Project #3 complete, on to Project # 4

 The privacy fence portion of my yard fencing is done!  I managed to create a pretty sad gate out of one fence panel, which I cut in half.

I started adding a few personalized touches here and there, like solar string lights and the lettering I've been collecting for a few years.  I also managed to get some blocks under the soaking tub and level it out.

 

 I had my tractor guy here to work on a few items, one of which was covering the protective bottom mesh on the back of the fence with soil and rocks to keep naughty kitties from digging under and naughtier wildlife from digging into the yard.  I used four foot tall plastic coated welded wire fence as the barrier material, which is fixed to the fence with heavy duty electrical staples, and lays out across the ground about three feet.

I'm still trying to decide where to place the lower gravel patio.  Until I figure that out and get the materials delivered, I can't put up my net cat fence.  In the meantime, I'm working on my pond and bog garden, AKA Project # 4. 

I laid an old rubber-backed area rug in the pond hole to protect the liner from sharp rocks (should have filled it with sand, but I'd rather use what I have on hand), then set a few key stones around the perimeter to hold the liner in place. For the bog garden I had my tractor guy scrape out about 8" of ground, then put a black plastic liner down.  I punctured it in the very middle to allow for some drainage, then put some of the soil back.  

 The next day I put a few bags of play sand in the bottom of the pond liner to weigh it down, then added some river rock and a few larger stones for the bottom to add structure for anything that might want to live there.  In the bog garden I mixed garden soil with humus and compost into the native soil.  I'm going to need a bit more of this material to finish the area.

 I rushed to get this part done, because the weather reports are calling for nearly two days of rain.  This morning, I was elated to find the pond half full.  The cloudiness should resolve on its own after a few days when everything settles.

Rainwater is supposed to be better for the pond than hose water, and with our well still being dangerously low I can't add any water.  I'm holding my breath hoping there are no pin holes in the membrane from my walking on it to spread materials.  I really can't wait to put water plants in it next year! 

While I had my tractor guy here, I had him pick away at the rock wall along the driveway.  He removed quite a bit of stone and shaped the bank.  He's also my plow guy, so opening up this area makes moving snow much easier for him.  The goal is to shift the retaining wall diagonally towards the old barn.

I had him move the boulders to the other side of the driveway, to create a more defined parking area.  At some point I may bring in more road pack to make the parking area less grassy, but for now the rocks are just a marker for how far into the pasture he can push snow.  We'll pick away at more of it next year. 

The hyacinth bean vines I planted inside the bird cage had a massive growth spurt the last few weeks.

The new plants I put in around it are all doing fantastic.  Mom and I went to the last sale of the season at a local native plant grower's and I picked up more cat safe, shallow rooted plants to add here and there.  I've decided to plant perennials along the privacy fence to hide the uneven bottoms.  I'm still trying to decide where to plant my magnolia tree, yellow twig dogwood, and witch hazel.  I have an ever-evolving end design in mind for the lower level of the yard, but much of it hinges on where the second patio ends up.  I'm also second guessing the bank, which I was planning to leave as is with grasses, weeds, and wildflowers.  Now I'm envisioning a bank of tall ornamental grasses that will sway in the wind...clearly I watch too many gardening shows on tv.  

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Later that day...

One rock is completely submerged - c'mon, RAIN!  Fill that hole! 😁

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Update, 48 hrs. later...

Not quite full but daaaang, that's a lot of water! 

Project #3 - Stones...why did it have to be stones?

 Well, the fence is up.  No, it isn't perfect.  Yes, I had a helluva time digging holes for the posts, which is why 1.) the posts aren't all at the same depth, and 2.) I ended up having to stagger the panels.

Everywhere I dug I seemed to hit massive boulders underground, despite the recent excavation of most of this area.  Also, the land slopes down away from the house, which would mean with this type of fencing my last panel would have been about three feet from the ground to the bottom of the panel.  I'll never use this doweled fence again, that's for sure.  Perfect for flat ground, not for this piece of property!

