Spring is Coming!

Spring is Coming!

So...I have no plan for this growing season!

If I see berry plants at the store this year I will by a few and just drop them in the yard some place.

I also need to work on my landscaping and drainage around the house. There are a few big cracks in our foundation caused by a tree right next to the house that was cut down before we moved in. This 60 year old house has all the dirt settling around it and now all the rain water flows to the house not away.

When the grading is done the platforms for rain collection barrels can be installed. Although, I really don't think I will get this far this year.

We have some other drainage issues around the yard that may need fixing also in addition to the creation of a second parking stall for my truck.

I love the idea of raised beds but along with that I want plants that will grow every year with very little tending or replanting. I have heard a bit about "Survival Gardens".

Survival Gardens seem to be from the prepper community as a way to have a secret garden in plane sight. Why can't the average person with a yard do a similar thing? I'm not necessarily looking to make it secret but maintenance free would be great!

I'm going to order this book to get me started!




Have a great day!
Ian

2015 Berry Bush Plans

This spring before I got sick I did manage to do one thing in the yard and that is move a "wild" Raspberry bush. This Raspberry bush was way in the back of the yard next to the ally way were the garbage is put behind the garage. The bush was amazing for the 2012 and 2013 growing seasons but we didn't get to pick from it very much because it was forgotten at it's old location.

I had to chip away at the concrete and asphalt to dig it up. The ally is to the left and I'm standing on the end of the drive way. The garbage goes right on that concrete just on the right side in this picture so it's not very pleasing to pick here.

Then I picked a nice spot on the front side of the garage in the main back yard. You can see the back of the house in this picture below.

To go along with the moved Raspberry bush we plan to plant a few more varieties of barry bushes in the back yard. Basically we want it overgrown with berry bushes so we don't have that much useless lawn to cut. Bellow are a few berry bushes they had at the local Home Depot that we may get for next spring.

Blackberry plants at the Home Depot

Blueberry plants at the Home Depot

Red Raspberry plants at the Home Depot

Yellow Raspberry plants at the Home Depot

 With luck these new additions will all give berries at slightly different times of the year so we can have berries more often.

Have a great day!
Ian

Over Grown Garden Invaded!

Since I was so sick this summer and spent some time in the hospital I didn't get a chance to keep up with my plans for yard work and expanding the garden. This fall just before it got really cold in early November our back garden area was invaded!

A stray orange and white cat was found sun bathing in the tall grass and on the pallets I plan to use for my compost bin.

Now that the snow is on the ground we can see his tracks criss crossing our back yard just about 20 feet to the right of these pictures.

Below is a picture of how that garden area should look when the weeds are cut! This is from the opposite side of the yard in this perspective I was standing on the left behind the pallet pile (the drive way) and the stray cat was on the far right next to the fence.

Have a great day!
Ian