2017 Gardens

As a side note, I went to a battery powered weed eater after always having to fiddle with the 2-cycle gas/oil one I had. This was like 10 years ago. The gas model is still hanging in my garage and needs to be gone. The evolution was first a corded electric weedeater (smaller yard then). Second a gas powered one (much bigger yard). Third and fourth... battery powered.

I think I am going Luddite. On a big property in life past, perhaps spending 6 hours a session with a gas trimmer motor harnessed over my right shoulder and with ear protection clamped on my head, sitting prey for horseflies and with dust-filled nostrils in the dead heat of August ... did me in for gas engines. But especially for big grass. Not for welcoming green and lovely, useful lawns - may I add.

My evolution is similar to going from gas to electric cord ... but as annoying as trailing 100 ft of cord is, and as likely it is that the mower will run over it's power supply to a bad end - I have not gone to battery operated. I have gone to "me" operated.

Last summer I picked up a manual reel mower strictly for the patio grass. Sod and seeded relentlessly in hope of having one tiny piece of neat, green space surrounding the patio stones. Hey, I call it dog free, but lets get honest here - it is dog pee free :eek:

Also, I replaced my electric (corded) trimmer with a long handled manual trimmer and it does the job probably in shorter time that man-handling an electric cord to do the job.

My new tools are also - can I say it out loud? Silent like electric ... and physical.

I told you I was getting older! You'll have to speak up :D
 
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Spent a little more time and money in the yard today. Got the tomato plants in.[--
 
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Well, the first three of the pics are in so far and I love that you (and your wife, as well, if I remember correctly from past posts) give great root space in your containers. Sometimes I feel like I am liberating beautiful plants that are offered at just the time that they bloom and become root bound in their greenhouse pots. It is the way of marketing. People who pay attention like you do, get the best from plants in letting them have room to grow and it sure shows. I will patiently await the pics to follow at the will of dialup ;)
 
I think I am going Ludite.
My next door neighbor was all about being luddite. Then in the last couple of years I see a gas powered blower appear as well as a corded hedge type trimmer. As he said... hey, I'm getting old.... I seldom need a blower although I have a powerful corded one as well as a battery operated one. I don't believe in doing things like many people with a large leaf drop of blowing them into piles. I just grind them up with my mulching mower. You just can't wait until they are 6 inches deep to do it.

But I do blow off the leaves from my deck with the blower.
 
This year, likely because of steady rainfall, the leaves have not just dried up and blown away as they have springs past. Normally I just start mowing and poof they are gone. I let them stay where they mulch the weeds and under the trees where they are handy for adding to the composter ... and only have had to rake them into the ravine from a few necessary areas. The long laneway still looks a little unkempt with all the leaves but I can live with that as long as the yard is kept up.

So much rain here - lots of the seeds planted are poking up now. Makes every morning kind of surprising. Last summer was so hot and dry that the scarlet runner pole beans just couldn't manage enough foliage to cover the shop windows where they are planted to provide shade. I think it was the heat off the concrete block in the full day sun that stifled them. They will be poking through shortly in their pots under the window.

The blackflies and mosquitoes are HUNGRY :eek: Today will be another day for industrial strength repellant.
 
The heck with going Luddite, what I'm looking at is a robo mower for the lawn. I saw my first one in Prague 6 years ago, and been getting more interested in my own as time marches on. Prices are dropping and they look to be a good solution for me.
fizNYu6.jpg

I just got back from a couple weeks in Alaska and (of course) it seems that we've been almost that long without rain (first time since last August). Grass is over a foot high in places and the Rhoadies are wilting.
 
Well, the first three of the pics are in so far and I love that you (and your wife, as well, if I remember correctly from past posts) give great root space in your containers. Sometimes I feel like I am liberating beautiful plants that are offered at just the time that they bloom and become root bound in their greenhouse pots. It is the way of marketing. People who pay attention like you do, get the best from plants in letting them have room to grow and it sure shows. I will patiently await the pics to follow at the will of dialup ;)

Thanks taldesta taldesta . My wife thanks you for the compliments as well.

My son and daughter-in-law came over yesterday and we ended up going to the minor league baseball game and fireworks last night so the front didn't get done until today.

IMG_2714.JPG IMG_2715.JPG

We usually don't do Marigolds but we want to try re-seeding our own for next year.

