OCTOBER??? Already...

Where did September go? Last post was the start of September, I turned around and it's already October. I finally got the rose of sharon's and the rest of the lilac bushes pruned... wow, I added a lot of room to my yard. And I have a thought on how I want to proceed with the back yard. No Grass!!! Instead I am going to put in a path that winds through the back area to the side of the house.. and then plant short and medium tall plants along that path and under the shrubs. Need to amend the soil and prep it this fall so it can be worked next year.  The number of plants that it will take to fill this area will be big.. so it might take some time to afford the plants. But it will happen.

I have also decided that I need to amend and work the soil in the moon garden area... the plants in this area just do not thrive. Planted annuals and even they didn't do well... with consistent water and tending they just barely eked out this year. And if annuals don't even succeed then it's got to be the soil.. therefore, I am going to dig and amend the soil, fence the area to try keep the dogs out until I can get the plants well established to hopefully deter the dogs from trampling the soil and bigger plants once they are established.

Want to take some photos of the side garden and assess the progress, what worked and what did not. It looks great.. lots filled in from the plantings this spring. Watering consistently is still and issue for some of the plants that are in that area... trying to keep the plants to low water needs and sometimes I tweaked it alittle with the hopes that I can get something to grow in that area that probably doesn't have a chance. Hoping that once I get them established they will adapt to the area... some have and some have not. Just keep trying different things until it works.

Still have various big projects that I want to tackle this fall before it gets too cold, or nasty to work outside.  It always takes longer and is more work then I envision when I start on a project... seems to be the way my projects work out.

September... End of summer?

Although September is the "end of summer"... there is so much happening in the garden yet. I still have a bunch of perennials to plant. And there are plenty of fall flowers coming into bloom. I stopped at the garden center today after work and had to force myself to stay away from the mums. I have quite a few mums in the flower bed. Need to plant more early summer bloomers. Thinking of more spring bulb and some poppies for next year. And need to put some in the front yard among the mums... so I have more plants blooming in the summer.

When I think back on all that I have done this summer I really got a lot done. Got rid of the garden shed. Pruned most of the shrubs and only have a few left to do. Rose of sharons are almost done blooming so they are next, the lilac bush, and the tree that is hanging over the veggie garden. I need to pick some of the peaches off the peach tree and prune. Branches are on the verge of snapping... need to shape the peach tree. It did a great crop of peaches this year... and they taste great. Thinking peach jam/butter.. yum.

Spending time in the Garden

My mission the past couple of weeks has been to prune back all the shrubs and trees in the yard... front and back. Wow, in doing so I have really opened up the yard. The front yard was first, pruned the lilac bushes, the snowball bush, and the dogwood. The yard looks so much tidier and bigger. It's like I grew a bigger yard.

Working on the backyard now. Got the cotoneasters and the lilac bush in the corner. Going to wait on the rose-of-sharon as it is in bloom and I don't want to cut those off. I'll prune it back once it is done blooming.

Today I am going to chip all the cuttings. Make some more mulch and get that laid out, it makes the flowerbeds look finished and highlights the plants as opposed to dirt/mud that pools and runs off in places. After yardwork today I will take some pictures and post them. Maybe I can find some before and after photos? And with that being said, time to head for the garden.

Serenity in the Garden

It hasn't happened very often, and not often enough. Last night I was in the backyard relaxing. Not reading, not talking, not even "thinking" or planning anything. I was listening, feeling, smelling, and seeing everything yet nothing. And then it happened I slipped into a total moment of NOW.. and found such peace and serenity. It was beautiful and I embraced it and wrapped my heart around the feeling of safe and contentment. For that moment was all that I was living in.. that moment. Then my mind drifted out of that moment. But I found it again. It was wonderful. I want to explore finding that peace once again.

Serenity in the Garden. Just thinking about that feeling of safe and peace.. brings me back to serenity. I have the ability to experience that.. once.. I can and will find it again. Have a wonderful, lovefilled, peaceful, safe day. Love, Me

Heading into Final Days of Summer

Spent some time reviewing what I got accomplished this summer so far. Wow, considering that I worked through the summer, took some time off for a trip to Amsterdam, and had some down time too. I feel like I got a lot accomplished. I have about ten days off that I don't have to work and so I am going to hit it really hard. Still have a huge list of things to do, but I also have to remember that I got a lot done or it starts to feel dismal. I am going to work hard in the yard this week and then post pictures of what I have gotten done so far this summer. Dana took the garden shed and the awning out of the back yard.. wow, that is going to be a huge piece of the mess out of my way so I can move forward with my plans for continuing on with the yard.

