Where Everybody Knows You're Numb

BoxDog · Guru

GARDENING

Psych Lit · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

"I don't have to go to Spring Street, 'cause it's Spring everywhere"

Dar!!!!!! too... ;)

and i was wondering if that was dar in the leprechaun poster? what did you do to dar? gasp! do the wee ones have her?

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

BoxDog wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

BoxDog wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMEPk6fvpg

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Joniiiiiiiiii!!! Ka CHING!

"...Just a little green
Like the color when the spring is born..."

"I don't have to go to Spring Street, 'cause it's Spring everywhere"

Dar!!!!!! too... ;)

Springtime, for Hitler, and Ger-ma-nyyyyyyyyyy....

Mel Brooks! !!!

("I'm the German Ethel Merman, doncha know...")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGp0hCxSg98

-- Edited by Nightowlhoot3 on Sunday 15th of March 2009 08:58:35 PM

BoxDog · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

BoxDog wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMEPk6fvpg

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Joniiiiiiiiii!!! Ka CHING!

"...Just a little green
Like the color when the spring is born..."

"I don't have to go to Spring Street, 'cause it's Spring everywhere"

Dar!!!!!! too... ;)

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

BoxDog wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMEPk6fvpg

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Joniiiiiiiiii!!! Ka CHING!

"...Just a little green
Like the color when the spring is born..."

BoxDog · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMEPk6fvpg

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

nesea · Senior Member

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.

To early here to start anything outside just yet, but herbs are a must for the garden. Especially dill and basil, either of which I'll put on darn near anything. Mint too, but just a little bit because it takes over everything.

And of course state law mandates every resident here grow tomatoes of some sort ... ok, no they don't but we all do it anyways smile

This year I think I'm going with grape tomato plants that hang down the railing of our deck.

Cucumbers, green beans, one each of zucchini and eggplant is plenty .. surrounded by marigolds to repel bugs.

I used to have a fig tree on the southern side of my house that became a point of contention. Granted, if you didn't stay on top of it once the fruit started coming in, it could (did) get out of hand pretty quick. I used to save egg cartons to load up with figs and hand out. But it's almost impossible to deal with that much fruit, no matter how many people you know.

Finally I gave in, dug it up and gave it to a friend.

I do enjoy living in an area where you can do most of your shopping at roadside stands or "u pick it" farms .. everything from the early strawberries through to the late apples and pumpkins. And the last thing to do before the first frost comes is to go out and pick all the green tomatoes off the vines, put them in a paper bag and store in the basement. They still ripen, but slowly.

If the frost came late we could pull fresh tomatoes out of that bag for Thanksgiving dinner. yum

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Anonymous wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

I use crop or pea straw to control weeds. <Gator

e'splain, please

--------------------------------------------------
The farm behind me grows acre peas and, the dead vines (pea straw) are great to mulch with. And, they are free. You have to be careful with straw. If it has weed seeds in it. The process to eliminate is to wet well and let the seeds germinate and, let the straw dry twice. I never do it and, have had problems with weed seeds. Gator

:) You can always plop a great big above ground pool on it. I did that one year where I now have the raised bed. I'm sort of working anew here at this point, with 6' wall/fence where 4' chain link was for so long. I knew before, where the sun hit in the back yard in the summer before, and put plants in accordingly. Now? Not so sure. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, and then try to improve NEXT summer. (Sorry -- I'm starting to think it's already summer here, even though it's not.)

I do want a pool and, they say my road will be paved next year. Untill then it would be hard to balance the water. I'm on a limeroack road. Gator
Hmmm. I put one up a couple of years ago (I go more for deep than wide when it comes to pools ... and room for two adults.

I spent a lot of time raking and cleaning the ground underneath (and removing pebbles) and leveling, and then I put down some of that plastic they sell to be a weed barrier under gravel lawns ('cause weeds WILL go right through the bottom of your plastic pool!) and then I put some foam carpet padding on top of that "just because." The padding ended up being an extra touch I/we really enjoyed.

I got rid of the pool awhile ago, because I was scared to fill it with only my 4' chain link fence around my property, and (new) little ones in the neighborhood. I'm WAY paranoid about childhood drownings (and pets too.) I might reconsider at some point now, although where I put the pool before (which was where it got the MOST sunlight during the day, 'cause you don't want your water getting cold) is where the new flower bed is. Actually, I just got the pool before mostly as a treat for an out of town house guest coming here for the warmth. I did use it once in a while after she left -- mostly after work, to unwind -- but, eh? I think really, the only reason I'd reconsider it at this point would be because my STUPID PLUMBER hasn't finished, and I STILL don't have a water line (any more) going to my evap cooler. I've been known to take "cool down" showers, but ... no showers available at this point, what with the missing wall and all.........

