The backyard - productive or otherwise - 2022

[Nancy]

We had snow the last two days in the mornings and temps in the 30's all week. Glad I waited on plant purchases except one that died.
My new bulbs one bloomed narcisess the day before the snow others are waiting, I am glad to see what the new one looks like
also glad the others waited. I thought they were tulips but these are pretty. PLum tree petals are nearly gone from wind and weather.

After getting the slats out of the fence I got 1/3rd of them ready to leave in the trash this week.
Did not mow bc of cold temps. Tulips did not like 29* .
I weeded some & changed the water for birds.
Transplanted grass into the places in back yd I took out violets.
I have a bunch of holly hocks to move when it warms up they can go where I took out the roses.
Marigolds are going on my list.
I am so glad I waited to clean out my beds!

[Harriet]

The largest sq-ft bed is planted and I'm pleased. I did lay out a soaker hose but it was so late that the light was leaving me, so I'll use it tomorrow morning.

I've sorted the plants for the other bed.

I guess it must have been a racoon who slit open a small bag of organic fertilizer, neat as a pin. How strange. Along with that into each planting hole I put a handful of composted manure.

My thighs are feeling it tonight, lol. I had been interrupted by visitors for about 2 hours and was disappointed. Maybe I should be a little more grateful for that break!

[Harriet]

Full front and back of house plantings are done. Everywhere the house's architect envisioned the owners planting something, is planted! Whew. The large round planter-pot, tree sized, turned out to be one of the heaviest, most tiresome projects to complete. Now that I have it fixed in its new place and planted, I'm glad I went to the trouble. Already getting compliments on it. It will hide some awkward-looking utility stuff.

So far, I've re-lined 3 of the 4 wire hanging baskets, 14-inch size, with new coco liners and planted them. Instead of hanging, I'm settling each of them into one of those regular green plastic pots for small hanging baskets (with hangers removed) from past years. So they look like double-nested pots, two at front on steps in the sun, and one at the back in the shade.

I still have problems with storage. The Rubbermaid garden chest is great for some things but long tools have nowhere to go. There's a closet in the mud room that I've always assumed was for brooms, mops. I'm trying to think about claiming that, but HRH wanted to add shelves to it for other needs. Hmmm... ..

[Nancy]

Wtg Harriet!

It is cold here this week & I have been a bit under the weather just a bit but still need to exercise,
Yesterday I clipped grass I left to go to seed and cut that up and scattered in on bare-ish places in the yard,
I mowed today it never did rain.

Weeded by the front gutter a couple of days ago.
Yesterday weeded a bed in the back yard.
Tulips and daffs. narcissis are lovely now!
Lilac are blooming in my yard too.

I have weeded ith hula hoe for 20 min. In the back yard.
Did some other rounds too.
Planted three herbs as well.

[Harriet]

Big hanging-basket holder that stands on the ground took a tumble at dd42's. It fell onto a brand new smaller flower still in the growers pot from nursery and broke off two branches of that.

This got me searching for info on starting plants from cuttings, even though I think these bits are lost causes. Have been looking at videos on that. I think it would be smart to grow from cuttings, especially from expensive plants. Of course, the important thing is that they are the ones you like.

I had just one orphan white small-flowered petunia and tucked it into the basket with a large-flowered pink one to find a home - wow, a surprise that they tangled together and made the basket look really fancy.

Two Sweet Potato called Marguerite are tucked beside a large flowering plant and they are downright pretty.

[Nancy]

I have a mom's day planter rather largs & herbs in a wheeled tote I am bringing
in and out at nite bc of frost. This week.

Got weeding done on drive way.

[Nancy]

Cleaned the carport, patio, and weeded the East fence line in front.

[Harriet]

Weed killer recommendation
Poison Ivy sprouts have found me using vinegar with some success, boiling water with more success, but not killing to the root, just fighting it.

Dstepson and dd42 both use a recipe ya'll have probably already seen for natural weed killer. I borrowed dd's sprayer and it worked for me. Dawn, Epsom Salts and Vinegar. After two spray applications a day or so apart, the offending poison ivy sprout - say, as big as your hand - was a wilted wet floppy thing that, with a glove, I could pull out from the earth the 3rd day, even bringing up several inches of white roots. I had used a folded paper bag to shield the nearby plants from spraying and that seemed to work fine. Oh, how I hope those roots were the end of it!

Per gallon of vinegar (any works but apple cider vinegar works fastest)
2 cups of epsom salt ( you can use regular salt if you don't have epsom salt)
1/4th cup of dawn dish soap

Dd makes a half-recipe.

Swish it around right before using in case the salts have settled.

Everywhere you let this stuff touch so much as a blade of grass, though, it will absolutely kill it, so it pays to be careful. Dd42 has a tendency to walk along with the sprayer and aim at a weed, forgetting the sprayer has a full circle of spray from whatever distance - you've got to have a tighter aim than that or you have a dead circle.

[Nancy]

Dgd & her guy bult a gate and fence sections for the carport & installed it this week.
Got a gate to install for the back yard entrance to the yard. [This is a different one.]

[Nancy]

Planted zuchinni, toms. & herbs sweet, Thai & purple basil, and oragano today.