Finally chipped through the pile of cuttings and made a ton of mulch. Spread it in the side garden, it really makes it look "finished". This has motivated me to trim and chip some of the shrubs that are looking shabby and making the yard look cluttered and small. Hard pruned the white lilac bush in the front yard. Going to chip those up and then prune some more. Borrowing the extension saw from the garden center so that I can cut back the dead parts of the maple tree. Not sure what happened, but it will look much nicer to clean that up. Yard is coming along and I am very satisfied with the progress I have made this year.

Applied for a job and interviewed last week, hoping I get called in for a second interview.. and better yet get the job... would be great to have a decent paying job so I can cut back on my hours at my second job and also spend a bit more money on the house/ garden once I get caught up on bills. Praying for something.

July-- Phew it is HOT!

Chipped most of the wood pile and now I have mulch to spread all over the yard. Yah!!! Going to relocate and rebuild the compost pile. Want to clean up this area, put in a round seating area where the rock is now. Build a small wall where the blocks are, mortar, and stucco with a cap. Then put in fruit trees along the fence and along the house.. Lots of work to get the area ready for fruit trees.

Loving Summer

Everyday I go out into my garden. Some time is spent weeding, some planting, and other times are spent just relaxing and enjoying the progress that I have made. Planting some more in the side garden.. hoping these plants will make it and fill in over the years.


Here are some photos of what is planted so that I can keep track of what is there, what makes it and what doesn't. My plan is to put in a garden of flowers that are not fussy, will tolerate the sun and require lower watering needs.


Picture 1 and 2: Southeast corner. Labels provided.


Picture 3 and 4: Center back. Not much planted at the time of these pictures. Have things in there now. Will update with photos.



Pictures 5 and 6: South-Back area: False sunflower, annuals reseeded, iris, butterfly bush.



Picture 7: Daylily, iris, and agastache. Picture 8: Gouping of CoralBells, various

June, Summer is here

Lots of flowers are starting to come in for the season. Love to watch them come back from an empty space. There is always this surprise.. "wow I forgot I had so many tulips" or "I forgot how many iris I had in this part of the yard". Definitely have a lot of work to do in the corners of the yard (both sides of the house are accumlating junk). Trying desperately to keep up with the weeds. Put down cardboard in the veggie garden. Need to eradicate. Going to try vinegar solution. See how that works.

Decided to put in an assortent of iris in the upper level of the center garden. Here are some photos of my irises found throughout the yard. Ones that are established already. The new ones are not yet in bloom after their transplant. However, they are supposed to be rebloomers, so I am hoping that they will bloom this fall?

After a Good Work Session

Spent this afternoon working in the side garden. There was so much satisfaction in clearing out that side of the yard. And I pruned the roses, and cleared out the debris from the iris. Something that I seldom get accomplished before mid-June. Later, I sat outside and listened to the birds sing and felt the breeze blow gently in the early evening. There is such joy and wonder in working in the soil. I look at the raised perennial bed and see the gaps that I planted this spring and all I can do is hope that they will thrive and survive. And I know that from all this early season work, will come the joy of watching a garden develop and take shape. There is so much more to do.. yet when I look and see where I have gone with the garden that I started with, yes, I have gone far with it.. and hope to bring it even closer to the yard that I envision. With love and peace, Kristi

What a Wonderful Feeling

I have cleared and weeded the side garden and the tulips are still in bloom. Pruned the roses. Lost one and will want to pull that one out. I am so far ahead of other springs.. cool. Planted some perennials in the side garden and the raised backyard bed. Can't wait to see what thrives and comes through the season.

Next plan is to plant the veggie garden and then the new rose bed. Continue to work the rock garden and the sedum bed. I am enjoy the fact that I am caught up as far as I am. But also fear that at some point this summer I will fall behind. I want to work my garden with all the passion and love that I enjoy in working with the soil/soul. I enjoy earth and leisure in the smells and texture of the soil. It is so much more than just digging and planting the ground and making things grow. It is the nurturing and caressing of the soil that makes it wonderful.

May Garden Update

Planted some perennials in the side garden. Butterfly bush, tri-color. Monarda (2). Have a few more to put in. A light green coral bell and a varigated white/green coral bell. I am half done with clearing the side garden. Tomorrow I will work on the side garden some more. Get it cleaned up to the roses, at least. Then plant the veggie garden.

