Fewer weeds and Mowed Lawn
After working in the yard these past three days, I feel good.
I weeded a great deal of our lot and the park strip and I seeded some bare spots on the back lawn. We will see if the seeding takes in a week or so. Watered the back lawn after adding the seeds and preparing the soil (including harvesting another 4-gallon bucket of weeds). Checked the fence repair arranged by my neighbor. Nail spikes push out onto the rails from the other side.
Also did a little (very little) work in the basement and pulled up the other Sputnik lamp. It is taking up space and the guy who got the Credenza a few weeks ago is interested in it. I really have a lot to do in the basement. I stopped to imagine if it was all empty again. What a great idea!
Took stock of Delbert's Garden and fence: It is looking real good with the blue bells in bloom and the Oregon Grape and Pink Flowering Currant still flowering. The purple deadnettle survived the transplant and I think a transplanted bleeding heart also survived. A bunch of bleeding heart plants I transplanted last year are leafy but are not flowering because they were put too far back under shade. The Heuchera is leafing out. The fence looks good.
--DSC02009-Delberts_Garden_in_bloom--
Looking south from the future Marvin's Garden to see the walkway leading to the house in the foreground, the southwest corner of the house with the brick facade which will eventually be removed, the dirt path between the retaining wall and the house which eventually be a 3-foot wide paved path, the retaining wall, Delbert's Garden, the lower front corner and, in the background, the white picket fence.
All I need to do now is develop more of the path level corner and add pathway paving to the south.
Meanwhile I started excavating the new dry-well site. First step is to dig the four foot diameter circle with a cross at its center. I have to get it down at least four feet.
--DSC02008-The_beginning_of_the_new_drywell_and_Marvins_Garden--
Picture shot from the second story looking at front entrance. At the center of the cross will be the grate leading to the dry well underneath. The drywell plus a foot of rocks surrounding it will take a circle four feet around. Note the ditch on the right. This is something I started a few years ago now. It is the north edge of Marvin's Garden which lines up with where the straight run of the pipe from the downspout will go.
When finished it will be four feet below the sidewalk level with the land gently sloping toward its center. The current level of Marvin's Garden will drop down at least a foot to match a few inches below the window well top brim and the place I want to be ground level at the foundation.
I will put a fence section at the sidewalk to one side of the main walkway. It will only be one section as I need to have room for the eventual driveway and pathways.
--Zolacmanor_Projects-0003--
Here is a sketch I made a few years ago about where I thought we should be headed. Please try to imagine the house actually level and not tilted as it shows! The fence section depicted in front of Marvin's Garden is still in the plan. In fact, the sketch still reflects what I want to happen.
Really want to work to get this done this year while still maintaining the plants in the yard. All I can hope for is weather like it was to-day: 70 degrees under mostly sunny skies with little wind.
If I don't get good weather next weekend I will focus on the basement, kitchen, floors and living room instead. Also I have a bunch of garbage in the front room I need to bring to the dump!
I weeded a great deal of our lot and the park strip and I seeded some bare spots on the back lawn. We will see if the seeding takes in a week or so. Watered the back lawn after adding the seeds and preparing the soil (including harvesting another 4-gallon bucket of weeds). Checked the fence repair arranged by my neighbor. Nail spikes push out onto the rails from the other side.
Also did a little (very little) work in the basement and pulled up the other Sputnik lamp. It is taking up space and the guy who got the Credenza a few weeks ago is interested in it. I really have a lot to do in the basement. I stopped to imagine if it was all empty again. What a great idea!
Took stock of Delbert's Garden and fence: It is looking real good with the blue bells in bloom and the Oregon Grape and Pink Flowering Currant still flowering. The purple deadnettle survived the transplant and I think a transplanted bleeding heart also survived. A bunch of bleeding heart plants I transplanted last year are leafy but are not flowering because they were put too far back under shade. The Heuchera is leafing out. The fence looks good.
--DSC02009-Delberts_Garden_in_bloom--
Looking south from the future Marvin's Garden to see the walkway leading to the house in the foreground, the southwest corner of the house with the brick facade which will eventually be removed, the dirt path between the retaining wall and the house which eventually be a 3-foot wide paved path, the retaining wall, Delbert's Garden, the lower front corner and, in the background, the white picket fence.
All I need to do now is develop more of the path level corner and add pathway paving to the south.
Meanwhile I started excavating the new dry-well site. First step is to dig the four foot diameter circle with a cross at its center. I have to get it down at least four feet.
--DSC02008-The_beginning_of_the_new_drywell_and_Marvins_Garden--
Picture shot from the second story looking at front entrance. At the center of the cross will be the grate leading to the dry well underneath. The drywell plus a foot of rocks surrounding it will take a circle four feet around. Note the ditch on the right. This is something I started a few years ago now. It is the north edge of Marvin's Garden which lines up with where the straight run of the pipe from the downspout will go.
When finished it will be four feet below the sidewalk level with the land gently sloping toward its center. The current level of Marvin's Garden will drop down at least a foot to match a few inches below the window well top brim and the place I want to be ground level at the foundation.
I will put a fence section at the sidewalk to one side of the main walkway. It will only be one section as I need to have room for the eventual driveway and pathways.
--Zolacmanor_Projects-0003--
Here is a sketch I made a few years ago about where I thought we should be headed. Please try to imagine the house actually level and not tilted as it shows! The fence section depicted in front of Marvin's Garden is still in the plan. In fact, the sketch still reflects what I want to happen.
Really want to work to get this done this year while still maintaining the plants in the yard. All I can hope for is weather like it was to-day: 70 degrees under mostly sunny skies with little wind.
If I don't get good weather next weekend I will focus on the basement, kitchen, floors and living room instead. Also I have a bunch of garbage in the front room I need to bring to the dump!