Projects Ahead?

14 years ago

I was out in the pre-dawn trying to decide where I can store things this winter from the garden and out from under my deck. One project, I hope to get to this fall is a new "front" to the shop. I think this will be a version of a false front, something like from the Old West towns. I'll have to keep it fairly tame tho'. The shop probably sits closer to the neighbor's house than mine and they already have to put up with my board-n-batten bird house for the laying hens.

Another project that really must be finished by next spring is a foundation for a new deck. The deck itself isn't in such bad condition, it's the roof over it that has to go.

I don't want to just pull it apart and build on the pier blocks that it was built on. I'd like a real foundation that could support a future screened porch that a simple deck could be turned into. All I have to do, it seems to me, is build a decent foundation and a good floor and roof over it with everything level and true.

The HUGE problem is my desire to leave the existing deck in place while I put a foundation under it . . . !

"Why don't you build the roof first so that you can work in the shade?" an old fellow once asked me when he found me building a log cabin in the woods a hundred years ago. I remember the fun and work involved in building that cabin. I was a much younger man and lifting logs in place wasn't beyond my capabilities. Putting a roof over my head and building under it, however, has always challenged my builder's imagination. This time tho', I might be working under the floor . . .

The cabin, by the way, still stands and is still used. Okay, it wasn't 100 years ago. I completed it, 32 years ago next month.

What's on your agenda for fall, winter, spring projects??

Steve

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Comments (4)

david52 Zone 6
14 years ago
The big one is re-doing my garden into raised beds. Right now, I have 9 strips of soil, maybe 70 foot long, between 4' wide rolls of weed barrier. I want to pull all this out and put in 4 foot wide beds, trellis down the middle, with 4 foot wide weed barrier paths between.

If I wanted to use treated wood or RR ties, it would cost over $1000 for the former, and over $500 for the later. So I'm going to try to do this with 6 foot wide rolls of weed barrier - 4 ft for the path, and one ft on each side to stabilize the side of the bed.

Big reason is facility of adding organic matter. as it is now, I have to roll up the weed barrier path, spread out the stuff, till it in or leave it over the winter, and then roll back out the path. This way, I can add stuff all year around. Four foot wide paths allow the use of my lawn cart, and gives plenty of sun and air to the beds.

Wish me luck. Step one will be cleaning up the apres-frost mess thats out there now......
treebarb Z5 Denver
14 years ago
Way to go! My list is much less ambitious. I have a small potted Bloodgood Japanese Maple to get in the ground. It's been under an old elm for a month while I debated the pros and cons of that spot. I have muscari and crocus bulbs to plant. I have about 10 lilac seedlings left over from my windbreak project that need to find a winter home.
The bh and I loaded 150 bales of hay into the barn on Saturday, so the horses are set for winter. That job gets a little harder every year. I let my lovely lawn ornaments in the yard to graze on Saturday and when they got bored with the grass they ate 3 of my pumpkins. I was not expecting that!
I have one last flush of tomatoes to pick, will probably do that tomorrow. I had frost on my car windshield Monday morning so the veggie garden is 'bout finished. I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting so I hope other post to remind me!
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Azura
14 years ago
Wow you guys are ambitious, even you Treebarb!
I don't have a lot of outside chores to get done that are within the budget but I'm drooling over the ones mentioned here. If I had a bigger yard I would have more to do. I wish I had the tools and skills to build myself a simple but sturdy arch for my climbing roses but I think its a bit beyond me.
I do need to empty the overflowing compost bin into the veggie gardens but that requires motivating the hubby and THATS the real chore. I also grabbed a trellis from a neighbor's garbage can that just needs a few staples and some stain to be as good as new.
The flagstone patio is still not quite finished so I suppose I could jump on that one too... okay Ive changed my mind, there are plenty of projects around here. Thanks for the reminder!
This week I'm focusing on an indoor chore, painting the stairs and upstairs hallway. The gray-brown stripe that happens to be kid-hand-height is not a decorating scheme I approve of, ughhh.
gjcore
14 years ago
There always seems to be projects...

One is continuing to smother the grass in the front of the house. I'm using mostly newspaper, bricks (temporarily), straw, compost, brewer's grains to kill the evil grass. Eventually a good portion of the front yard will be flower beds.

There's also the neglected side yard that had been nothing but some weeds until a few months ago. I started clearing the weeds and have a bunch of sunflowers planted now to help breakup and aerate the soil there. It still needs alot of help over there. I guess I'll smother what's left of the weeds and start adding soil amendments soon. I'll probably have to add some sort of irrigation there for next year.

Which brings up somethings to change in the sprinkler systems in the vegetable garden area.

Other than that a few things to plant such as garlic and onions.

I'm sure there are other things that I should be doing such as leveling some of the pavers on the patio, painting the house, cleaning the swamp cooler...