I ended up trying to stagger the panels to eliminate the bottom gaps by screwing them into the posts with decking screws on both ends for the first staggered panel, then for the next panel I screwed one end to the post and the other side I managed to set the dowels into the holes in the post.  I was going to do the same for the last panel, but it ended up being perfectly in line with the other post, so both ends have the dowels in the holes.  I'll have to do some creative cutting to block the open areas near the posts, but I think a few single pickets might work.  I need to cut a panel to make a gate, so I'm going to try pulling some pickets from the leftover portion to do that.

While it looks a bit messy from the back, if you look at it straight on, it's not so bad.  That one post that sticks up too high irritates me, but it's sitting on a bit of ledge.  I could have cut the post, but I honestly didn't have it in me to haul the tools out to do it at that point.  Sometimes you just have to say good enough and move on.

Not too bad for a 53 year old overweight ex-smoker.  My suggestion - if you're going to do fence, have someone there to help.  I needed Mother to hold posts and panels a few times, and by the end of the process I could barely move the panels into place alone.  It's these kinds of projects that keep my chiropractors and acupuncturist busy. 

I could have added one more panel, but I would have had to really stagger that one, so I opted to end where I did.  I've calculated the cost of the dog fence I was hoping to have installed but it's well out of my financial reach, so I'm cooking up some alternative ways to build my netted cat fence.  Today I'll mark out where I want the boundary to be and estimate my material list, and hopefully get the gate made and hung.  After that I'll need to affix some metal fence at the bottom of the panels and back-fill it with soil and large rocks to ensure cats don't squeeze under and escape, and to prevent outside creatures from digging under the fence.

Next up after this?  My pond awaits.

Project #3 - Fencing is a go, I repeat: Fencing is a go

 I've started putting up my privacy fence!  

I'm no stranger to fences; I've installed picket fence, electric fence, windbreak panels, post and wire fence, post and board fence, split rail fence, and cat fence.  I have never, however, installed dowel paneled fence.  So far it's going pretty well, it's just a little difficult to adjust heights and maneuver dowels into holes by myself, but I'm getting it.  I dug my first hole and immediately realized I'd purchased the wrong posts; I grabbed 3 end posts when I only needed 2, and forgot to buy corner post.  I took some time to re-finagle my design on paper and by simply moving the gate, I didn't need the corner post.  So far the digging has been typical for this area; it took most of the day just to dig four post holes and put up two panels.    

As for my seed...well, it's not what I'd hoped.  I spread three pounds of clover seed just as our well decided to get dangerously low.  Pretty hard to keep seed watered with no water.  I counted on a couple good rain storms to help out, but instead when it finally did rain, it came down with so much force it washed the seeds into low areas...mainly the gravel path.  So what I'm left with is a few clover seedling here and there, and then  clumps of it in lower areas.

So much for my groundcover.  I still have the field peas that I can plant, but I was hoping to save those for my vegetable beds, since they'll add quite a bit of nitrogen to the soil.  Wildflowers don't want nutrients, they want desolation.

I also managed to wrangle my tub into place alone.  It was over near the vent pipe and I wanted it on the gravel.  I chained a six foot pipe gate to Reputa and flipped the tub onto it, then dragged it somewhat into place.  I'll need some help getting it leveled and up on pavers to keep it from sinking into the gravel.  

The perennials in the circle bed are hanging in there, despite the drought.

I'm hoping they survive the winter, and this garden will look much better next year.  In the meantime, I'm off to do some more fencing.

Companion planting: regrets, I have a few...

 I've never really tried companion planting before, so I did a little research (dangerous) and decided to plant borage and nasturtium with some of my vegetables.  

The borage is supposed to be an all-around good companion for many vegetables.  It adds trace minerals to the soil, attracts pollinators by the droves, and is supposed to repel tomato worms (verdict - after picking about 40 hornworms off my plants yesterday, I'd say that's a myth).  All parts but the roots are edible, and it's said the leaves have a taste like cucumber.  I have eaten a few of the flowers and they are sweet delights, but the leaves and stems are covered with prickly little hairs that make me itch like I've been infested with fleas.  They sting a bit, too.  That might just be me and my uber-sensitive skin, but I can't imagine trying to choke down a leaf of this plant.  Also, nobody really let on that they may overtake whatever you're planting them with.  