May in Colorado 2010

We have had some great moisture producing days here in Colorado. Somewhat on the cool side, but if that helps bring on the moisuture, I am all for it. I spent some time clearing up the side garden. I have quite a few perennials that made it through the winter. It was so great pulling and digging in the damp, wet soil. The feel and texture is wonderful. I have a couple of plants I want to plant this spring and then add some more in the fall. This is the south side of the Side Garden. There is a black eyed susan plant in the corner. Some bachelor buttons that have self seeded and also some iris I divided and planted the summer before. Love the open "canvas" just waiting to be planted and made beautiful. There is also a small section of lily along the front of the garden.

This is the middle area of the side garden. Still have some clearing out.. Not even sure if I have any perennials in this mess. There are some bachelors buttons that survived the winter months. (self-sowing). Will allow them to go to seed and then pull them.

There are at least four different varieties of coral bells under the snowbush crab. Hard to see them at this stage of growth. Will post more later when they have grown some more.

Some iris coming into bloom. Not sure of the color will have to watch and photograph. Hope they do well as they are kind of in a shady area.

Very corner of the side yard, north end. Russian sage, some iris, And some roses. Still need to clean up and cut back some of the plants. Will take a pic later in the season.

Perennial planted from last fall... cant remember what it is.. will have to check it out.

Tulips growing in among the iris. These may have to be divided this year as the iris are really crowded.

Also want to include photos of the soon to be rock garden and the sedum garden. Hoping this is a great year. love, Kristi

It's The Month of May

I have been spending brief moments in the yard. Cleaning a little here and a little there. Cleaned up the back center front garden area.. this year instead of planting herbs I am going to put in irises. I was browsing through some pictures of iris and realized how beautiful they are. So I plan to put in a few more iris in this area and then plant something for the summer months when the iris are not in bloom. Plan to mostly put in reblooming iris so that I have blooms in the spring and in the fall.

I cleaned out the veggie garden and planted carrots, lettuce, and beets. Tomorrow I will put in peas and radish. Beans and yellow beans also. Then I will put in two more raised beds for the next round of veggies that will be going in. I plan to put in herbs within the veggie garden area so that I can fence them off from Lewis as he tends to lift his leg on the herb plants and there is something disgusting about eating herbs that have dog doo on them.

I cleaned out in front of the veggie garden. I will want to amend the soil in this area and then plant some vines and other plants with an ornament as a focal point.

Enjoyed working out in the yard today.. birds singing and the wonderful smell of lilacs surrounded me while I worked. Weather was perfect. On the cool side, not too hot. Windy at times, but a joy to work outside in the cooler temperatures. Getting a good start on the garden and it is only the first part of May... Loving it.

Wonderful moments in the garden

Spent the afternoon working in the yard. Cleaned up the raised perennial bed in the backyard. Cleaned and weeded. And planted some seeds for the moon garden. I have a lot of things I want to get done this summer. Sitting outside right now writing this down and remembering that one of the top priorities for this summer is to spend time outside, relaxing, and enjoying my little haven. And that is one reason I want to put in a moongarden this year. So that I can enjoy the evening blooms and listen to the pond as the water spills over the rocks. I will also want to put in pond lights this year. I remember summers past when I would sit outside, light a fire, and enjoy the sounds and sights of the pond. Wishing I had a moongarden to enjoy the blooms of flowers in the evening hours. This year I am going to make that happen.

I have a white rose, Bolero, that is going in the garden, I planted some seeds and will fill in with perennials and annuals also where the seeds don't take. The seeds are mostly annuals, but it will fill the space until the perennials take hold. I am hopeful and excited about this summer's garden. I am getting a good start and hope to keep it a top priority for my life and enjoyment.

With love and dirt, and soon flowers. Kristi

Pond Update

Raining for the past couple of days and now it's off to work at the garden center. I haven't been able to work on the pond since I laid the rocks around the perimeter. Got some plants around the edge and will plant more as the weather warms. Here's what I have of the pond so far.

Pond progress

The pond is coming along. Have the perimeter of the pond rocked, the skimmer is secured. And the next project will be to work the waterfall. Hoping I can do this without getting a lot of soil in the pond water. Right now the pond is cloudy from clay that has slipped into the water while making the planting area. But, the fish are living and I have the sounds of water again. I have been spending some moments in the morning just sitting at peace with my garden. The birds are singing and the water is cascading (over rocks soon). And I find myself smiling and feeling good. That is a wondeful way to start the day. Finding peace and taking it with me throughout the day.

