11 Thursday May 2017
Posted in environment, garden, garden meditation, home, life, Lifestyle, Poetry, spring, sustainable lifestyle
Tags
garden, home, inspiration, life, poetry
“I never had any other desire so strong, and so like to covetousness, as that one which I have had always, that I might be master at last of a small house and a large garden.”
– Abraham Cowley, 1618-1667, English poet
10 Monday Apr 2017
If you are a homeowner, April not only brings spring flowers, but lots of chores…check out this link below…just click the photo:
Yesterday was the second time I mowed this month…and edged, and weeded. Sadly, it appears that I will be fighting wild violets again this year in the turf…Boo! Although violets (not the edible violas or Johnny Jump Ups) are pretty, they will spread rampantly and kill all turf in its path. I learned the hard way…last season. I am not a fan of turf, yet since I own 3000SF, it must be cared for. Since the use of chemicals is taboo here, one must be extra clever to stay ahead of undesirables that blow in and take root.
I dream that my gardens and turf look like this, yet alas.
My neighbor’s field is awash with wild violets and the explosion of seeds manages to permeate my stand of thick cypress trees and attempts to conquer my tidy gardens. Last year I resorted to drastic steps. Did this fix the problem? One stroll into the turf last week, showed a healthy stand of the dastardly plants…all abloom and happy. Oh how lawn care products lie!
Three years ago, I nicknamed my house “the needy box.” This month marks sixteen years here (where does the time go??) and always, always, there is something to do. Can one actually divorce one’s home? IF so, I want one…a divorce.
IF I continue to stay, most of my major improvements since 2001 will need a redo beginning in six years. I admit, I am not ready, willing, nor is my pocketbook. “I ain’t in love,” as some country song wails. With real estate currently a seller’s market, I regularly fantasize about moving, even catch myself steering the car into new parts of the county…looking for eureka! Yet the dilemma remains…where to? Little real estate remains affordable in the US (under 300K), and regional taxes or health care deficits can take a bite out of the relocation dream.
When I shop for converted warehouses around the country, they are there. But who wants to live in the snow belt? If the warehouses here in my area are ever converted, they will become, as most other real estate here, half-million dollar abodes.
So for now, I remain on my little half-acre, not far from town, where birds, flowers, quiet, and sunshine are regulars. Deep in my soul, I wish for continued inspiration and stamina. Today, the growing season begins again…in central Virginia, zone 7a.
Let it be gentle.
A rare daffodil in my gardens…Thalia
This is Honeymoon, a fringed tulip which customers fight over at market
And this is a newbie to my gardens…Akebono, a Japanese double tulip. I had high hopes for this beauty, yet the stems don’t seem to support the peony-like blooms.
So I am off to open closets, vacuum velvet and linen draperies, wash cabinets, and polish silver whilst thinking of Cinderella when she “…wakes to find sunshine bright and all the meadows white…”
What does spring look like in your part of the world?
Copyright © 2017 By Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
04 Friday Nov 2016
Tags
environment, fall garden, garden, garden chores, home, November, Virginia
My central Virginia gardens endured one of the hottest, driest summers in recent history.
Since most of the fifteen-year-old landscape is well established, only the few new installations required weekly monitoring. The basement dehumidifier supplied a consistent 2-gallon supply of free water daily, greatly reducing the labor intensive task of hose dragging.
Let me introduce you to Black Diamond crape myrtle, added to my front garden this summer. Notice the wonderful deep leaf hue and pleasant color of the flowers…this plant blooms multiple times per year and reaches 12′ high. I look forward to many years with this new variety…
I gave up raising home vegetables in 2014. Too many persistent insects prayed on tender leaves, leaving undesirable remnants. I fully support organic growing methods, yet for the effort involved, I would rather spend my time tending the heirloom daffodils, peonies, and lilies that reside here. These spring beauties bring endless joy to me and my market customers come April/May, and by the time June heat and humidity build, I am spending only minimal time outdoors.
abundant peony harvest 2015
Early spring brings abundance
dazzling organic peppers grown by young farmers. There is no need for me to fight veggie insects in my gardens…when I can support local efforts.
Gardening during cool temps from November-March soothes my soul. The tempo is slow. The air is crisp and clean. I add to my perennial collections, as fall is planting season. And above all, the dastardly biting insects are absent and I once again enjoy the outdoors.
terrace wall refurbished with Muhly grass showing off on the other side…September is mighty showy here.