NOT going there ....
I've been on again off again about having a fire pit. Came THIS close to buying one a couple of times, but really couldn't justify the cost. Have toyed with turning an old bbq into one, but ... eh? I did burn a couple of store bought fireplace logs in a big ole ugly bbq around Christmas for me and my Mom to share, and am glad we did. Allowed us calm conversation we'd not have had otherwise. I don't want a permanent stationary pit/bbq, really -- in part because again, I don't know wind currents with my new fence, but also because the space there IS limited, and really needs to be multi-purposed. I'm nuts about fires in fireplaces, and pits and stuff, but really ... with our high temperatures here pretty much year 'round ... "heat" of any type sort of loses its appeal, except for maybe a handful of days every year. I started putting a misting system (an "el cheapo" one) up in my sitting area in the back yard a week or so ago in anticipation of the approach of summer weather.
--------------------

I do the portable thingy a lot. And, if you look around in stores the smaller ones look like glorified BBQ's. I have a couple of old sugar kettles and, use one for my fixed fire pit. I have toyed with making the other one a water feature. Gator

Wow! THAT sounds cool! I've considered modifying some old 55 gallon drum, but don't really have the tools to cut it up the way I'd like, and the cost to rent the tools is ridiculous. I was thinking I'd rig one (lying sideways) on a couple of jacks or something, so that I could adjust the height whenever I wanted, and use it for cooking as well as warmth and "gazing."

I actually have a design plan for this in my head, and it would be painted (and dressed) to look like a Guernsey cow, with the jacks being the legs, and the little broom for cleaning, the tail.

=====
Wasn't this last full moon the best? Something special abut it but, I forget what I heard. lol Gator
Maybe that Venus was so close?

Date: Sun Mar 15 7:37 AM, 2009

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

I use crop or pea straw to control weeds. <Gator

e'splain, please

--------------------------------------------------
The farm behind me grows acre peas and, the dead vines (pea straw) are great to mulch with. And, they are free. You have to be careful with straw. If it has weed seeds in it. The process to eliminate is to wet well and let the seeds germinate and, let the straw dry twice. I never do it and, have had problems with weed seeds. Gator

:) You can always plop a great big above ground pool on it. I did that one year where I now have the raised bed. I'm sort of working anew here at this point, with 6' wall/fence where 4' chain link was for so long. I knew before, where the sun hit in the back yard in the summer before, and put plants in accordingly. Now? Not so sure. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, and then try to improve NEXT summer. (Sorry -- I'm starting to think it's already summer here, even though it's not.)

I do want a pool and, they say my road will be paved next year. Untill then it would be hard to balance the water. I'm on a limeroack road. Gator

I've been on again off again about having a fire pit. Came THIS close to buying one a couple of times, but really couldn't justify the cost. Have toyed with turning an old bbq into one, but ... eh? I did burn a couple of store bought fireplace logs in a big ole ugly bbq around Christmas for me and my Mom to share, and am glad we did. Allowed us calm conversation we'd not have had otherwise. I don't want a permanent stationary pit/bbq, really -- in part because again, I don't know wind currents with my new fence, but also because the space there IS limited, and really needs to be multi-purposed. I'm nuts about fires in fireplaces, and pits and stuff, but really ... with our high temperatures here pretty much year 'round ... "heat" of any type sort of loses its appeal, except for maybe a handful of days every year. I started putting a misting system (an "el cheapo" one) up in my sitting area in the back yard a week or so ago in anticipation of the approach of summer weather.
--------------------

I do the portable thingy a lot. And, if you look around in stores the smaller ones look like glorified BBQ's. I have a couple of old sugar kettles and, use one for my fixed fire pit. I have toyed with making the other one a water feature. Gator

I was recently gifted a telescope, and am discovering that I either don't have the patience for it, or I'm just flat out doing it wrong, but either way, by the time I spot pretty much ANYTHING, it moves out of the "frame" within seconds, and I'm then left to start all over again, and frankly, I'd rather use my naked (yeah, I said naked) eye or camera zoom.
=====
Wasn't this last full moon the best? Something special abut it but, I forget what I heard. lol Gator

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Anonymous wrote:

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.

