Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Gardening Today with Husband

Well the rain has finally stopped and today it is sunny so have been gardening with my husband. This morning we had our coffee on the patio and discussed the garden jobs that we would like to accomplish for the day.

The first thing on our list was to use the grass trimmer around the paver edging and the patios. Husband bought me a ryobi 18V lithium  battery operated trimmer which I like BUT the battery does not give me enough power so I have the option to also plug it into the electric outlet and this is what I do for the tough jobs.  So I worked on trimming and edging around the gardens and husband trimmed the over growth branches on the trees and also trimmed the flowering shrubs after they bloomed.

Many dead branches were removed.  The Earthwise chainsaw on the pole came in handy when husband had to go on the roof to cut back the mimosa branches that were growing too close to the house..

I enjoyed working in the yard today with my husband because we got a lot of work accomplished.  At dusk after we put away all of the yard and garden tools we sat on the patio and drank a cold beer.  Looking out at the yard, know that it is starting to look manicured.

Here are a few photographs of my yard and gardens:



Tomorrow is another day and I intend to tackle the backside of my checklist.  Trim and edge the path in the meadow.  For that job I will have to dress for snakes, ticks, spiders and other garden pests.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Self Propelled All-Wheel Drive Lawn Mower Cuts Lawn FAST




My husband has been working a lot, long hours and on his day off so I thought I would help him out by cutting the lawn with his NEW Husquvarna self propelled all-wheel drive lawn mower.



I called him at work to see if this was okay with him because his particular about his things. When I asked him he laughed and said ”are you sure you want to use my self propelled lawn mower?” I replied “yes” and my husband laughed. Then he told me to hold the bar down lift up the front tires and pull the cord.

So I got dressed and put on my sneakers because I figured cutting the lawn would be a workout. Little did I know that I would be holding on and running behind the lawn mower.

The product summary stated that this self propelled lawn mower was outstanding, dependable with smooth operation, which sounds good.  What I did not read and my husband omitted from telling me that there was a speed control, Yes I learned the hard way that cutting the lawn was comfortable only when you adjust the speed.


Let me tell you, it was set at 4 mph and I was running around the lawn and holding onto the lawn mower. I was certain if I left go that the mower would go off on it's own and crash into a tree or the side of the house. Cutting the lawn was certainly a workout and I am glad I wore my running sneakers.  The lawn was cut in a matter of minutes, this lawn mower is FAST.

If you are interested in learning more about the lawn mower then know that it is the Husqvarna Self-Propelled All-Wheel Drive 3-in-1 and husband bought it at Lowes.com and then picked it up at the store.  Husband said his lawn mower has a Honda engine.  So I think that this is a quality mower, that will last many years and has the capabilities to provide you with a great workout and cut your grass FAST.


Friday, June 19, 2015

Armadillos Dug Up Rose Garden

I learned about armadillos when a mother decided to bring her babies into my yard and dig up my lawn and rose gardens. They were foraging in grubs and other soil insects in my yard and gardens. 

Know that after the armadillos had a field day with my rose bushes my mind was made up and they were not welcomed into my yard.  





I didn't know how to get rid of them so I contacted animal control and they directed me to the wildlife conversations office. There they had me take a class on trapping armadillos and said they would assist me in relocating the armadillos after they were trapped.

What I learned is that they have bad eyesight and that I would need to herd them into the trap with boards. I was fearful of doing this because it was a mother and naturally she would want to protect her babies. 

To remedy my problem with the armadillo's husband said he would put up a fence so I could wave goodbye to the armadillos.  

If you have this lawn and garden pest in your yard, trapping is one way to get rid of them, but a fence is an easy way to keep them out. Know that my brother did trap armadillos in his yard, and he said that three of his buddies helped him.



If you want to get rid of the armadillo by trapping then buy a live animal trap to catch and release.  I found some reasonably priced traps at Walmart.com and Lowes.com or you can contact your city's animal control and they may have an animal trap that you can borrow.  

Here is a video that will show you how to set up a trap for an armadillo, using the boards.  Know that my brother and his buddies did herd the pest into the trapping area. He told me that the armadillo tends to go where it wants.  




Other pest control posts by Sgolis



- See more at: http://yardandgardensecrets.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html#sthash.Z45t4ZEI.dpuf

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Word of Mouth Garden Job




 I have been working on my gardens for the last 7 days.  Know that my yard and garden represents my skills and if I am to get jobs in the neighborhood then my yard and gardens better be near perfect.     