This month the arborist arrives with his bucket truck and helper. He annually sheers the 135 Leyland Cypress that border my property. This year I am tasking him with drastically reducing the elevation of the rows…tough love. Over the years, they slowly crept up to twenty feet, a height I no longer desire. Soon entire row at the back will be totally eliminated by the power company, as maintaining it is now unsustainable and my splendid privacy fence doing a fine job.
photo of stained privacy fence. After a contractor’s estimate of 12 hours and $400 labor, I knew it was up to me to complete this job. Six hours over two days delivered one handsome fence to Swallowtail Cottage.
I am in love with this chipper…perfect for the job at hand…
As of today the house and shed are washed/painted/caulked where needed. The roof chimney and vents are caulked and painted. The patio furniture has a fresh coat of paint (yes that DTM paint project two years ago was a miserable failure.) The windows are washed inside and out. 23′ of deer fencing is installed in the lower corner of the garden to close a gap. Three arborvitae and a Kousa dogwood will replace an ancient dogwood (Cornus florida) and an unimpressive japanese maple. Eventually this new installation will screen the deer wire.
THEN, on the fifteenth of November, I shall have knee surgery…just a repair for a torn meniscus.
Baby 5 was my perfect companion during this gravel project. She held steadfast, despite my concerns that I would break her.
Yes, gardening does take a toll. Perhaps last November’s foundation planting did in my knee. That two tons of river rock did not seem that difficult, yet perhaps it was the eleven hours it took to prep/plant the seventeen shrubs. Ahh, November.
A time to complete chores, reflect, relax, and bask in the glow of a dreamy winter ahead.
this is the view from my back door, over the herb garden during winter 2015
Copyright ©2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
18 Thursday Aug 2016
Tags
Albemarle County, Central Virginia, garden, home, life, lifestyle, plants, summer, Virginia
There is one word that describes the month of August in central Virginia… steamy. Not unlike steam room cloying temperatures and humidity with dew points in the 70’s.
August skies over Swallowtail Cottage
This year does not disappoint. Any Virginia gardener knows this month requires resolve and fortitude and multiple trips to the shower. If Mother Nature holds back quenching storms, this gardener must rise before dawn to drag hoses around for blooming plants, inviting nectaring insects and butterflies to have sweet tastes. Newly added plant material must be monitored for even moisture, if they are to survive and put down healthy root systems.
Despite these character-building conditions, I want to share with you the beauties that dot my landscape this month…
The Chinese Lycoris squamigera, more commonly known as Naked Ladies, are plentiful around here (zone 7a) as summer beauties yet are extremely persnickety. They send up tall, flat leaves in the spring that die off, then tall spikes appear this month. With multiple flowers on plain or naked stalks reaching 36″ tall, they are quite the show stopper. They never need staking, yet when I transplant them to other garden areas, many never bloom. Go figure…
Formosa lilies are native to Formosa and grow easily in my gardens where they readily self sow… the original seed came from Tufton, a property once owned by Thomas Jefferson.
The Formosa seed pods during winter, with actual seeds removed. Stunning, yes?
This Honeybells fragrant hosta and nine sisters were gifted to me last year. Now blooming and 48″ high, the steamy August garden is blessed with visual cool and fragrance. PS: generous applications of spent coffee grounds around the base of early leaves completely stopped the onslaught of slugs…a Whole Foods Barista was happy to give me their dregs any time that I asked.
A close up of this dreamy hosta Honeybells. Too bad the biting ants like the flowers too or I would cut stems for the house and market.
The only phlox I grow here at Swallowtail Cottage, Davidii stands tall and does not succumb to any mildew. Incredible.
Another gift from Kate. The Celadon poppy blooms early spring and again this month. I am told this poppy is invasive, yet tucked back in the rear garden, I invite a bit of delicate color and naughty.
THIS is a thug. Rudbeckia triloba…I do not remember ever planting it, yet this year a huge area of the butterfly garden is filled with these 6′ tall bloomers! I took many bunches to market and will stuff the rest in the burn barrel, as they have needles along the stems and are as rough as a cob. OUT!!!
Autumn Joy sedum attracts flutterbyes by the dozen and is an easy-care perennial. A classic in any garden. This was on the property when I bought it in 2001, and I have shared many clumps with neighbors.
