jlVOVMH7tN7VDB1-BMghWUgnUsnCcaXdpG3OTtRLvTh1EKy7fR6VjS-9Bdip5ZqYWbs3r6rrEhiJ6L80yvJW6vuyRtozEgXIqeqJbxDDlT66wCt-iUPqNnt85QhaSIn/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqlV5LDEdZZES1jlVOVMH7tN7VDB1-BMghWUgnUsnCcaXdpG3OTtRLvTh1EKy7fR6VjS-9Bdip5ZqYWbs3r6rrEhiJ6L80yvJW6vuyRtozEgXIqeqJbxDDlT66wCt-iUPqNnt85QhaSIn/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first breath of spring!</td></tr>
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Next week ... more early flowers!</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4558351056749386610.post-62932720548650416932016-02-23T10:18:00.001-05:002016-02-23T10:18:07.445-05:00There's a New Chef in Town!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Do you ever feel like you just cannot cook one more dinner? or, like planning and shopping for this week's meals is just too, too much?</div>
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I've been feeling that way a lot recently. I started to roughly calculate how many dinners i have cooked, and found it too depressing. So, when a single-father friend of ours recently sent me a coupon for HelloFresh<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(TM) </span>, I jumped at it.</div>
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You know the concept. You choose the meals and they ship them out weekly. Here's what arrived <i>chez nous</i> on Saturday.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMTn4loyBnRvwPOIcHBu6waz6S2L5zEzhirJxw4mNnC7bKu1-9pJLZq3X4QgfOLPN3uoFQAQf2AAhePkfsPFINQ4vEdg0a5TqXaegmjer8ghmRd9qp8xT_ugIrQ5jZjLyjmeLw2zk_Jea/s1600/DSC_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMTn4loyBnRvwPOIcHBu6waz6S2L5zEzhirJxw4mNnC7bKu1-9pJLZq3X4QgfOLPN3uoFQAQf2AAhePkfsPFINQ4vEdg0a5TqXaegmjer8ghmRd9qp8xT_ugIrQ5jZjLyjmeLw2zk_Jea/s320/DSC_0063.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We got three meals for two - all packed and ready to go, with the meats packed in ice packs and all in very good condition. My biggest problem was getting it all into the refrigerator!</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ldgIaWlPuGzmquVjwz24n3sitn2ZsQAgBYAI2CHSbJvXvMW4wDVBO3StxctboR0jdtioYSOqzMvDmEgHn38HT1_1fpMMsPDLaUPLtuzvso0tefyxRsBoeDipODXPZJHkjRjYOK8Q3w_t/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ldgIaWlPuGzmquVjwz24n3sitn2ZsQAgBYAI2CHSbJvXvMW4wDVBO3StxctboR0jdtioYSOqzMvDmEgHn38HT1_1fpMMsPDLaUPLtuzvso0tefyxRsBoeDipODXPZJHkjRjYOK8Q3w_t/s320/DSC_0065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold stuff on the bottom with freezer packs; then the dry ingredients and veggies all in a box.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfyphOFW2XmECbFCt_QvKf3Hov1qiaTZ-wazTO5xmkeTXm34qQ7jWzbqhYKB5-SGEwfeNeJ72TCPVY3orUFpxS2H0o6qMK2x1jlgdOyjfKReHFy8-qoA-ZM9PaxeLSFtZVOgQkVewzU7C/s1600/DSC_0066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfyphOFW2XmECbFCt_QvKf3Hov1qiaTZ-wazTO5xmkeTXm34qQ7jWzbqhYKB5-SGEwfeNeJ72TCPVY3orUFpxS2H0o6qMK2x1jlgdOyjfKReHFy8-qoA-ZM9PaxeLSFtZVOgQkVewzU7C/s320/DSC_0066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One box and one meat package per meal.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYP5cutbUHpdoIGUzXjXwF6eMTC4OMgCYuKxWuqthb-MFCwImgT639fd5GKAcDPHyMic3YtwuL8CXyDbMDyNztMYtdkoHKA7B9Nv20t4XNAfE97ROho5qQLHJpZa7nrFlCi5PbBSXFfmf5/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYP5cutbUHpdoIGUzXjXwF6eMTC4OMgCYuKxWuqthb-MFCwImgT639fd5GKAcDPHyMic3YtwuL8CXyDbMDyNztMYtdkoHKA7B9Nv20t4XNAfE97ROho5qQLHJpZa7nrFlCi5PbBSXFfmf5/s320/DSC_0068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Saturday night we had "Chili Roasted Shrimp with Spinach and White Beans".</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw24j_MuHfZDTHRTQRDGYRgsnAEwp8-cyjmPAN6yxIn20tSxHZ-nEhKNK-zr89euQnzr0Ud9wDqIKPMgDDc-p2tm9gBgc2vKTnvVWrXo8-jDVwamsi4y_1vJdHHEDXrk8F9V-jvaVHY0-u/s1600/DSC_0090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw24j_MuHfZDTHRTQRDGYRgsnAEwp8-cyjmPAN6yxIn20tSxHZ-nEhKNK-zr89euQnzr0Ud9wDqIKPMgDDc-p2tm9gBgc2vKTnvVWrXo8-jDVwamsi4y_1vJdHHEDXrk8F9V-jvaVHY0-u/s320/DSC_0090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything's in the box except oil, salt and pepper. See the small package on the left? It's two cloves of garlic - all peeled and ready to mince.</td></tr>