On another note, I am almost done with the pond and it is still April!!! After the pond it is time to plant veggies and flowers. I see it in my mind and I anticipate the greens of summer. With love and peace, Kristi

Making Pond Progress

Got the pond revamped by digging out some plant shelves and rebuilding newfangled plant shelves; dirty, mucky work. And got the liner down and the skimmer in. Next project is to work the waterfall and put the rocks back around the pond.

Pond Work Today

Got off work early today and went home with plans to work in the yard. The pond has been really dropping water fast. So I thought I'd pull the rocks away from the side and get everything ready to dig tomorrow. So I got the rocks moved, went into the house and checked the weather for the rest of the week, looks like there is a strong possibility of rain, SOOOO, I ended up getting a garbage can, filling with pond water, hooking up a pump for aeration and proceeded to tear into the digging part of the pond. Figured if I was going to have to move everything for a new liner, I might as well remodel the pond. So I took out the shelf under the waterfall area, it was a mistake to leave it there in the first place, and then I revamped the planting area, by putting up a retaining wall in order to have a growing, bog area, so that I can fill the area with soil, pebbles, etc and plant directly in the bog marginal plant area and not have to mess with the damn planting pots and how they tip in the wind and never seem to be just right. With that having been said, I also picked up my skimmer today, which I am going to install in hopes of getting the pump filter bucket out of the bottom of the pond and bury the pump to waterfall hose. I am hoping this will make the pond look less bucket and pail at the bottom and more like a pond for fish and plants. That clay soil is heavy. And it was dirty, messy work, but I enjoyed the process immensely. My fear is not getting it done and done the way I envision it. I also hope that this will be the last season that I have to tear the pond apart every spring to "fix" something major with it.

I also am going to rebuild the waterfall, AGAIN... and this has to be the last time that I have to major overhaul that also. It takes so much time away from prepping the rest of the yard.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lifting and digging and being out in the yard again. I sat for a while and listened to the water fall, and the wind blow, and the birds sing. Looking forward to the season. Love and dirty dirt to all, Kristi

Spring Break a Bust

Had two weeks off from school, but still worked at the garden center. And now it is coming to a close and soon it will be "back to school". Spent too much time helping my daughter enroll in school. Thought I was going to have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week to work in the garden.. But weather didn't cooperate. Tuesday was cold and windy. Wednesday, woke up and found snow on the ground, several inches. Melted by the end of day. So Thursday was finally able to get outside. Definitely didn't get to cross off a whole lot of items from my list of things to do. Take what I can get and look for more days ahead. In actuality, spring break is too early in the season to really get a lot done outside. Often too wet or cold. And now it is back to work so I will have to take small snippets of time and work in my yard.

Loved working outside, digging in the dirt and smelling the worked soil in the warm sunshine. Listening to the birds and feeling the breeze on my skin. What a sensory explosion.

April, It's April

March just blew right by. Wow!! Got some things started.. making notes of what needs to be done before the season gets into full swing. Weather wasn't always in my favor for getting outside on my days off. That is the hardest part about spring.. being patient and not getting discouraged when things don't go as planned. Spring break is here which is great, but in reality it is too early in the season. Sure I can get some things done, but too often the weather turns, it is too wet, or too early. This week was spent helping Megan get ready to go to school. Next week, everyone should be in school and I will have the days to myself... hoping the weather cooperates cause I want to get some non-planting jobs done before it is time to plant.

I struggle with my garden. I have an image of my garden in my mind and I know I can get it close to this image. I contemplate... how things go over the season. There are times when I can't stay on top of things... too much weeding, too many plants that don't make it cause I didn't get to that corner of the yard when I should have. Is my yard too big for me to handle? What would I do with the areas if I were to eliminate the garden area/s? It's not like I would be able to convert it.. presto, chango.. I now have grass! Is my time spread too thin? Do I waste too much time? Am I working inefficient? What are shortcuts I can take? How can I garden better and more effective? How to I etch out more time for my garden work? This are the stumbling blocks I want to work with this summer. Work as efficient as I can and bring my yard to fruitition.