Ahhh, my summer delight. The Natchez crape myrtle. One double trunk grows in the front lawn, and a five-trunked specimen thrives on the west side of the house. These beauties provide dreamy shade during summer months, have refreshing blooms where honey bees bury themselves, and in fall, leaves change to a brilliant hue. Did I mention the peeling bark during August? This shed reminds me all is well with much visual interest.
The shedding bark layer curls and twists, revealing the baby smooth leather-like under bark. I often find myself stroking the trunks as the sensation is like no other.
I laugh every year when this silly PJM rhododendron blooms in August…All of its companions bloom in the spring, when they should, but here, no. I really do not like pink of any kind in the garden, yet planted PJM’s years ago for their winter bronze leaf color.
Let me introduce you to a new variety… Black Diamond crape myrtle, added to my front garden this summer. Notice the wonderful deep leaf hue and pleasant color of the flowers…this plant blooms multiple times per year and the plant tag promises a mature height at 12′. I look forward to many years with this new variety…
And Babe, the topic of my last post, survives despite its weird appendage in front of its right leg. After emailing photos to the Wildlife Center, they too are stumped and suggest that as long as Babe is eating well, to leave it in the wild. Although Babe continues to molt and look rather pathetic with its shabby coat, I eagerly wait to see what sex it is…can anyone guess?
This plaque, found in a shop at Tryon Palace, reminds me that the garden teaches forever.
Twice per week this time of year I run errands and make deliveries very early, then confess to enjoying short afternoon naps in the air conditioning. Heat is hypnotic. Reclined on the loveseat, dozing between paragraphs of a Baldacci novel, I later rise and do indoor chores. Then around 7PM I dress for insects and head out weekly to mow and perspire. Soon. Soon. Very soon, there will be lower dew points and garden clean up, as the blooming show will be mostly over until next spring. And this gardener will sigh a large exhale.
Thanks for reading along. Your comments are always enjoyed.
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
07 Sunday Aug 2016
Posted in Albemarle county, Back Yard Birds, birds, environment, feeding wild birds, garden, home, life, Lifestyle, summer, sustainable lifestyle, Virginia, wild birds
Yesterday afternoon I observed a young, lone cardinal standing on the terrace wall calling out in vain to its parents. The calls were pathetic. When any bird arrived at the hanging feeder, this young cardinal vibrated its wings and stood open-mouthed begging to be fed. To no avail. This went on for some time. Much too long for this observer.
This young cardinal is at the peak of rejection and frustration. Its parents decided this day was time it learned to feed itself. Notice the big feet and long nails…better to cling and grab. Oh my heart went out to this lone babe!
For the past five years, following the death of my beloved Miss Kitty, wild birds became the object of my affection. As a devotee, I feed custom organic seeds and dried fruit to most birds who visit. To date seventeen types of feathered beauties arrive year round for my handouts. Those of you who have followed along have seen numerous posts filled with photographs, as I attempt to capture the antics and habits of wild birds here in my central Virginia gardens.
If a bird could weep, this would be the face before tears flow.
Yesterday was no exception. It was time for the young cardinal to feed itself. MA and PA decided to get on with their lives…tough love indeed. I quickly found a small, shallow saucer and placed chopped sunflower seeds and dried currants, both a favorite of cardinals in particular, on the wall where the young bird was frequenting. Then it became a watch and wait from indoors with my camera perched on its tripod. Yes, these photos were all taken through two panes of glass and solar film.
When I had all but given up, the babe jumped onto the saucer…backwards…
then reversed it position and began eating like there was no tomorrow! Cheers went up from inside the house! It’s the small victories, yes?
The late afternoon storm had soaked the young cardinal, rendering it even more pathetic in appearance. For a few minutes I wondered if it was injured, as the top of its beak looked askew…
As the afternoon slipped into twilight, the babe feasted a few more times at the saucer and even managed to capture and devour an insect in the turf, giving me hope for its survival.
When morning arrived, I refilled the saucer and added another filled with fresh water… then waited for Babe.
Right on que, Babe arrived at the saucer and began its morning feast. Cardinals feed early and very late. Good thing I am an early riser.
With a healthy appetite, Babe dined for many minutes, managing whole currents. I am not sure what is going on above its right leg… hopefully not an injury.
How intelligent and spry! A huge difference from the afternoon before!
How quickly this observer forms attachments!
Babe even puts up with the obnoxious finches…the bane of my feeding efforts!
