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luvtosharedivs

Working the ground?

luvtosharedivs
16 years ago

Is anyone as crazy as me, out in your gardens or yards working the ground? I went out yesterday to pull weeds from my garden edges while snowflakes were fluttering in my face. (Is that dedication or just plain craziness)? The ground isn't frozen, and with all the moisture in the soil, the weeds come out easily. I can only stay out for 1/2 hour at a time though, because my knees get cold, and fingertips get numb. 40° here yesterday afternoon.

This morning, here's what my daffs & tulip foliage look like:

Comments (9)

  • elvis
    16 years ago

    Yup, I'm working the ground, too. Can't help myself. During the blizzard, though, I stayed inside and played with my greenhouse stuff.

  • Hosta_Haven
    16 years ago

    Me too...spring fever...got it BAD. Hubby & I went out today to dig out some bushes we don't like and move the lava rock (that we also don't like) from the same bed. We want to put in some perennials instead of the current ocean of lava stone.

    I'm going to go back outside in a few minutes and dig some more sod up from under my crabapple tree to make way for the new miniature hosta bed I'm installing next month. Not a bad task to do when it is a little cooler. We are supposed to get snow tonight and tomorrow (maybe up to 5") so I probably won't be doing that tomorrow :o)!

    Elvis, you're so lucky to have greenhouse stuff to play with!

    Char

  • luvtosharedivs
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Elvis, wish I had a greenhouse...maybe when I retire.

    Char, You're right, it's easier to do heavy digging when it's cooler. Sounds like you'll get a lot more snow than us down here in Sturtevant. Weatherman predicts only 1-2" anywhere south of Milwaukee.

    Just came in from digging more dandelions, and like you, I probably won't be able to do that tomorrow.

    Julie

  • elvis
    16 years ago

    Actually ladies, the 'greenhouse' is part of the main house. We needed to do some remodeling, so we took the room in the southwest corner of the house, installed banks of windows along the south and west sides and part of the east side, installed skylights (the kind that automatically close if it rains, unless of course the power is out, LOL. Then it gets REAL interesting in there). We panelled it with whitewashed cedar and put in ceramic tile floor. One end opens to the deck, the other to the living room, and the back wall opens into the master bedroom via French doors. The room is 8' X 14'. Worked out pretty well. The trick is putting in really good windows!

    Constance.

  • Hosta_Haven
    16 years ago

    What a great idea for a remodel! And you don't have to fight the weather to get to your 'greenhouse'. The skylights that open were a good idea for air circulation. In our old house, we had a 5' x 12' sunporch that absolutely "cooked" in the summer. Was great for starting tomatoes though...they got huge by the time the outdoors was ready for them.

    Char

  • elvis
    16 years ago

    Char, I ADORE sunporches! We had one when I was a kid in Chicago in a second story apartment, and we had a sandbox out there--talk about great memories.

    Con.

  • luvtosharedivs
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well Char & Constance,
    We used to live in an old house in Racine w/an enclosed porch that faced East. I used to grow house plants out there, including a huge collection of African Violets (except in the winter).

    Now we live in a remodeled old house in the country with an enclosed front porch, but it faces North (darn!)
    I may talk to DH about adding a sun room on the south side of the house!

    Going out now to see if I can pull more weeds from the edges of my gardens, but I have a bad feeling it's still too muddy - snow is melting from our blizzard.

    Julie

  • Hosta_Haven
    16 years ago

    Julie,

    I was out there raking mulch away from my hostas (the eyes are starting to come up on most!) and it IS too muddy for any digging for sure. I had started digging a new hosta bed under a crabapple a few weeks ago when it was so warm out but haven't been able to complete it since the last snowstorm. For now, I'll have to keep myself busy just doing surface work like raking and picking up twigs and branches from the trees...Irk! There's a LOT of them too!

    Char

  • luvtosharedivs
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Char,
    I understand all too well about the fallen twigs and branches. I had spent two weeks clearing the lawns from the winter windfalls, now after our blizzard this week I have to start all over! We have a couple of Juniper trees that were badly bent from the high winds and heavy snow. One is small enough to tie to a support stake, but the other may need to be tied to a near-by mature Silver Maple. (Don't know if that's a good idea, but if it doesn't work we may have to chop the Juniper down.)

    Waiting for drier garden beds to trek in,

    Julie

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