March Madness Yardness

Didn't get much done in the nasty corner, but I did get some work done in the yard. Spent some time cleaning up the perennial raised bed area.. planning out what I want to plant in this area. Moved some river rock from the corner. Needing some soil for the corner. Cleaned up the back patio. I had wanted to work on the "Nasty" East corner, but didn't want to pull out the chipper for just a couple of hours. Instead I am going to wait until spring break so that I can get all the chipping done in one day... which is a lot of chipping. I did get a little bit of digging done in the "nasty corner".. lots of dirt and rock mixed together. Found an old decomposed shelf or board of some kind and a huge inflatable ball or swimming pool of some sort under the dirt... I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of debris coming out of this corner. I am going to rig up a soil sifter for getting the dirt and rock seperated. Or it is going to take me forever to get through this pile of dirt/rock. Phew. Just keep plugging away at it and soon I will see the rewards of my labor. Weather is supposed to turn again, tonight, chance of rain or snow... if it doesn't I am going to hit the nasty corner again tomorrow.

Spring in the Rockies

Snowed Friday and part of Saturday. I was able to work in the yard on Thursday, knowing that it was going to snow. Prepped some of the beds... worked up the soil. One more week of work and then it will be spring break for two weeks. Really hope to hit it hard in the yard with my clean up chores. I found some pictures that I took of the east side of the yard... and this is a part of my clean up project.


It looks daunting, but I know that if I can spend a few hours everyday working on this it will get done and look wonderful. I bought a chipper so I am excited about being able to chip through all the branches and twigs that have accumulated in this part of the yard. PS. I just want to point out that this part of the yard was a disaster when I bought the house.. I am not the sole mess maker in this area. I plan to clean through the dirt/rocks along the fence and put in sunflowers this summer. My long range plan is to put fruit trees in this area.. espalier. My extravagant long range plan is to put in an archway with vines or plants that form the arch. Plans like this give me the incentive to get out there and get the work done. Taking pictures and logging progress also helps.. as I can see where I started and where I have gone with the work.

I think gardeners are some of the most optimistic people.. no matter how badly a place has been neglected, a gardener will persevere and dig through the mess in order to beautify their piece of dirt and make it soil. There is a deep satisfaction in making progress and see the results. Knowing that things can only get better. And if it doesn't turn out quite as planned there is always tomorrow or the next season to try again. Gardeners work with hope and optimism.

Mid March

It is coming up on Mid-March and I still haven't accomplished much on my TO-DO list. Was hoping to spend time in the garden today, Sunday, since I had the whole day off. And it started to rain, nice slow, earth soaking rain. Of course, by tonight it will most likely turn to snow. But it is great to see the moisture.

Noticed that some of my spring bulbs are poking through.. it will be wonderful to see the tulips in bloom. Hope to add some more bulbs to the front yard.. I will want to mark and tag where there are bulbs now so that I can add some more this fall. It will look wonderful filling in the flower bed with tulips instead of just having a scattered amount of flowers. Put in early, mid, and late season bulbs. It all takes time. I wish I could develop a long range plan for the garden, but there are so many things I want to do, but often times run into a snag in getting them done, whether it's money or time, or the weather, or knowledge about the plant, or plant failure; it seems as though I have to revamp my plans so many times. Intention is always way better then the actual.

And now that it is March it is time to start working on things that are coming of season and not just jobs to "get-done"

ANNUALS: Seed planting. Plant outisde; Sweet pea, pansy, and snapdragon seeds FERTILIZE with slow release fertilizer.
BULBS: I brought home some spent bulbs and plan to let them go dormant and then put them in the ground so that they will come back next spring.
LAWN: Core-aerate when the ground is thawed.
PERENNIAL: Grooming can begin. Start indoor seeds (if time in the next couple of weeks).
ROSES: Prune roses. Slow release fertilize.
SHRUBS: Prune and clean up shrubs. Trim out dead and overlapping branches.
TREES: EGETABLES: VINES: WATERGARDEN: Not much happening in this arena. April will be the start of these areas.

Orchid Show

Planned on working in the yard this weekend but ended up working both Saturday and Sunday at the garden center. The weather was mild and sunny. The garden center had the Denver Orchid Society Orchid show. On Saturday it was busy from the time I walked in at 10 am until close that afternoon. Because I worked both days this weekend I didn't get any work done around my yard. But it was worth spending time at the garden center among the wonderful sights and scents. Lots of people came in to see the orchid show; some just to get plants for their home in anticipation for spring. Everyone who came in was in a positive, uplifted mood. What a pleasure to work with people who enjoy the plants and flowers.