Strong appetites make healthy birds. I am delighted and hopeful for Babe’s success. This is just one example why I host these beauties in my gardens. Tough love is just that. When happy transitions occur, I exhale in relief.
As days and weeks continue here at Swallowtail Cottage and the summer melts into fall, I will gaze out my kitchen windows and follow along as my wild bird saga continues.
UPDATE: Four days following this post, Babe returns daily to the feeder numerous times per day and is drinking from the water saucer nearby. That weird clump is still hanging in front of Babe’s front right leg, yet whatever it is, it does not appear to impair Babe’s functioning.
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
30 Monday May 2016
Posted in Albemarle county, blueberries, environment, garden, home, landscape design, life, sustainable lifestyle, Virginia
Tags
Albemarle County, Central Virginia, garden, home, landscape design, letting go, life, lifestyle, nature, Virginia, virginia countryside
and hanging on and letting go…
As I flailed around during May, reeling from Mother Nature’s multiple challenges while wringing my hands as beloved plants took hit after hit, I reminded myself: #1 I have no control over Mother Nature, #2 all things are temporary, #3 a gardener must be resilient.
My love of the earth and passion for most things beautiful and fragrant, began decades ago. Before the age of seven I remember lying under the tall patch of blooming Persian lilacs at our Long Island home, content never to move again.
in 2014 the hummers enjoyed sips from the pineapple sage…
At age eighteen, I left home for college, and was away from lush gardens. I quickly learned that a sunny park across from my dorm could fill my need for green. As a BFA graduate, my first job took me to Portland, Oregon where I was mesmerized by the artful Japanese Gardens and the historic Portland Rose Gardens. I could have stayed there forever.
the narrow gravel path is embraced by tightly shorn boxwood hedges.
Alas, years later, with roaming days behind me, I found myself working on Capitol Hill. Whenever possible during lunch hour, I strolled the magnificent grounds of Congress designed by Frederick Olmstead, and frequently lunched on the edge of the marble fountains outside the Supreme Court. Those were the days.
Heirloom Tiger Lily provides nectar for this Swallowtail
In 2000 I departed the urbane, and put down roots at my first country house. The abode turns out to be a needy box, yet the half-acre provided me with a tabula rasa. No more containers on the postage stamp balcony.
Fruits of my labor…homegrown blueberries…as the pan’s contents bubbled, the color deepened
Once the mistakes of former owners were obliterated, my gardening intuition prevailed, as it does today, sixteen years later. Following numerous consults with garden experts, I quickly surmised that my intuition was the light to follow. Recently, as I glanced at my archived plant tags, I removed 50% of my original purchases. Either the plant tags lied and specimens quickly outgrew their place, or plants failed to thrive without frequent spraying. As a master gardener who is intolerant of needy plants, garden edits are becoming an annual ritual.
March garden edits included a stump grinder. The rug junipers became a garden thug in many areas, yet hand removal was impossible. Thanks to my arborist and his great tools…
Hours in the garden provide solitude amongst the songs of wild birds, handsome toads, and the occasional reptile. When the sun rises above the cypress trees, I step indoors and enjoy views out every window. The passage of time in my gardens is what sustains me. The beauty of thriving plants inspire me. Ten thousand photographs later, I attempt to share moments of bliss.
This handsome creature posed for me in the very hot sun for ten minutes! I adore moments like this when nature provides fleeting glimpses of my garden residents.
Every garden reflects the gardener, and often inspires on well after the person who tends it; or for that brief moment in time, a place comes alive in this time, and perhaps lives on in memory.
exhilarating moments
Planting and working the soil teaches us that there is hope despite adversity, that during the most difficult times, all things are temporary, and as in life, a gardener must learn to accept change, hang on to every fleeting moment when perfection finds its way, and to let go with grace.
a telling proverb
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
03 Sunday Apr 2016
Tags
Albemarle County, Central Virginia, flower farming, garden, home, life, sustainable living, Virginia
These images show a glimpse of what is blooming now at Swallowtail Cottage. The real challenge remains with capturing the essence of each flower…
Another face not seen in my inventory. I am thinking Thalia, based on the catalogue photograph, c. 1916
These tulips have survived for fifteen years here. Moved numerous times, they were inexpensive, yet provide dramatic, elegant color in the late March gardens. Greigii Queen Ingrid.