I love your raised bed and, had hoped to do at least one this year with no-dig potatoes. I'm inspired again. Thank you:) <Gator

You're welcome! If you do, please share pics!

Have you ever tried worm castings? <Gator

No -- but I was really happy to see, while I was planting the other day, that there were some small worms wriggling around in the dirt/compost.

I use crop or pea straw to control weeds. <Gator

e'splain, please

So far I have added a lemon and orange tree. I'm behind schedule but, I have managed to till a good size plot for a garden that might not be. lol <Gator

:) You can always plop a great big above ground pool on it. I did that one year where I now have the raised bed. I'm sort of working anew here at this point, with 6' wall/fence where 4' chain link was for so long. I knew before, where the sun hit in the back yard in the summer before, and put plants in accordingly. Now? Not so sure. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, and then try to improve NEXT summer. (Sorry -- I'm starting to think it's already summer here, even though it's not.)

I especially love early morning and, late in the day in my yard when all the critters and birds are active. The bats coming out of the cave at dusk.The deer when it rains mid day. <gator

I'm envious of your wildlife. I'm pretty sure the dog and I would both freak if a deer showed up in my tiny back yard.

And, a fire in the pit at night. <Gator
I've been on again off again about having a fire pit. Came THIS close to buying one a couple of times, but really couldn't justify the cost. Have toyed with turning an old bbq into one, but ... eh? I did burn a couple of store bought fireplace logs in a big ole ugly bbq around Christmas for me and my Mom to share, and am glad we did. Allowed us calm conversation we'd not have had otherwise. I don't want a permanent stationary pit/bbq, really -- in part because again, I don't know wind currents with my new fence, but also because the space there IS limited, and really needs to be multi-purposed. I'm nuts about fires in fireplaces, and pits and stuff, but really ... with our high temperatures here pretty much year 'round ... "heat" of any type sort of loses its appeal, except for maybe a handful of days every year. I started putting a misting system (an "el cheapo" one) up in my sitting area in the back yard a week or so ago in anticipation of the approach of summer weather.
--------------------
Oh and, Star gazing. Although my eyes have got to the point that I am probally watching airplanes. <Gator
Yeah, I hear that. There's so much junk in the night sky these days that WE put there, it sorta ticks me off sometimes. I can remember when the North Star was a heck of a lot easier to find.
I was recently gifted a telescope, and am discovering that I either don't have the patience for it, or I'm just flat out doing it wrong, but either way, by the time I spot pretty much ANYTHING, it moves out of the "frame" within seconds, and I'm then left to start all over again, and frankly, I'd rather use my naked (yeah, I said naked) eye or camera zoom.
=====
Be sure and, give an update on the bed. Gator
Will do! :)

Psych Lit · Guru

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Onions and flowers. In one bed. Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat's right.
"Texas sweet" onions. Didn't make the little hills or anything. Just poked my finger in the soil, and stuck 'em in.
bring em in and put them near the window and they might survive?

I have a feeling the only thing sprouting in there this year will beplastic wrapped rawhide trees, but we'll see, I guess.

and this isnt always a bad thing. when my friend was redoing her yard from scratch she "planted" a slew of "forever flowers" from the distance you couldnt tell and the yard looked great. by the next year all her work payed off and her yard was gorgeous. with the real flowers but just recently i stopped by her home to take her dog for a walk and noticed a few very bright spots against the snow cover. im thinking she was in need of some instant spring. made me chuckle when i saw them there.

At least it provides a little color right now. Really, it's too late to be plantin' annuals here -- should have been done about a month ago, but can't do anything about that now. Doesn't look like anything today, but check back in a month or so, and who knows? Might be a virtual explosion of color! I'm crossing my fingers on the California poppy seeds I gathered from a field ... SHOULD take, but ya never know. They're very hardy here, but again ... I'm late on gettin' 'em in the ground, dangit.
poppys? are they legal? lions and tigers and bears oh my!

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.
i still have some indoor lettuce plants and they did well all winter. supplied me with quite a few salads tho im down to a few leaves on each now. i most enjoy the water and the shady spot on the side of the house. what id love to do there is a complete shade garden all leafy green cooling plants and id like to construct a more formal sitting area in that space. last year i planted a few things and had a couple of lawn chairs out there but im thinking more gazebo type things now. a place to read and have quiet. im also interested in doing more herbs. i have basil and oregano and mint in abundance. id like to do several others and bring them indoors during the winter. i also have to figure out the berry situation. the birds seem to get them before they completely ripen and that aint gonna happen this year. ill be out there like elmer fudd with his wifle chasing down that wascally wabbit. dangit .