The Orchid show was beautiful. Took some pictures of the orchids at the show and also ones that the garden center has available. Beautiful and unique plants. Wish I knew more about them, but I am learning all the time. And want to learn even more.

Enjoy the pictures.

Link: www.denverorchidsociety.org

Winter Once Again

Last weekend I spent Saturday working in my front yard.. raking and trimming a few shrubs and tidying up some perennials. Sunday it snowed all day. Oh, well, such is Colorado. Heading into work at Tagawa's today. Pre-Valentines Day sale. And then a few hours tomorrow. Stopped out there the other day.. it is beautiful. A great big huge building full of life and growing things.

Not much I can do yet to prep for the growing season. Too early to plant seeds, too early to work in the garden. Got the one day of cleaning work done and plan to get outside to keep up the cleaning projects. And on top of that I have added one more big job to the yard projects.

POND
In March or April, maybe during spring break?, I want to take apart the pond... completely.... put in a skimmer, take out some of the plant shelves, dig in some bog/plant areas around the perimeter of the pond in place of the plant shelves. Hide the pump hose that leads to the waterfall and rework the waterfall (again!) and hide the waterfall box. And since I have the pond tore apart and am digging up the area, I might as well add a new liner since I have not found that leak yet. It will be nice to get the pond reworked, but I visualize the mess that project is going to make, pulling up the rocks, pulling back the lining in order to dig and rebuild... but if I can work hard and steady on it during spring break I will have it done and up and running before the rest of the yard is under way.

I love my pond, the water sounds, the coolness of it in the evening, the look of the plants and lilies... it is one part of the garden that rests my soul and brings me to peace. And with that in mind, it is the best project to undertake and worth the time and effort to rework. And if I can get it done I can once again sit out in the yard and enjoy the pond instead of looking at it's flaws; the lining and low water level, the tipped over plants. Yes, this is the spring to dive into the pond, again.

With love and dirt, Kristi

What a wonderful day

Forgot to mention something in my post about what my goals and intentions are in using this journal format and gardening. If my primary goal is to use this journal for my list of things to do, I am missing an important element. I also want to use this journal to evaluate and re-evaluate how gardening touches my soul and life. What gives me pleasure and what excites me about gardening.

Got to spend some time outside this afternoon. Mostly raked the front yard and cleaned up some flower areas. Which adds to the anticipation of spring coming around the corner.

TO DO:

*Soil; several areas in the front that could use some soil added to cover the weed barrier.
*Plant some flowers and bulbs under the trees.
*Trim the evergreen shrubs out front by the bench.

ALSO:

*Black plastic to cover areas in the veggie garden.. to prep for spring. Also want to rework the walkways to block weeds and to lower the brick a bit more.

Loving the dirt, Kristi

Ideas and Plans

Next paycheck I am going to get some plastic sheeting so I can lay it out on the veggie garden area to smother out the potential weeds.... and keep it down for the next couple months so that hopefully I can eliminate some of the weeds that come up each summer. And then cover the area every fall. And/or try a cover crop of buckwheat and see if I can smother those weeds out...

I am really excited about gardening this year... really hoping and planning to get out there and make things happen. Lots of plans and thoughts... and if I spend even an hour or two a day in the yard.. I can make them happen. Trying to be patient... yet I know that there are times over the last couple of days when I should have been outside getting some work done... so get on it...

Loving the dirt, Kristi

February: Carry over list of projects

Weather was nice enough to get outside to putz around a little bit. Moved the river rock out of the SE corner... need to get some soil to put into that area. The river rock will go in the small stream that I am taking out.. but first I need to puncture some holes in the lining so that it no longer holds water. Didn't get much done in January because of the weather and now when it is nice enough to do some things outside.. I have no money... hopefully later this week or next week when I get paid I can pick up a few things so that I can keep the projects rolling. Want to get some lattice or wood for a trellis, paint it a sage green.. keep it on the light to white side. and then hang in the SE corner.

Next project is to focus on the East side of the garage.. lots of work in that corner and it's cool enough to do some digging, but is the ground still frozen? That would be the hold up for working on the dirt pile and sifting through the rocks.

But, it's already February.. so springs is closer.

Love and dirt, Kristi

Waiting for Spring

I can't wait for warmer weather to arrive. I am making a vow to myself to put away the distractions and time killers in my world, those stupid petty things that get in my way of getting the projects done that I want to get done. What a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I get a project completed and then I can relax and enjoy one more part of my house or yard rejuvenated.