These two beauties are new to my gardens this spring. I must refer to Brent & Becky’s Bulbs catalogue to name names, as they quickly became a blur.
Last fall I converted all five raised beds from veggies to heirloom daffs and tulips. These two are newbies to Swallowtail Cottage. The white is Erlicheer, a sweet smelling heirloom; circa 1934.
Notice the cup of this miniature newbie…the delicate rounded edges…awesome! As I check my inventory, I do not see this one listed…can anyone identify?
This daffodil is so old nobody can identify it…they are prolific here and I am delighted to admit I rescued them…Any ideas? The white daff is Mount Hood, c. 1937.
This wild-child tulip’s name is Honeymoon. I may need to add more to my beds, as they sold immediately at market yesterday.
Although Mother Nature ruined the first day of the farmer’s market yesterday with cold and rain, these flowers brightened my day as I shivered in place. About one third of the stems came home, so sadly, what I don’t give away, will become compost…ah the life of a flower farmer…
Stay tuned for more images of my gardens. Afterall, home, garden, life is what it is all about.
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
13 Sunday Mar 2016
Tags
Central Virginia, DIY, edit the garden, erosion, garden, garden edits, home, life, mulch, pine needle mulch, river rock, Spring Garden Delights, Virginia
March is a busy month at Swallowtail Cottage. Garden chores explode from zero to sixty overnight. This year major garden edits were necessary, as plant/shrub installations made in 2001 needed removal, requiring the assistance of my garden man, his assistant, and their chipper.
Our last snow lightly dusted the gardens earlier this month,
then quickly vanished into spring delights. The heirloom crocus arrived on time, showing healthy multiplication following last year’s installation.
Cloth of Gold ‘Crocus angustifolius’ once known as the Turkey Crocus was grown in gardens as early as 1587
A delightful feature of this crocus is the brown stripe on the underside of the petals…hence Turkey crocus?
Snowbunting ‘Crocus chrysanthus’ c. 1914, pearly buds open in January
This crocus variety was on the property when I purchased it in 2001. Although many were transplanted into a 12″ deep trench along with two-thousand daffodils, these wee flowers find their way to the surface and multiply every year. Thanks to the help from Old House Gardens, I identified this crocus as “Vanguard, 1934, a former Russian wildflower that opens its platinum outer petals to reveal and exciting contrast…inner petals of luscious amethyst. The earliest-blooming crocus, Crocus vernus “
Unusual warmth brought many of the early heirloom daffodils out of the ground in vast profusion. They definitely hear the call and continually remind me how I adore these easy care perennials.
Adorable Tete a Tete daffs appear in profusion and multiply with abandon
The overgrown, tired, and disgruntled shrubs/groundcovers were tagged and the chipper made quick mulch while this gardener exhaled with relief. Gone were the four s.laurels, numerous mats of rug juniper, one chindo viburnum, and fifteen barberries. Gone.
The plant tag stated these s. laurels would mature at 3X5. How often plant tags deceive…
Gone in seconds are the s.laurels, leaving space for grand hostas and one Henry’s Garnet Virginia Sweetspire Itea virginica, while allowing improved light and air for the Green Velvet boxwood neighbors.
For six hours the chipper chipped, as I busied myself with pruning various shrubs, transplanted a smaller chindo and gifted hostas, and cleared up the deep shrub borders to add bulk to the chipper…have I mentioned how I adore chippers? Men with the right tools are worth their weight in gold..
Once the help departed, I gazed at a much opened landscape and raking chores, as the juniper required a stump grinder…for hours. Left were the fractured branches, requiring raking and pulling to bring closure to the wounded slopes. Gone.
Newly transplanted fringe tree overlooking one peony bed…all in need of raking and fresh mulch.
Following the application of 48 bags of pine bark mulch and 10 bags of river rock, the landscape is somewhat calm, and areas of erosion are addressed. The fringe tree ‘Chionanthus virginicus’ was transplanted from the rear lawn to the new front slope, and one dwarf Gingko ‘Majestic Butterfly’ will be installed when located. When baled pine needles arrive, they will be spread as mulch to the lower front slope, behind the pine bark borders.
Two years ago, I began experimenting with pine needles, and find them highly satisfactory. They stay put during heavy rains, are attractive in the deep shrub borders, and are pleasant to walk on. I rake fresh needles in December from the local school, and only purchase the baled needles when necessary.