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The literally step-by-step directions are clear and include plenty of photos and a good time line. Once it's all prepped, it looked like this. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOKDhw-Pm48J13RfRnU74SKFa-7xWb3r4QniDENd0MHTJXggajqi9f_koFfGvsxvH32i3s2d4dWM6ackXex5APe4ZU09d654crBepRrV3ibtZsJsowbJ5bjq6-F7Eq575YOvsKDz6MoIf/s1600/DSC_0093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOKDhw-Pm48J13RfRnU74SKFa-7xWb3r4QniDENd0MHTJXggajqi9f_koFfGvsxvH32i3s2d4dWM6ackXex5APe4ZU09d654crBepRrV3ibtZsJsowbJ5bjq6-F7Eq575YOvsKDz6MoIf/s320/DSC_0093.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The shrimp are roasting in the oven, while i cook the veggies and beans.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWyHIbAVYCJHXFtO-7snbOccxaGJQ3lAwfeyaO2IdAeXucTILqe1TCze6Mf4h6xcvvg0RWp75GIYirm93i8sZ5e4D_iQn9yer33v0eQvEaSjsaE7dj2uXkqTc-Qug4TU9q8gytLq-scKY/s1600/DSC_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWyHIbAVYCJHXFtO-7snbOccxaGJQ3lAwfeyaO2IdAeXucTILqe1TCze6Mf4h6xcvvg0RWp75GIYirm93i8sZ5e4D_iQn9yer33v0eQvEaSjsaE7dj2uXkqTc-Qug4TU9q8gytLq-scKY/s320/DSC_0094.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And, finally plated up. It looks good and tasted great!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnteEONg57znSwCrbGNzIQtK-4Kj7kRIDQU0mJoJB6wQuZycyHaGtvvgiRnkzcTU-WEkGmFDtfHYwPeWi5808tSC7lxVxRBt28YDtMrCpHToYQh63ov63cOhycnKqlKBmukd4EZ8giJIY5/s1600/DSC_0095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnteEONg57znSwCrbGNzIQtK-4Kj7kRIDQU0mJoJB6wQuZycyHaGtvvgiRnkzcTU-WEkGmFDtfHYwPeWi5808tSC7lxVxRBt28YDtMrCpHToYQh63ov63cOhycnKqlKBmukd4EZ8giJIY5/s320/DSC_0095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sunday we had Honey-Gllazed Roast Pork and tonight it will be Mozzarella-Crusted Chicken. In our first box we had Peppercorn Steak, Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Saltimocca, and Shrimp and Lemon Risotto. </div>
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First, let me say that Hello Fresh <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(TM)</span> has in no way paid me*. </div>
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Now we have now eaten five meals and all have been easy to prepare and delicious. I have enjoyed trying new recipes and especially have loved not having to plan and shop.</div>
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For us (in Richmond) the cost of these three meals is just about what we spend for one dinner (with wine) in a decent - not great - restaurant.</div>
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There are a number of these services out there. If you have been wanting to try one, i would not only recommend Hello Fresh <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(TM)</span>, but can give you a "coupon" number to save $40 on your first order. You can get meals for two or four. They come with a standard order each week, but you can make some substitution. There is also a vegetarian option.</div>
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We are currently getting meals every other week, while i empty out the well-stocked freezer we have, but the day will probably come when we do it weekly. </div>
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It's almost like having a Personal Shopper for the kitchen!</div>
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If you're intrigued, check out there website <a href="http://www.hellofresh.com/">www.hellofresh.com</a> for better information; and if you want the coupon email me at webb2206@hotmail.com. *Full disclosure: If you use my coupon, I will get a credit on my account, so that will be "payment".</div>
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webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15168174623602308906noreply@blogger.com3