Water is the word of the week!

So these days, having a lush green yard is pretty much outdated and old fashioned, and just not the smartest use of space. That said, no one wants a big brown patch of dead, or an acre of concrete. There’s a new way of landscaping that’s starting to catch on outside desert areas, it’s called xeriscaping. I know it had a rap as being nothing but cactus for a while, but really it’s all about using native plants in their native environment. Those gorgeous blooming miles of highway divider on the way to Dahlonega? That’s xeriscaping. Yep. Amazing, eh?

from EarthEasy:
Benefits

Saves Water. For most of North America, over 50% of residential water used is applied to landscape and lawns. Xeriscape can reduce landscape water use by 50 - 75%.

Less Maintenance. Aside from occasional pruning and weeding, maintenance is minimal. Watering requirements are low, and can be met with simple irrigation systems.

No Fertilizers or Pesticides. Using plants native to your area will eliminate the need for chemical supplements. Sufficient nutrients are provided by healthy organic soil.

Improves Property Value. A good Xeriscape can raise property values which more than offset the cost of installation. Protect your landscaping investment by drought-proofing it.

Pollution Free. Fossil fuel consumption from gas mowers is minimized or eliminated with minimal turf areas. Small turf areas can be maintained with a reel mower.

Provides Wildlife Habitat. Use of native plants, shrubs and trees offer a familiar and varied habitat for local wildlife.

Less work AND more benefit? sign me up!

Here are some other amazing examples.

How cool would it be to have a front yard like one of these? Wayne and I are plotting ours out for next spring, I can’t wait for the beds of yummy smelling rosemary and lavender. Another plus is going to be never again having to buy herbs for cooking.

Here are a couple links to learn more about xeriscaping in your area:

http://eartheasy.com/grow_xeriscape.htm
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B1073.htm

 

In The Yard

I rounded the corner behind the garage today and found 3 new showy blooms on my rosebush. I should really replant this bush over somewhere I can enjoy it.

Three wise men came to visit:

and stayed for tea

 

Nurturing Mother Nature

When we first decided to buy and renovate this house, one of my top priorities was going to be making the renovation as green as possible. I had visions of solar roof tiles, rain barrels, greywater recovery systems, recycled glass kitchen and bathroom tiles…
And then I really looked around at how difficult it could be to find these things, and how out-of-reach many of them were pricewise for the average person. Thankfully, I found sites like The Victory Garden and NoImpact Man and the 90% Project for continued tips on how to make a difference, even if I couldn’t do the really big things just yet.

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On that note, my friend Becky and I were talking about clothing and sweatshops and other consequences of our material world. Becky pointed me to a PBS Documentary called China Blue about conditions in the factories that make our clothes. Almost in the same breath, we lamented how difficult it was to try and live in a world where one is expected to dress and makeup like a magazine page, and where the tempations of “fast fashion” like H&M and Forever21 are veryvery real.

Then, this morning I read the blog of a long-time online acquaintance to find she started up a new site called the GreenGirlGuide where she and her partners talk about these very problems of fashion and beauty products and showcase people trying to make a difference and give people a more socially-conscious alternative.

Green Girl Guide™ showcases companies that regularly make conscious choices in a realistic way. Just as we can’t eat organic all the time and love mineral makeup but won’t part with our waterproof (and probably mildly toxic) mascara, the Green Girls are about calling out companies that make socially and environmentally conscious choices and share the belief that small, individual actions can add up to big change.

Well now, what perfect timing! I hope lots of people regularly tune into the GreenGirl blog, as I know I will. Sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to change your habits, but I think these girls are going to make it a teeny bit easier.

 

The weekend, in pictures, May edition

I realize that most of you won’t really care about the fact that my veggies are sprouting, because that’s exactly what veggies are supposed to do, BUT given that we had that 3-day totally unexpected freeze right after I planted them, I am certainly happy to see little green sprouts and buds.

here are my tomatoes, hot peppers and beans, in all their baby-vegetble glory:

mmmmmmmmm…. salad!

Yesterday I also spent a little time outside installing some new solar lights, and continuing the work on the disaster that is the backyard. I got a few pavers put down. One day, there will be a path all the way to the deck, but for now Lurch is just happy he has less gravel to walk on:

 

bye bye flowers

This is what my yard looks like right now. See, spring sprang last week, it was 85 last weekend.

Say good bye to it all, as it’s going to be 29 here tonight. I guess I’ll go cut some and bring them indoors to enjoy them. No point in letting them all die.

Thanks Mother Nature. =(

 

Dreaming of Pie

Despite all the headaches with renovating this house, there are a couple of things that we lucked into that make me unbelievably happy. This tree is one of them; those pretty blossoms will become this by summer:

And where there are apples, there is pie.
*salivates*

 

is it monday yet?

