Garden Project
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They started Wednesday and are continuing today. We thought the initial layout was too small and now they’re making it larger.
The little stand up loader shakes the house when they drive it down the side yard.
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The soil in my yard is a hard sticky clay. The rototiller was having a tough time with it. Now Rich is breaking it up first with forks on the loader.
They’ve obviously done this before.
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That's quite the project! Can't wait to see your plant choices.
Big rocks. Are there going to be any big rocks?
What are they going to do about the soil? Amend it? Or take it out and bring in something better? Makes me ever more grateful for my 1960s vintage house that is on a former farm and when they didn't strip the topsoil. I have maybe 18 inches of topsoil before I get to clay.
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They’re tilling in compost. Two dump truck loads so far and they went back for more.
.The big white pipe was part of a half-baked drainage scheme installed by a previous owner. It’s going in the trash.
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Big rocks for sure. Lots of them.
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First rock!
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We just got home and saw the garden with plants in it for the first time. It’s better than I could imagine! More trees, more bushes, beautifully arranged. The rocks make me happy!
I made a few changes, mostly to facilitate drainage and moved a few plants. No problem -these guys are pros! The infill ground cover is a small, flowering ground cover called Mazer, and there are some sedums I’ve never seen before. Not strictly Asian but that was never the goal.
The view from my usual seat in the dining room is a very nice Japanese White Pine that moves gracefully in the wind, and looks like it’s been battling the elements for decades. It’s backed by a small Japanese Maple that promises great fall color. Things are planted to bloom at various times and spill over rocks. I bought some landscape lights at HD to up-light the tres and the crew installed them without fuss. My little hobby area is just what I wanted.
They added the cherry tree that Dewey suggested in a spot where it can be viewed from the Family Room window.
Need to work out a spot for the 36” replica of FLW’s Garden Sprite statue that he originally designed for Midway Gardens in Chicago. We picked it up in the gift shop at Fallingwater. I know to bring it in for the winter - the one I had before was destroyed in the first hard freeze we got after we moved here.
Sprinklers start tomorrow.
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How exciting! Can't wait to see your sprite in place. And the cherry tree.
Well, heck...can't wait to see the whole thing! We need a virtual garden reveal/piano party...
Sneak peeks.
I’m not sure what I’ll put on the little patio. Fire pit? Bird bath? Maybe fountain but I’ll have to run power to it. Life size Sasquatches are readily available but kinda cross the line between whimsy and goofy.
https://www.lmtreasures.com/cdn/shop/files/3518_main_800x.jpg?v=1717540869
I’ll take better pictures once they re-work the turf areas. Right now they’re a muddy mess and the grade needs to be raised so they drain right.
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Sneak peeks.
I’m not sure what I’ll put on the little patio. Fire pit? Bird bath? Maybe fountain but I’ll have to run power to it. Life size Sasquatches are readily available but kinda cross the line between whimsy and goofy.
https://www.lmtreasures.com/cdn/shop/files/3518_main_800x.jpg?v=1717540869
I’ll take better pictures once they re-work the turf areas. Right now they’re a muddy mess and the grade needs to be raised so they drain right.
Back fence still needs softening -looks like a prison yard. Has anyone ever tried growing espaliered fruit trees?
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Lookin' great! Especially love the rocks.
Sasquatches
My friend and I walk by one of these on a pretty regular basis. It's between two houses rather than a focal point in the back yard, and it's semi-hidden in some shrubs. Total whimsy but it works really well. They have one of these 7 ft tall silhouettes:
They are also available in a solid version:
When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
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You must have the same
soilclay we have here. It’s absolutely terrible to dig through, and it sticks to everything. Super rich in nutrients, provided you can break through it to plant! -
Mrs. Miller already vetoed the Yeti so…