Back in late May/early June, I planted five tomato plants in my big planter and peppered in a few borage and nasturtium seedlings.  Won't they be lovely when they bloom, in amongst the tomatoes?

 

Oh my aching head...

There are tomato plants in there, I swear.  I did have to pull the center plant as I inadvertently pinched the wrong leader and rendered it worthless, but the other four are doing well despite these thugs.  Trying to get water to the tomatoes is a feat; if it's early morning or late evening, there are sleepy bumble bees to watch out for on the borage flowers.  If it's middle of the day, there are hyperactive bumble bees, honey bees, hornets, and hawk moths to avoid.  In this area I've already had run-ins with a paper wasp nest on my porch railing, and an underground yellow jacket nest in the lawn.  I've become so petrified of being stung (two stings on the same ankle, one on the thigh) that I mostly avoid this area altogether, and it's become a bit of an overgrown jungle at this point.

So neat, so tidy.

Two months later...

Yikes.

As for the nasturtium, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of the blossoms.  I'd read they had a "peppery" taste; in truth they are more like a really good radish.  I love radish, so I've eaten quite a few of the blossoms.  I've also read that they will self-sow and run rampant and honestly, I'm ok with that.  They're pretty flowers and beneficial plants for insects, and are often used as a sacrificial plant to lure aphids and damaging beetles away from main crops. 

A few years ago I planted some creeping thyme in with my strawberry plants as a "living mulch" if you will.  Worked great the first year, ok the second year, and now...well, 

I've tried to pull what strawberry plants I could find out of that ridiculous mat, but most have been lost.  I had planned to try a xeriscape lawn with the creeping thyme, but went with wildflowers instead.  I still hope to pull this up and transplant it somewhere that it can expand its territory unbothered by my silly restrictions.

I also tried companion planting vegetables with vegetables, but a hungry woodchuck kept mowing down whatever I planted, so I kind of gave up trying.  There's always next year.

Project #2 - In Which I Enter the Home Stretch

 An additional pound of crimson clover seed has been sown and I'm beginning to see signs of germination!  I really hope this cover crop has enough time to mature, but only time will tell.  I just noticed this morning that 5:00 am isn't nearly as bright, but it's still light at 8:00 pm.  Hopefully that's enough daylight to help the seed along. 

I've moved my new perennials into the middle bed and set up the old bird cage that was part of my water feature at my last house.  Instead of planting directly into the cage, I set up an old galvanized tub at the base to plant in. I'm only planning on annual vines inside the cage, so this should do nicely.  Unfortunately, until the plants have a chance to really take hold and bush out, the warped shape of the center and path really stands out.  

I planted a couple of deeper rooted perennials along the rock edging of the gravel patio, which is not over the actual leach field.  The next step is to set my concrete pavers for the soaking tub to set on.  I'm not sure if I'll build the trellis over it this year yet - there's still fencing to be done and the pond to finish.  With the recent humid weather followed by thunderstorms, weeds and lawns have become absolute jungles.  I've already had a handful of encounters with hornets and yellow jackets and disturbing underground nests, so I'm kind of terrified to mow at this point. I'm almost praying for an early frost!

Project #2 - Mostly Done

 I've spread nearly all the loam and have sown my first round of crimson clover seed.

There's about 2 yards of loam left and we're going to lose that on mom's front lawn, I think.  It's getting there.  I didn't plant any clover in the middle section because we went to a local plant sale last weekend, and I was able to cross reference all the plants I purchased with a toxic-or-not-to-cats database as well as research the depth of their roots beforehand.  I have a bevvy of shallow rooted, cat safe perennials to plant inside the circle.

We just came out of a brutal heat wave and my garden isn't faring well.  Tender cool weather crops bolted in the heat, and much of my garden was mowed down by a woodchuck.  I cannot get over how much devastation that little bugger managed to do in such a short amount of time!  I've been using home-made garlic spray and some store-bought stinky granules, and they seem to work.  As soon as we get a thunderstorm or I water the garden, it's washed away and I need to re-apply.  