Mixed in there are red and white Astilbe, Lavender, Mums, Pink Indian Feather and some green fountain grass that is struggling to get through its own remains from last season. On the side of the house is Hostas and day lillies.
 
Thanks taldesta taldesta . My wife thanks you for the compliments as well.

My son and daughter-in-law came over yesterday and we ended up going to the minor league baseball game and fireworks last night so the front didn't get done until today.

View attachment 714209 View attachment 714210

We usually don't do Marigolds but we want to try re-seeding our own for next year.

Mixed in there are red and white Astilbe, Lavender, Mums, Pink Indian Feather and some green fountain grass that is struggling to get through its own remains from last season. On the side of the house is Hostas and day lillies.
Nice!
 
Thank's Rich. When we finished that, Mrs. Rupe let me wash her car then take her grocery shopping.

It's been a long three days. I'm whupped. :p
 
So put down the weed guard and planted the garden with the girls today.
We have
Sweet banana peppers
Jalapeños
Habanero
Hot banana peppers
Carolina reapers
Ghost peppers
Swiss chard
Broccoli
Kale
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Big boy tomatos
Cherry tomatos
Pear tomatos
Roma tomatos
And dill for our pickling
[URL=http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/gonebad395/media/2017%20garden/827C754A-35FD-48D6-9A1D-B7403DB9E251_zpsuq8qmskn.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/gonebad395/media/2017%20garden/2657A425-8B10-41DD-B63A-801F4324ECC9_zpsi5uiuvpa.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/gonebad395/media/2017%20garden/82A7B8BD-E908-4340-A2FF-16E443233E7D_zpsm6xjufnw.jpg.html][/URL]
 
Wow! Great team of co-growers :thumbsup: there to help with the planting ... and the work to come ;). I really like the weed guard too. You have one heck of a variety there and should have a great harvest from that size garden.
 
The heck with going Luddite, what I'm looking at is a robo mower for the lawn. I saw my first one in Prague 6 years ago, and been getting more interested in my own as time marches on. Prices are dropping and they look to be a good solution for me.
fizNYu6.jpg

I just got back from a couple weeks in Alaska and (of course) it seems that we've been almost that long without rain (first time since last August). Grass is over a foot high in places and the Rhoadies are wilting.

Your lawns always look so beautiful and well tended ... but I can imagine them after a couple of weeks on their own in spring time.

The robo mower could be mistaken here for a snapping turtle on wheels :D ... but actually is very interesting.
 
So put down the weed guard and planted the garden with the girls today.
We have
Sweet banana peppers
Jalapeños
Habanero
Hot banana peppers
Carolina reapers
Ghost peppers
Swiss chard
Broccoli
Kale
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Big boy tomatos
Cherry tomatos
Pear tomatos
Roma tomatos
And dill for our pickling




Nice !
 
Legion you still in the area I'll drop some peppers out to ya when they are ready.
Keith how are you and you'rs my friend ? I have moved out of the city I live in Burbank now 5 minutes away from my work.
 
Great man and that must be nice with a 5 min commute. We are all fine that still isn't far will let ya know when the peppers are in
Keith how are you and you'rs my friend ? I have moved out of the city I live in Burbank now 5 minutes away from my work.
 
Your lawns always look so beautiful and well tended ... but I can imagine them after a couple of weeks on their own in spring time.

The robo mower could be mistaken here for a snapping turtle on wheels :D ... but actually is very interesting.
I agree on the well tended statement. I had to swerve around a large snapping crossing the highway yesterday. I noticed that other folks were doing the same thing. On my return trip, he apparently made it across the highway. I can only imagine my robo lawn mower cruising down the street in search of grass to mow. Feed me! :D

Gonebad; I think it's great that your kids were willing to help with the garden planting. It is great training for kids. Hopefully they will want a garden of their own later in life. The weed guard thing.... I don't think I would do that as they restrict water movement (rain) into the soil somewhat. I have a gravel parking area sort of boat sized along the edge of my house. Eventually I'll probably pour concrete, but it isn't a priority. Anyway, the weed guard material underlies the gravel. Spent many an hour however weeding the big garden I grew up with. I was always the guy who made the rows with a hoe for corn and so forth because I made very straight rows. This is on what we called "the patch" and the rows were probably in the 75 yd kind of length thing. The patch was for big stuff like potatoes, corn, and my Dad always put out about 100 tomato plants as we canned. That was always a big late summer/early fall activity with bushels and bushels of tomatoes being picked and carried to the house for canning.
 
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