My yard and gardens are not formal because every plant that I grow is to benefit wildlife.  The only way to describe my yard and garden is to say that it is a sensory garden with fragrant flowers, wind chimes and water features.  Plus there is an original (came with the house) American Indian sculpture and cement sculptures that I have made scattered throughout the garden.
Upper-level garden; patio and sandstone walkway

My gardens take up a half acre of land and they are a sight to behold especially when in full bloom. There are three levels of gardens plus paths and garden nooks then a meadow that has a path that goes around it where you can view the pretty flowers, stop to watch the birds at the feeders, sit on the garden bench and read from your Kindle or sleep on the hammock. The meadow is an area that I created for neighborhood children to learn more about flowers and nature.  
Lower level garden by grass garden

This week the bee balm, Asiatic and daylilies are in bloom as well as the roses, black-eyed Susan's red clover, catmint, and coneflowers.  So if you walk down the alley you can look down into my yard and see my pretty gardens. 
Stella de Oro lilies and Black Eyed Susan's in bloom

To make a long story short, people from the neighborhood were walking down my alley to get to the nature trails and a man stopped to look at my yard and gardens.  He came into my yard and took the path that winds around my pond,
Garden path to brick patio and grass garden

I went out to talk to him and we had a nice chat, he told me his daughter just bought a home in Branson, MO and she needed help with planning her landscape and asked if I did this sort of thing.



I gave him my business card and that is how word of mouth got me my next digital garden job.

 




Sunday, June 7, 2015

Gardening at Dawn

Now that the rainy season has finally come to an end the days have gotten hot and muggy which makes gardening uncomfortable so I have been getting up at dawn to work in my yard and gardens.
Lily garden by garden path that was designed by Sgolis
Cleaning up garden paths and doing hand pulling of weeds in flower gardens
I find I can get a lot of things accomplished as long as I do not violate the noise ordnance I am in good shape.  So today I started working on my checklist. The first thing was to remove the maple tree seedlings.  This is my biggest project; pulling out the maple tree seedlings when there must be thousands growing in my lawn and gardens.
Maple tree seed.  these fall from the trees in the spring and the seed grows FAST


This year I set 30 seedlings aside because I thought I would transplant them into pots and grow them in a sunny location. Then when they get to be approximately 16 to 18 inches I would like to donate them to families in my community that are in need.  

Many residents lost their homes due to a tornado that touched down in our city.  Families have moved into their new homes but all of the trees are gone.  I bet they would be thrilled to get a maple tree for their yard.

So I am up at dawn gardening but also transplanting the maple seedlings into pots.


Know that I am hydrating the seedlings in a shallow pan of tepid water before transplanting them into 1/2 gallon milk containers that have been recycled to be planters. 


The maple trees will be grown in organic soil and will be fertilized with my homemade compost.  Then water until it drains out of the bottom.  I intend to grow the maple trees in a sunny location and will continue to watch them for hydration.

So gardening at dawn was good, I worked on removing the seedlings and also set up the soaker hose and timer that I bought at Walmart.com.  Now I do not have to worry about watering my gardens in the morning.

Autumn Maple Tree Sticker Stickers


Learn more about planting maple trees by reading my post here

Friday, May 29, 2015

Another Day of Rain: Yard Cleanup will Take a Week

The weather forecast called for sun today and I cleared my schedule so I could go outdoors and start pulling the weeds from my garden beds.  The entire yard is saturated with rain water and there are standing puddles and mud everywhere.  When I look at my yard I do get overwhelmed because clean up will take at least a week.
Rain Rain go away, come again some other day

Rain has made the gross grow FAST.  Need to mow the lawn

Need at least a week to manicure the lawn and gardens.  Too much rain made weeds grow FAST

The only thing I accomplished today was pulling out my rotted vegetables from the organic raised garden bed.  Too much rain, flash flooding and when the soil is saturated with water the veggies will not grow.   To do this garden task really  made me sick because we grow our own food.

I started to clean up the garden mess when the dark clouds rolled in, then heard the lightening in the distance and knew it would be another day of rain.  Hoping that tomorrow will bring sunshine and that I can work in the yard and gardens for several hours.

Before I go, I wanted to share with you all a new organic weed killer that I picked up to kill the weeds between my stepping stones.  The product name is Avenger weed killer and it is available in concentrate or ready to use.

I prefer the ready to use 1 gallon size.  This formula in non toxic and is safe to use around your flowers.   Know that if you plan on killing weeds do not use this product on a cloudy day or when the ground is wet.  For best results use this weed killer on a hot and sunny day.  The heat from the sun will activate the formula and the weeds will turn brown in a couple of hours.

Avenger weed killer does work and it is great for controlling weed growth between sidewalk, garden path and where hand-pull is not easy.  You can find and buy this non toxic product at most home and garden centers including Lowes.com  Homedepot.com  and Walmart.com

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Spring Rain Makes Flowers and Weeds Grow FAST

April showers are welcoming to any gardener but when it rains too much then it creates a horrible mess. During the month of May we had horrific rain storms every single day which left standing water and a whole lot of mud in my yard.

The back lily garden has grown in too thick, It must be thinned out. 


My home is on a hill so my neighbors new top soil traveled down his yard and is now backs up against my river rock wall and some top soil backed up onto my patio.

