4:45 AM; still very warm here ..... and dry.
Yesterday was not a very productive day. After building up a real sweat standing in the early morning sun loading 24 feet of string on the trimmer, I was ready to quit. I did force myself to trim all around the well house (it was about a foot tall) and the milk barn and some here and there spots. The next time I load the trimmer, I will do it manually instead of using the jokingly called 'self-load' feature.
There are a few spots in the yard that are worrisome to me and I want to do more or change some things.
This first is the HB bed that should be renamed because most of the red flowers are no more. There are two seedling trees growing in the bed. The one you can barely see is a sassafras tree, a gift from the birds. I love the tree and do want to keep it. The other one or two (may just be a multiple trunk) is one of the numerous kolreuteria paniculata (Golden Rain Tree) seedlings. I also like this tree but it does reseed with a vengeance everywhere from the tiny little lanterns. Dirr also likes it. It also may be too close to the sassafras tree.
Yesterday was not a very productive day. After building up a real sweat standing in the early morning sun loading 24 feet of string on the trimmer, I was ready to quit. I did force myself to trim all around the well house (it was about a foot tall) and the milk barn and some here and there spots. The next time I load the trimmer, I will do it manually instead of using the jokingly called 'self-load' feature.
There are a few spots in the yard that are worrisome to me and I want to do more or change some things.
This first is the HB bed that should be renamed because most of the red flowers are no more. There are two seedling trees growing in the bed. The one you can barely see is a sassafras tree, a gift from the birds. I love the tree and do want to keep it. The other one or two (may just be a multiple trunk) is one of the numerous kolreuteria paniculata (Golden Rain Tree) seedlings. I also like this tree but it does reseed with a vengeance everywhere from the tiny little lanterns. Dirr also likes it. It also may be too close to the sassafras tree.
I guess it is true that a garden, or yard, is never finished. Every time I go out I see new things to downsize, move, trim, etc. I am always looking for ways to downsize, but find I don't want to get rid of much. The best time for me to do it is in early spring when all the winter weeds are going great guns and I feel overwhelmed-I am ready to downsize then-not so much when I get it all cleaned up! :>)
ReplyDelete!
Bev, that's me exactly. I think the worst for me are the iris! The former owners planted what I think is brome on the cellar and the seeds blow everywhere. Once they get in the iris it is over!
DeleteSometimes I think I will just start mowing the iris down.
My 2 sassafras trees are almost 70 feet tall. You might do best with just the rain tree near the house like that. And as the sassafras got older, their limbs are brittle and break off under ice or heavy winds. And talk about reseeding! But I do like the little mitten leaves and smell.
ReplyDeleteNow you have me worried.....this tree is way too close to the house for that size. Maybe I should wait for winter dormancy and move it this year!
DeleteMy only sassafras tree is so tall that I can't get to the new leaves, which I badly want to do so I can make my own pure file (how do you put that little French accent mark on the e?) from the young leaves. I'm also cleaning out an overabundance of iris planted by the previous owner and planning new beds for the excess. Wish I had your eye for creating a new bed, though.
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to make the file but forget. I did find a good website about it.
Deletehttp://generalhorticulture.tamu.edu/prof/recipes/file-sassafras/file.html
I don't know how to do that little accent mark either.
When you finish cleaning your iris out, let me know and I will send directions to my house!
We've lived here over 20 years and I don't think we'll ever get the yard the way we'd like it. We're looking now for someone to haul in some good soil to put in our garden spot, well part of our garden, so we can hopefully have at least some cukes and squash. We have a small tomato garden near the house. The flowers are slowing evolving. I want to put in another bed or two. The row of peonies didn't get cleaned out like I wanted. We have some dying spruce trees to cut down and we're wondering what to put there. They have been good for privacy since we live on a busy highway, now we need to figure out something else.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice week!
My 6 peonies are about the only things not smothered in weeds right now. I have lots of promising buds.
DeleteWe had the same issue with loosing our screening large trees along the front road and we sit very close to it. That is why I have started the shrub/tree border about midway between the house and the trees. We haven't had them all removed yet but an arborist told me to get some things going that all the trees had hollow centers and would have to go at some point.
You really have to work hard to stay ahead of Mother Nature, don't you? It always amazes me the struggle it is to plant and propagate what YOU want in the yard/garden, but if you turn your back on it there will be invasive species, trees ten feet tall and noxious weeds taking over the place. Why do they have no trouble growing without any care or attention??
ReplyDeleteHow true! I have seedlings of ash trees, redbuds, elm trees and three kinds of maples everywhere I look. This seems to be a really good year for maple seeds. It looked like it was snowing out yesterday from all the seeds whirling down.
DeleteI love your gardens, Glenda! You care for each with such vigor...:)JP
ReplyDeleteI wish I had your eye for beds, Glenda. I am not sure what to do here with my front beds.
ReplyDeleteGlenda, I have a question also about raw milk. What temp do you pasturize your milk at? I have some coming for yogurt and cream also. Do you pasturize the cream also at the same temp?
Have a wonderful week.
I never pasteurize my own raw milk for general use, like cooking, drinking or making butter.
DeleteI follow directions for making cheese (only cottage and mozzarella at this point)and yogurt. My directions for yogurt says to heat to 185°. I feel like this is just to kill off any bacteria that would work against the cheese culture.
I never heat the cream for making butter.
If you are concerned about the place you are getting the milk from then I would just do the regular pasteurization.
Thanks, Glenda. We'll do.
Delete