Date: Sat Mar 14 5:26 PM, 2009

Nightowlhoot3 wrote:

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.

I love your raised bed and, had hoped to do at least one this year with no-dig potatoes. I'm inspired again. Thank you:) Have you ever tried worm castings? I use crop or pea straw to control weeds. So far I have added a lemon and orange tree. I'm behind schedule but, I have managed to till a good size plot for a garden that might not be. lol I especially love early morning and, late in the day in my yard when all the critters and birds are active. The bats coming out of the cave at dusk.The deer when it rains mid day. And, a fire in the pit at night. Oh and, Star gazing. Although my eyes have got to the point that I am probally watching airplanes. Be sure and, give an update on the bed. Gator

Nightowlhoot3 · Guru

Soooooooo... I built this (sorta) raised flowerbed, and filled it with soil and compost (in very mincing layers -- seven all told, I think) and it's just been sitting there for a long time, with just a couple of straggly vinca minors I salvaged from the eye candy for the neighborhood improvement dude" dressing last summer. I planted the others, but ... neighbor lady from hell (past tense, tg) and ... long story short, just like the hedges I planted, she ran over them and killed 'em all.

Whatever ...

So? Yesterday, without amending the soil at all (even though the fertilizer is RIGHT THERE in a sack in the flower bed) I just sprinkled a couple of purchased and gathered seeds, and then stuck the onions I'd bought awhile back in a row right down the middle.

Onions and flowers. In one bed. smile Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat's right.
"Texas sweet" onions. Didn't make the little hills or anything. Just poked my finger in the soil, and stuck 'em in.

I have a feeling the only thing sprouting in there this year will beplastic wrapped rawhide trees, rollingeyes but we'll see, I guess.

Also "headed" a couple of blooms that'd seen better days, and tossed them on top, just for good measure. LOL.

At least it provides a little color right now. biggrin Really, it's too late to be plantin' annuals here -- should have been done about a month ago, but can't do anything about that now. Doesn't look like anything today, but check back in a month or so, and who knows? Might be a virtual explosion of color! I'm crossing my fingers on the California poppy seeds I gathered from a field ... SHOULD take, but ya never know. They're very hardy here, but again ... I'm late on gettin' 'em in the ground, dangit.

But if nothing else, maybe I'll just grow some "hope" in that bed. Has to be better than just an empty ole 3 1/2' X 6 1/2' flowerbed, hey?

As I said: a month or two, and who knows?

Seems we're sort of on the tail end of our Spring here. It's supposed to be 90F in a couple of days. Should I ever see that plumber again, I think I'll be encouraging him to forget about the leaky pipe in the kitchen he just installed, and get on the water supply to my evap cooler, instead. I've been wearin' sleeveless shirts and very thin cotton pants all week, and it's still too warm for my taste. Lord, how I dread summer ...

I'm avoiding getting the pavers I know I need for a couple of sections in the back yard, because they so hold heat, but that cool deck stuff is way out of my price range, and the more I think about making stepping stones from a tree trunk, and research it, the more I wonder how ticked off I'd be the first time someone slipped on on of 'em and fell and hurt themselves. At least we don't have ice to worry about, though ...

Meanwhile, all my other, already-blossomed flowers are doing nicely, and I'm enjoying the morning java in their vicinity, with the fountain doing its best to provide a counterpart to the wind chimes. Note to self: need more windchimes --bamboo this time, I'm thinkin'. I was in a Mexican import ... well, you could hardly call it a "store" since it was several buildings on a corner with TONS of stuff, but "shopping place" and fell in love with the bamboo wind chimes there. The tone was soooooooooo soothing.

I discovered yesterday morning that its the finches around here who've been raiding my hummingbird feeder. I never KNEW a hummingbird who could suck down that stuff that fast, you know? Seemed every time I turned around, it was empty again! That's in the back yard ... I have the birdbath in the front yard, because I suspect the dog would be drinkin' all the water out of it, were it in the back. He's been pretty good about the fountain, though. It's really a tiny little fountain ... water is so precious here, and NOT CHEAP! Even so ... there's something about the sound of water gurgling...

Wondering what other people most enjoy about their outdoor spaces, and what, if anything, they're planting this year for either indoors or out.