Rock will slow down water during heavy rains and pine mulch will dress both the blueberries ‘O’neal‘ and the front of this sloped bed
I must share a winter discovery from the Dover Saddlery catalogue…a waterproof boot by Ariat, which I thought would make the perfect mowing/garden boot. Sans horse these days, I still love the smell of leather and often visit the local store, just to inhale. Following this week’s garden marathon, I attest these boots will serve me well. 
Retired are my 15YO cross trekkers ~ many a mile we walked together
So off am I into another gardening season in central Virginia. The raised veggie beds are converted into heirloom daffodil/tulip beds and the 2500 daffodils in residence will soon dazzle me and my market customers. Come May the rescued iris and heirloom peonies will follow suit, and will fill my soul with the meaning of the garden. The other 2016 garden chores of tackling the wild violet turf infestation and mowing schedule will keep me busy until year’s end.
I wish for you a healthy, happy spring. Even if you are hold up in an apartment, get out to your parks and fill a balcony container with your favorite something. Grand or small, plants give us humans hope and joy for today and tomorrow.
Old gardeners never die, they simply spade away…
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
25 Monday Jan 2016
Posted in Albemarle county, feeding wild birds, home, home ownership, Lifestyle, winter
Tags
Charlottesville, garden, home, Jonas, life, neighbors, Virginia, winter storms
At 10:30 AM last Friday, Jonas made his entry into central Virginia. First the flakes were fine and light. Then for thirty-six hours, snow fell continuously.
When Jonas finally departed, taking the 30 MPH winds with him, I measured 19″ in my backyard. Deeper drifts fill the front yard, so much so my tallest boots vanish in the stuff. Folks in the real snow belt may shrug at this, yet here in central Virginia, this storm broke all weather records.
this is the view from my back door, over the herb garden.
Since my narrow driveway won’t allow a plow, snow must be moved by hand. With few behemoth snow storms over my fifteen year residency, I never felt it necessary to own a snow removal machine.
So with much optimism, every few hours on Friday, I dressed and shoveled my driveway down to the gravel. By nightfall, everything appeared manageable.
Saturday was another story. The snow continued all day. I repeatedly shoveled a path around the terrace to the wild bird feeders and heated water bath. The temperatures were in the 20F, not counting the wind chill.
by Sunday morning this is the view out my backdoor
a view of the back yard, over the herb beds and terrace this morning
I was grateful that the power remained on throughout this blizzard, as my only alternative with this all-electric house, was to shove food into coolers and hike to a home down the road where there is a generator and wood stove. Once again, with few catastrophic storms, it is not cost effective to install either a generator or stove here.
front yard cypress trees along the driveway
By Sunday I faced an overwhelming task of snow removal…
view of the front walk and my new foundation planting completed in November
following 1.5 hours of shoveling on Sunday, I made it to the deer fence near the mouth of my driveway. This view is looking from the road back up my drive.
to give readers an idea of what I face at the mouth of my driveway, this is a road view of the snow wall left by VDOT
this is the view of the highway connecting to my road; clear sailing for those who can get out of their driveways
Presently, VDOT has no idea when or if they will return with plows to make a second pass on my road. I hesitate to dig the wall, as one pass from that equipment will sock me in again with another wall. Quite the dilemma.
In the meantime this storm taught me a lot about my immediate neighbors. There are seven other houses on my road, and this morning all those driveways are open. As of this writing, nary a person offered to help me dig out. This speaks volumes.
by adding an archival photo of more pleasant days, I end this post knowing that this too shall pass and perhaps there are new roads for me to travel, where I will find kinder, more thoughtful neighbors in a milder climate
How did Jonas affect your home? One thought frequently pops into mind: all things are temporary including this home, garden, life.
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
15 Tuesday Sep 2015
Posted in block wall renovation, DYI projects, garden, garden projects, gravel paths, home, life, privacy fence, rock
Tags
Albemarle County, block wall renovation, DIY, garden, home, home projects, life, paths, pea gravel, rock, summer
After all, it is mid-September.
Most of the blistering heat and drenching humidity is over for another central Virginia season. Many of the annoying, biting insects departed last week when the temperature dropped to 49 degrees F overnight.
look what is ripening in the garden this week! Cayenne peppers. No fungus or insects hang around these prolific plants!