This morning I visualized how I would like the pond to be revised. BUT I will only work on the pond once I get the SE corner and the East side of the yard completed... then and only then will I tear apart the pond. The pond is wonderful I don't regret putting it in, however, it has been a time consumer over the summers. As I have tried to revamp the pond several times to make the waterful nicer looking... and now I have a small leak and can't keep the water level up to make it look nice. So this year I need to replace the lining... and if I am going to do all that work I might as well tear out the whole pond and redig the area and fine tune the pond.

I want to put in bog or plant areas that are fed by the pond but they do not leech into the pond. Tired of trying to balance and keep plants upright and looking good in the pond. So I want to put in rock and blog areas around the perimeter of the pond. And dig in a rock ledge around the edge of the pond.. and put in plants and grass around the edge. Put first I need to get other work done... but I want to work on the pond in April/ May otherwise it will be too hot to work on the pond. Lots of work to do...

BUT in order to get it done I need to devote myself to the tasks at hand... to include house work and clearing out the house.. simplify and declutter!!! I want these things to happen this summer and they will..... time to get it together some more on my goals.

With anticipation... love and dirt... Kristi

Not exactly Garden work.

Okay so it wasn't exactly garden work, but it was a step in that direction. I spent a couple of hours today cleaning out the garage... which essentially means I was organizing the garden tools and pots.. so it was close to garden work. I was looking through the list of things I want to do for pre-season prep and hope to get to some of them this coming week. The weather has been chilly but nothing that a coat and some work won't fix to keep me warm.

I bought a yard swing this weekend... hopefully it isn't going to be too big for the area I hope to but it in.. but it will be nice to have. Thinking of putting it in the SE corner. Therefore the next project I focus on is going to be that corner.

Move out the river rock, put in soil, plant vines (later this spring) and put up a trellis and window boxes. Debating if I should put up cedar lattice, white lattice or painted lattice. A splash of color in that corner would be perfect. The plants should be fragrant and colorful so that they can be enjoyed in the evening. Colorful in the corner and then leave the moon garden plants for the perennial, raised bed area.

Love, hugs, and dirt, Kristi

Delays

Not able to get any work done from my list of outside projects that I want to do... Too cold, too wet/dirty, and too much snow right now. So I have been focusing on the house and planning. Not much to "report" as far as jobs completed or moving forward on... so just have to be patient and wait for the weather to cooperate. I do have some other personal things that I am working on that do not pertain to gardening... one is to delve into artistic or creative endeavors; painting, scrapbooking, and papercrafts. The other is to write an artistic journaling format for doing the 12 steps.. a guide for Megan to work with as she is doing her 12 steps. And wouldn't it be great to use it for others also... but that is getting ahead of myself.

Til later, waiting for the warmth of spring.. can only garden so long from the armchair.

With dirt, Kristi

BRRRRR

Okay, this winter we are having winter. Other winters it has been warm enough to spend some time outside digging around in the yard, cleaning and moving things etc. Not this year. This year it is cold... oh well, that just means spending time reviewing and designing for the planting that is coming soon enough.

Making lists and designs of what goes where. AND getting the house spring cleaned so that when the weather is nice, I can head outside without worrying about the state of the house. Painting and so on...

The days are getting longer, slowly. But that is always a promise that soon the temperatures will rise and we will be outside before we know it. On the positive side, it is snowing and cold, which hopefully means we will have rain and warm and not too hot of a summer.

With love and dirt, Kristi

Garden Dreams and Plans

I spent the day looking through plant books for ideas for annual flowers to plant in the garden this year to fill in and add a compliment to the perennials in the garden. This year I plan to use seeds to help offset the cost of plant flats.

East Yard:
* Clean up compost corner. Rebuild the compost container using wood slats so as to keep Lewis out of the kitchen scraps. I avoid putting them in the compost pile because Lewis eats them right up... yep melon scraps to onion peels, he doesn't care as long as it resembles some sort of digestable product.
* Clean out rocks from soil... put rocks around edge of side garden where the rocks are looking thin. Compost and amend soil. Plant SUNFLOWER ASSORTMENT in this area. With plans for this fall to plant a couple of fruit trees; dwarf apples? pear? Yummy. Even thought about putting an arbor tunnel over the area on the east side of the garage and planting some vines.. ie., grapevine.
* In the perennial flower bed, plant annuals and add more perennials. Moon garden theme?
* In south corner.. remove river rocks along fence, add amended rich soil... plant vines. Attach lattice to the corner area to support the vines. Hang window boxes from the fence... alternate from middle supports to higher supports... plant with vines and flowers. (Add another length to the garden hose so that it will reach to the corner for watering the plants in this area). Lush green corner is the effect I am looking for.

