Voicelessness and Emotional Survival > Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Spring projects - Opaque wood sealer information wanted
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Skep:
When I was in my dirt ordering mode I ordered it up by the truckload. I remember scooting along on my bottom to help spread it out..... the good old days.
I miss them a lot.
It sounds like you're in the zone, A, and that you'll be perfectly exhausted and content when you finally find yourself by the pool in that new suit.
Right now I have a guy with a little chainsaw working on one of my neglected ivy banks. He's cutting the larger stuff down... how does one save a bank that has too too many weeds? I'll get into a weed pulling frenzy, but is there something else I should be doing along with pulling? Spraying something, or something?
The chainsaw guy is also cutting out some dead limbs.... I worry he'll have a stroke up there, all he drinks is non stop Mt. Dews... cannot be good for him.
I'm looking forward to seeing how much old deck sealer comes off with the power washing....... maybe I can use a semi transparent stain. Probably not.
I'm planning meals ahead for the week..... going to cook a bunch of poultry breast ahead for gluten free paninis quick, and to throw into Thai and mexican meals. I just love having good food handy in the fridge so I don't have to blow up the kitchen every night when we're in a rush. Those frozen meats are..... not always like real poultry.
The raspberries are back in the store, whoo hoo..... and watermelons: )
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sKePTiKal:
Well, there are a couple things I can suggest for dealing with banks...
really big ones, deserve being terraced - I used rock walls that I built, in WV to hold the terrace in place (hand dug/landscaped)... and always leave yourself a space to walk on the flat sections! (learned the hard way... ) Railroad ties and landscape timbers work well, too. The timbers can be drilled and spiked together to make a 6 in high wall.
I have one now, that's only visible from my back porch; patio walls and fence make it kind of a shady, secret spot. I started, at the top. Planted lily grass along the fence (neighbor has jasmine on the fence that needs a little tidying too). Then, because it's all sand back there (and some leaf mold... and the few bags of mulch I was able to haul)... I've planted vinca minor (purple flowers; there's a white variety, too), various sedums (which don't need much water), and creeping phlox. The side of the hill keeps "sliding" in torrential downpours and last summer, because the vinca hasn't done as well here at spreading all over the hill - yet... I just left the weeds to kind of keep the hill where it's supposed to be.
This year, the treatment is going to be to lay down black weed block - it's a polyester cloth and spike it place. This is going at the bottom of the hill - because some of my transplants have made it and are surviving... and spreading. And I'll order some more vinca... more phlox... and then I dig a pocket in the hill - twice the size of the root and make a tiny little flat "step" for the plant. I'll mulch the whole thing... the key is to use spreading ground cover plants; keep it weeded and mulched; watered; and be patient. The plants stay green all year.
In another spot, hubs is talking about using blue rug juniper again. The only drawback to these, is that they're prickly... and in the first few years, they don't cover as well - so there's a lot of weeding, unless you plant through weed cloth. Even then, I've had crab grass "infestations" make it through...
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sKep:
I have juniper in the front, but have to get the weeds out....... any ideas for that? I'm thinking a shovel, snippers, gloves and long pants/sleeves for a day or so of back breaking work. Should feel good. Also, there's an existing ivy bank that needs to be de-weeded as well. One bald patch where I planted all types of lovely bulbs at the curb.... what was I thinking? Now I have a corner at the street that's bald a lot of the time, and patchy with bulbs the rest of the time. Clumps and stringy border must be improved. Do I dig up some existing ivy and put it BACK, or plant new? Should I kill everything on both banks, and plant back fresh, weed free in the fall? I know I'm going to move all the bulbs, and it will be fun to do pots again, some here and some at school.
I also have some trees coming down.... one hovering precariously over the carport worrying me. EEeeeee. So good to have an appt to remove it..... when the guy cut vines around it, it shifted! Eeeeee. Like the vines were keeping it in place, maybe. Eee.
Aside from that the big weeding is done, and things look so nice.
I just love the big patches of moss throughout the shady parts of the yard. It's lush, and green and doesnt' ever look bad when the grass is high. We took pictures of everyone's feet in it when we moved here in a particularly lovely patch of moss under those big Norther Pines that look absolutely primitive. One friend wore 2 different shoes, cause she's just different; )
Now, it's sunny, cool, and breezy. I'm pressure washing today.
Oh Lord, I think the tree guy is taking down that tree now. He was going to call. Gotta go.
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sKePTiKal:
Your weather must be more stable than mine. It's been most of a week since my dirt got here... and after the late season nor-easter, I was just happy my head wasn't still inside a large echoing barrel. Yesterday was the first sun we'd seen in days... and boo-hoo, we had errands to run before the forecast thunderstorms rolled in (supposed to be last night)... that might start pouring in an hour or two.
There's plenty to still do inside; but I want to be outside... so I'm pouty; conflicted; not doing much of anything. And trying to kick myself about it isn't working either... I just stick my tongue out at myself... and OH LOOK! A new post on that webpage!
LOL.... "mastering the art of doing nothing"... yeah, that's it!! ;)
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Our weather's been wonderful here..... a little cool this morning, and would have been great for physical labor.
WHat I ended up doing was helping daughter's team perfect their castle for a catapult war with opposing team. It was all about math, and making shapes from paper and joining all with glue and light tape to see who could build a stronger castle to withstand homeade catipult onslaught. Both strong enough, so it devolved into a rock chucking contest, which was interesting. Each team had a rock chucker boy, and the strongest boy's aim was so bad he only made one hit. Very fun, but wish children could have relaxed into it and just enjoyed the destruction. They were so competitive, they couldn't just be happy with terrorizing each other's castles. Noooo, they had to whine the entire time about things that didn't seem at all relevant to me. Oh well.... I had a good time, and certainly never got to build cool stuff like that in math class.
I have trees all limbed up, and view back in place. Garage out of peril from leaning tree, and it's sun sun sunny out today. Planted Blackie Potato Vines in pots yesterday...... love love love that variety. The creeping jenny is that spring green I adore and bulbs about all up now. I'm always happy to see what pops up. There were 2 surprise hosta plants in the planters I split...... I'm thinking the tulips will be blooming for May Day: )
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