I am in bliss. Can you tell that I am a spring/fall gardener? I delight in the change of light, the tilt of the planet, always keeping pace with the universe. During spring, the slow awakening of plant life dazzles the eye and offers the observant eternal optimism. When fall approaches, the array of home/garden/life chores slows to a manageable pace.
This summer I accomplished more than I planned. My interpretation of a 90′ privacy fence was constructed on the rear property line in January. It would take until August for me to realize that I was once again the designated primer/painter/stainer. Check.
Before it was stained shot of the 90′ privacy fence
photo of stained privacy fence. After a contractor’s estimate of 12 hours labor and $400 price tag (not including stain), I knew it was up to me to complete this job. Six hours over two days delivered one handsomely stained fence to Swallowtail Cottage. PS, pine needles work splendidly as mulch for both sides of this fence…needles collected from a nearby school who was happy to have me rake.
Next 2015 summer project: I refurbished the rear terrace wall that was seriously in need.
block wall on terrace demands attention this year. Drylok Extreme and new coats of paint will restore…I’m hoping…
terrace wall refurbished with Muhly grass showing off on the other side…September is mighty showy here.
Then the front mulched path needed major intervention. For years the sloped property caused mulch to float during heavy rains. So the answer was river rock edges, pea gravel, and repurposed aggregate stepping-stones. All affordable DIY solutions. Of course my labor is free…sweat equity, ahem.
This is the before shot of the sloped path. The Siberian iris are gone! Very invasive gift from a friend…and it nearly killed the man who dug them…gardeners beware!
First the mulch was swept away. Additional river rock lined the mulched side of the path. Then stepping-stones were reused from the rear, and set into the dirt.
Then 40 bags of pea gravel arrived in three separate car loads, as to not break Baby 5. Did I tell you this was another DIY project?
Baby 5 was my perfect companion during this gravel project. She held steadfast, despite my concerns that I would break her.
This was also an aggravating wash area, near the rear garden shed, every time it rained. Mulch was removed. Gravel was the answer. One heavy rain later confirms its success. Gravel will continue to replace mulch where ever it is appropriate. What took me so long???
The front sloped path today…rain runs through it smoothly, leaving the path in tact. My hands and knees are really getting a workout this summer! And that foundation bed needs attention…PJM’s are not happy.
OOo, I have not shared the latest project with you…this time not a DIY other than the design elements. I have never liked the dull, ordinary appearance of the front of this house. Built in the early ’70’s, nothing had changed inside or out until I bought the property in 2001. Following 6.5 years of interior work and exterior landscaping, I usually ignore the front facade and use the back door…until I spent the past week groveling around the front door…oops.
photo of front entrance looking towards new carport, completed last summer: https://dianelasauce.wordpress.com/2014/09/13/three-men-and-a-truck/. Ugly is the only word for the front entry of this home. I never liked the vinyl and shutters, nor the flat plane. The barberry shrubs (overgrown with chronic fungal issues) and rug juniper (invasive) are coming out as soon as the arborist arrives for the annual cypress shearing. I always add a few garden edits while he is here, as his chain saw, muscle, and chipper work wonders in short time. This is the link to the vestibule I found on the Internet. With a few edits, reusing my windows and front doors, and a clever builder, it will become mine..
Photo of former failed rosemary bed (disease from nursery!) now contains 14 heirloom peony plants…soon to be mulched with pea gravel…after the mulch is removed and dosed with BioZome from Jen Neve. This is one steep bed, designed for mountain goats and maintained by one crazy woman!
Back to reality: As for the rock/gravel revelation, the second large peony bed (sloped) is about to get the treatment. If I knew the person who graded this lot back in 1971, I would haunt him till the day he dies…
Despite my huge failure to raise but one monarch this season, due to numerous predatory flies, I strive to learn better ways to outsmart these critters next season. If you need advice, check out my Facebook page for links to many helpful sites.
female monarch ready for release
So my friends, summer quickly draws to an end, and how timely. Not sure if the bod can take much more garden abuse this year. Still, there is green, flat stuff to mow (weeds), and more garden clean up to tend, yet, this morning said, “STOP!” and I followed the call until the temperatures nudged me inside.
matcha is the perfect beverage for morning strolls
I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did composing it. I would love to hear what your summer was like and if you have revelations to share. With this home, garden, life, I am continually reminded that all things are temporary (except rock/gravel), and lessons are endless if we remember to remain open and take time to stop and listen.
Be well and I hope to hear from you in the comments section of this blog.
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