Yes I need to clean up a muddy mess plus cut the grass, trim all the new brush that has grown in and weed the gardens again. I like to have all this yard work completed before June but all the rain sure did make a mess out of my yard.


Today was first day of part sun but not enough to dry out the grass or to evaporate the standing water in my yard so hopefully by the weekend I can address my yard and garden issues and get it cleaned up and looking presentable and not like a jungle.  

When the weeds are all hand pulled in the gardens I will treat them with weed preventer Preen

Friday, May 15, 2015

Transplanting Liriope Lilyturf Groundcover

The April shower continued through May and now my low growing groundcover has become invasive and needs to be divided and transplanted.



I grow three groundcovers in my yard; Baltic ivy, Vinca flowering vine and Liriope  lilyturf which is a low growing grass like plant that flowers in the fall.  

Know that in late winter I did trim back the liriope but the spring rain made it grow in twice the size that it was before and now husband says we need to thin it out and shape it before it takes over the entire front yard.  I agreed and added this garden project to my list of things to do.

The best time to tackle this garden project would be on a cloudy day. Today was cloudy so I started to thin out the liriope with my spade. I selected large clumps and dug them up. Then dividing the clumps and transplanting to grow around my mature oak tree. (the photo you see above was taken in the fall when the flowers were blooming) 

I was able to remove six feet of the plants before calling it a day. The mosquitos were very bad, and my repellent did not seem to keep them away. Even the citronella fire torch did not keep the biting bugs away so I called it a day and went inside.

Know that my groundcover garden does not look thinned out but I think that when I remove several more plant clumps that it will look better.  I plan to get up early tomorrow morning and work on this project before it rains in the afternoon.

View this youtube.com video to learn more about dividing and transplanting liriope.


If you are interested in growing liriope in your garden then I would recommend that you ask your friends if they are transplanting and if they can spare to give you some plants.  Otherwise you can buy groundcover plants at any of the following online stores.

eBay.com
greenwoodnusrsery.com
gardenerdirect.com
ckassygroundcovers.com

Monday, May 4, 2015

Earthwise Chainsaw with Pole Product Review

A few months ago I was shopping at HSN.com and came across a lightweight chainsaw that came with a pole.  I watched the product video that featured a women using the  chainsaw and thought I can cut back dead tree limbs and overgrown shrubs if she can.  So I ordered this chainsaw and let me tell you I love it.

I no longer have to ask my husband trim this branch or cut down the overgrown shrub that is blocking the sunlight.  I get out my 8  inch Earthwise 6.5 amp 2 in 1 chainsaw and get the job done.

Today there was a serviceberry tree growing next to my lily garden and it was blocking the light so I cut down this 11 foot tree in a matter of minutes.  Know that I was a gardener that was  pleased with herself, for doing the project herself and not asking my husband to cut the tree back.

I think this earthwise chainsaw is a must have for gardener, landscaper or homeowner.  It is so easy to use, you plug it into a outdoor two prong extension cord and then press a button.  No more smelly gas fumes, is good for your health and environment.

Here is a video that will show you how easy this chainsaw is to put together and use.   Know that my husband will grab my Earthwise chainsaw first before he grabs his.  He says it is so easy to use, plus light as a feather.

Here is the video from HSN.com that sold me on this small chainsaw.  It is perfect for the women who likes to  take care of yard and garden.




Saturday, April 18, 2015

Garden Ideas for Small Yard



A friend of mine contacted me for assistance in creating a garden in her small yard. She lives in a townhouse and her backyard is very small and not private. If she put up a privacy fence then all she would need would be two panels on the sides and I thought she might feel closed in so I suggested that she invest in a lovely grass garden instead and create a private garden in her small yard.

The ornamental grass garden would add privacy and movement to her landscape plus the flower plumes are pretty. A grass garden is pretty summer through winter and is easy to care for too.

Along with the grass garden, I suggested planting some low growing daylilies and garden decorations; birdbath, outdoor bench, wind chimes and window box planted with colorful coleus plants.

Here is the digital set that I created for my friend. This set was used to show my friend how a few ornamental grasses can transform her yard and create a comfortable resting area where she could read a book or sip a cup of herbal tea.




When it comes to creating an ornamental grass garden I always choose tall grasses and then taper downward, ending with low growing border grass.

I recommend buying ornamental grasses at greenwoodnursery.com. This online nursery has a good selection of grass. My favorites are;


  1. Karley Rose Grass; Features dark green foliage pretty rose color flower plume
  2. white or pink pampas grass for showy flower plumes
  3. Add contrast to the ornamental grass garden with Red Rooster Carex grass.
  4. Accent the grass garden with low growing Elijah blue fescue grass with blue foliage or Lirope/ lilyturf with its dark green leaves and purple flowers in the fall. Both are low growing in a mound and will make the grass garden look eye appealing.