Move landscaping rock from future sitting area... grade to a minimal slant.. pour cement, stamp design. Put in a low wall... blocks salvaged from around the yard.. stack and then stucco finish with a cap; stone, tile, or brick finish. Maybe build a planter at the ends of the wall?

Fill in the stream bed with river rock.. puncture the lining so that it no longer holds water, it turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes and didn't have the effect I was looking for. So fill in with rock... place another flagstone for walking on.

Continue to work on the mosaic paving blocks for the walkway behind the pond.

I could tire myself out just reading the list of things to do... but I hope to have these jobs completed by mid-March.. so that it will be ready for planting by mid-May. And still have time from March to April to focus on the west side of the house so that I can add some raised beds and complete the veggie garden addition this summer.

Love to garden and play in the dirt...
With Love and Dirt, Kristi

Garden Work: Step One

It's time to start working in the garden again. And now is the time to start. In January? Yep in January.

The first step in gardening is planning, planning, and planning. Or is it more like dreaming, dreaming, and dreaming? And then taking those dreams and turning them into plans and then taking those plans and making them happen? Gardening, along with the landscaping piece of gardening. can be a lot of work, in order to motive myself to get the landscaping piece done I need to start with the critical element of dreaming about the finished picture, for that is what sets my gears in motion.

The snow is on the ground and it is cold outside so my outside January projects are on hold. Therefore I am spending my time in the dreaming/planning stage. What projects do I want to aim for this summer? What do I need to do to get them underway? And most importantly what features and plants do I need in order to pull it altogether? With that said... it is the time to plan and dream of my spring/summer garden.

I also hope to include more pictures this year.. before and after pictures so that I can visually record my progress and see how far I have come in the progress of my garden/yard work.

With that being said... I am off to check my camera for previous photos and to check books and magazines and websites for beautiful pictures and ideas.

With love and dirt, Kristi

LET THE GARDENING FUN BEGIN, again.

For me the gardening season always seems to start in January... the holidays are over and it is time to think SPRING. With that in mind I would also like to return my focus to the garden and projects I would like to work on at this time of year...

Let the fun begin:
There is very little I can do at this time of year as far as planting and digging in the garden. Put I have plenty of other things I can putter with... cleaning and organizing are the biggies this month.

CLEAN THE EAST SIDE OF THE YARD:
*Chip branches, yes I finally bought a chipper, yeah!!
*Pile and toss garbage and debris

SOUTHEAST CORNER:
*Prep for planting vines this spring
*Move window boxes, move rocks... fill with soil (now or later).

GARAGE:
*Clean and organize garden tool area.

WEST SIDE OF YARD:
*Remove garden shed.
*Remove old shed floor/blocks

SITTING AREA:
*Prep area for future wall.
KEEP FEEDING THE BIRDS!!!

Weather permitting I will work on these tasks during January... some may carry over to other months... this is not a list to slave over but a guide, I will not get discouraged if I straggle on some. Love what I do and how I do it.

Resources for my gardening tasks are:

"Gardening in the Rocky Mountains" by John Cretti (with consultation advice from my supervisor,Dee, at Tagawas).

Tagawa Garden Center- monthly tips. (http://www.tagawagardens.com/)

When is the "Off Season" in gardening?

So often one thinks of gardening happening only in the few months of the growing season. However, for some of us, gardening is year-round. There is really no such thing as "off-season"... there is always something to do... it is more like a gardening cycle that ebbs and flows with activity.

This time of the year is more about planning and putting down ideas which seems to be the part of gardening that I am exceptional cause I have tons and tons of ideas and I am always planning.. my goal is to complete and sometimes, just start, at least half of the projects I come up with.

It's been awhile since I posted to my gardening journal and with that in mind and the fact that I am once again writing in my journal it is time to reevaluate how I am going to use this journal. I would like to use it as a means of recording progress in my gardening projects... set my monthly goals and tasks.. and then update on how I have managed to complete or tackle those monthly projects. My projects will come from a gardening "to-do" list geared to Colorado gardening and it will also include the personal projects that I would like to accomplish throughout this current cycle or gardening season.

With dirt and love, Kristi