Last week, my husband took a few days off so we could get some projects done around the house. We now have a shiny new light and fan in the bathroom, as well as a whole lot of new wiring. It’s amazing, every time we re-do a circuit, all the lights get brighter! (Actually, that’s really scary for the parts we haven’t gotten to yet. eep!)
Anyway, while he was in the attic battling the insulation monster, I was out working in the yard. Two of the lots surrounding us are full of wisteria-gone-wild, and it had climbed unchecked into the trees, choking them. I spent a whole day on one side cutting it down, but there were still some really thick vines that W had to go after with a saws-all. By the end of the weekend, we’d both inhaled so many allergens we were quite the sneezy pair, but the yard looks so much better.

Speaking of allergens, not much is more pathetic than a sneezing kitty. Our two black cats are green from romping out in the pollen, but this poor wheezy guy has decided to crash inside until the trees stop dumping on him.

We’re trying to see just how green Clyde will get before it rains.

I finally found some string bean starts, and they’ve gotten so big in just a week. The other pot is from the old section of garden. Some time in the past, the former lady of the house grew mint. That part of the yard is now too shady for much to grow in, thanks to a very stately old oak tree, but the mint had remained. I took out the garden border and pulled up most of the vegetation, but I saved these bits of mint and replanted them in a pot. Oh there will be mojitos on the deck very soon!

It was also time to rehang the mosquito netting around the deck, and time to finally start building that firepit I’ve been wanting. The firepit needs some cosmetic work, and I need to finish laying the pavers around it, but we had an inaugural burn Sunday night. It worked!

The last bit of housework involved a trip to Ikea, since the kitchen island I’d had my eye on was on clearance. I put it together and stained the bottom parts, and I love it! I need to get some hooks and a towel bar for the sides, but I’m so happy to have it.

 

last weekend of winter

It got cold again this weekend, so while I wanted to spend yesterday with a shovel in my hand, I settled for a mop and a fit of spring cleaning instead.

(dorky side note - Is anyone else completely amazed by those microfiber cleaning cloth thingies? I didn’t believe they would actually work, I mean how on earth do they work? But they do! It’s a mystery!)

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After Wayne’s racing event was over, there was a bonfire at a friend’s house in Kirkwood. I came home again smelling like smoke, but wood-fire smoke smells a heck of a lot better than bar smoke.

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Today it has warmed up a tiny bit, so are a few pix of the fledgling garden:

These will hopefully bear large purple seedless grapes this summer. They’re planted next to the stairs leading into the lower half of the yard. When they get big enough, I hope to (get Wayne to) build a trellis over the stairs for them to cover. In the meantime, I need to get some mulch.

The tomatoes I planted last week are starting to flower!!! These are the “Patio” variety of slicing tomatoes.

This hydrangea bush used to be one of two in the front yard. Last year all the flowers burnt right off because they got too much sun.   I gave the smaller bush to my mother last summer, and uprooted this one about a month ago to re-plant in a shadier spot in the backyard. I was afraid I’d killed it, but look! Leaves!

This is another plant that will probably ultimately have to be moved, but not this year. There are two of these huge rose”bushes” in the backyard. I’m standing pointing the camera up here, if that tells you how tall they are. This one had the most gorgeous long-stemmed red roses last year, but it was also incredibly leggy and overgrown. I gave it a good pruning and it seems to be responding well. I am practically salivating at the thought of how many velvety roses will be blooming in short order.

These were from the yellow bush last year:

Lurch loves it when “his people” are out in the yard. He likes to let you know exactly how much he likes it by walking under your feet and rubbing in and out of your legs. Lurch is a very silly cat.

And after all that, in anticipation of those tomatoes, I had to come inside and make myself one of my absolute favorite summer treats: tomato, basil and cheese on french batard. The basil is from my window garden.
mmmmmmmmmm

 

tea party!

The temperature on Saturday started out warm and had risen to a fabulous 72 degrees by lunch. There was no more denying that spring is on it’s way, and the time to get started on this year’s garden was here! I spent the morning attempting to clear/till a strip behind the garage where my grapes and blackberries are going to go.

Sunday I went to the garden center for some extra garden soil and a better rake/hoe so I could finish the project. While I was there, I couldn’t resist a pot of peppers and two pots of tomatoes.

My mother was cleaning out her spare room and brought me some boxes I’d forgotten were at her house. In one of the boxes was this tea set, which I don’t ever remember buying, and swear it must be hers. However, it is very cute, so perhaps i should keep my mouth shut…

Today it’s supposed to be 74! If all goes according to plan, I’ll finish the berry patch today, and pot up the veggies. Right now, I need another cup of coffee…