Micro Macro

We are currently on a 3 day watering schedule...Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I figure with fall and winter coming, they will relax the drought schedule. Apparently, fellow citizens have cut back watering so much, that the water agencies have lost revenue, and have been asking  people to 'not cut back so much!'
What is the saying...you reap what you sew...

Overall, we have a large system of microsprinklers throughout our yard. We have a front yard grass area that works with standard pop up sprinklers and the newly refurbished backyard area is watered in that manner as well. We may switch out the latter area's system in time...but for now, it's real nice to have it on automatic.

We did have a mess to untangle there a couple of weeks ago, too. I guess one too many swings with the axe in taking up the grass, cracked open an irrigation line and we got the area dug up and repaired. Nothing like being ankle deep in water and wood chips-thanks, love! Nothing like having a strong son able to help out in a jiffy, too!-love him!!

Copper Plant Markers

I found a nice pack of these at a local garden/nursery a few weeks ago. I haven't bought them yet. I'm drooling over them as they are probably some kind of requisite to a cottage garden. Gosh, they are just lovely, only 2 bucks for a pack...and are going to look real nice turning shades of verdigris in our Coastal Cottage Garden.

Park Seed Co., shows and sells them as well.

It will be a finishing touch well worth the wait....

Odds and Ends

I've moved some plants around the garden, and planted a few pony packs to brighten up the beds until the perennial seeds get sprouting. The mixture of pink dianthus, lobelia and trailing alyssym are doing nicely along the edge of one of our new beds. Some of the seeds i've started are:

• Pink/White Coneflower
• Lagurus-Bunny Tails
• Mexican Primrose
• and Delphinum

These are all part of the master plan, but are quite slow to get going...hmm. Anyway, I'll be out there soon, tossing more into pots and crossing my fingers. It is important to keep successive plantings going, and fall is a great time to be outside working. Not too hot, not too cold-just right.
You can see in the photo above, i've interspersed the pots and growing packs right into the beds to get acclimated.

The Bandit

For the last month, i've been busy chasing a racoon out of our beds. He'd come every three or four nights, dig up all the impatiens and rummage through the vegetable garden. He has kept me endlessly busy replanting the flowers he digs up nightly. I came up with a minor deterrant (one of several attempts!)

-installing a string fence and implanting  golf tees upside down to distrub his footing. He's only been back once since these measures were introuduced. But gosh darn it-i'm way past fed up!  He will be sorry the next time one of us catch him in our yard-no more Mrs. Nice Guy! I'm thinking since the Concord Grape vine has stopped fruiting, he may be holed up somewhere in the neighborhood). I'm praying he stays away and lets me get back to the project at hand. The don't call them VARMINTS for 'nothin!

The Seeds of Summer

As a thrifty and nifty gardener, I've been starting specially selected seeds in house. Lucky me as I had a package of peat pots that I ran under warm water to expand, and then viola...I was ready to get things sprouting. A few seeds were directly sewn into the soil outside a couple of months ago, as I was dreaming and anticipating the make-over. Also, I made a few cuttings from a plant from the front of my yard, and put together a make-shift greenhouse for them, after doing a bit of research online.

It is of utmost importance to keep newly seeded soil damp, until your seeds sprout.

Foundations

The foundation for our Coastal Cottage Garden is now set in place! This is a great accomplishment and is exciting as we anticipate new plants springing up and a whole new look from many rooms in our home. Lounge chairs and umbrella are summertime optional! I moved our firebowl center, to our canteleiver bench. I'm giving us a huge pat on the back!

Laying the groundwork

Well, it took several days but I finally have the central yard bed layed out. It took two trips to the local composting facility where I purchased four bags of small shredded wood chips. They are not fancy, but at a buck a large trash can sized bag...it's a steal. This may be temporary. We might choose to replace it with stepping stones and moss/rosemary in the future but at least it's looking very nice right now.

It was grueling work to dig up the remaining grass/sod. It must have taken 5 or 6 days. I did get some help from my husband and son, and that was a huge help. Nevertheless, it was back breaking work. I did indeed need to take a few hours, days here and there to recooperate. At last, i did the final raking and poured out the chips. I raked that around, evening it out, as best as i could.

I think in time, the color and texture will relax. I still need shoes on to walk on it really, but chances are that it will decompose naturally and be a great weed and grass preventer while giving us the natural gsetting between the beds.
Next up...the foundation is complete!