There are some success stories, though.  Once again my onions and shallots are doing great.  My tomatoes have green fruit, and my cucumbers are flowering like crazy.  The carrots I planted in the stock tank are simply amazing - I'd forgotten how good a carrot just pulled from the earth smells.  The mules are very happy to have these tasty treats.  And I'm very happy to say the ornamental corn I'm growing in pots is doing fantastic!  I'm just hoping the raccoons don't ransack it if it actually produces some ears of corn.

My perennial beds are loaded with color.  I've been mapping the beds, numbering the plants, and photographing the flowers.  I'm determined to have every plant in my care properly identified...which is more difficult than it sounds.  

elecampane

liatris

pink tiger lily

straw foxglove

delphinium

back to front - bitterroot, veronica, English daisy

bee balm

filipendula

so. many. daylilies!

    

stargazer lily

My tractor guy was out here last week and reset the posts that the tree company pulled, so that's done.  He dug the preliminary hole for my pond, too.  It's going to be somewhat smaller than I anticipated, but I can always add another down the road.  I need to get that started, and finish the gravel patio ends.  I feel the pressure of mid-summer, when daylight begins to wane sooner and the threat of winter seems to haunt my every waking hour.  Every moment is precious right now, and I'm trying to get at least a portion of my to-do list taken care of.  Rush, rush, rush, tick-tock, tick-tock.

Project # 2 - In Which Another Project is Started Before the Last Project is Finished

 I sincerely don't know what my problem is.

I ordered 10 yards of loam for the wildflower meadow, which is insane because I was not ready for it.  But there it is.

I started moving it by the wheelbarrow full and in two nights this was as much as I could accomplish, which included re-weeding quite a bit of the area.

Brutal hot weather has set in, and I'm not having it.  I've completely missed my window of opportunity to get any sort of annual wildflowers in at this point.  Having a short growing season is definitely a challenge; time is of the essence.  Instead I'm working toward using a cover crop.  I had bought a quantity of field peas to sow, then realized they were better suited to autumn sowing.  I've now redirected my attention to red clover, which is supposed to grow quickly, provide decent flowers for pollinators, and the first hard frost should do it in.  If it ever cools down enough that my ample derrière can manage a decent day's work, I might actually get this done.

Backyard Project #1.5 - The Gravel Path

 After much sketching and staring at the dirt, I finally decided upon a path shape that will meander from the gravel patio, through the wildflower meadow, and down to the deck.  Since the pond and the deck are still just pipe dreams, and knowing the land upon which I stand to be a veritable rock quarry, I'm not sure where the exit path will be.  I know where I want the pond and the deck, but that doesn't mean they'll actually be where I want them.  For now I've laid the entrance path and the loop, and edged the area I want to be my meadow (vs. the area beyond it, which is whatever happens to grow in craptastic soil).

I've used the no-dig edging that wouldn't work for the patio, and while it's fairly easy to create circular patterns with that, it's a little more difficult to curve the straight landscape fabric.  I did the best I could, and tried to keep the path equal in width the entire way.  Unfortunately - see the above description of my property - pins don't always pound in where you want them, even on ground that's been excavated heavily. 

Close enough.  I'm hoping once the dirt is down and plants are growing, the path won't be such a focal point.

I must have miscalculated for my pea stone, because it's very thick on the patio and makes walking a little tricky.  Since I obviously had some to spare, I skimmed a layer off the patio and used it for the path.  This section is thinner, and I didn't need to use the base gravel. 

I used the remaining edging to define the perimeter of the meadow, which isn't an exact geometric shape, either.  Perfectionists will lose their minds if they enter my back yard.

Before my loam arrives, I need to dig up that last bit of stubborn stuff invading my meadow, and I need to finish the edging on the patio ends.  

I'm debating whether to hire a fence company to install the short bit of privacy fence that will run from the house to just beyond the bathtub (still covered for winter...I knew I wouldn't be using it this year!) or to do it myself.  I've done so much fencing in the last six or seven years that I'm pretty much over it, but I need to save my pennies, too.  I have a feeling I'll end up doing it myself, and my back will hate me even more.