Month: July 2017

We spend another day planting today and are finally close to getting all the plants we bought this spring in the ground. Another few ferns and a huckleberry and we will be done.  We are trying to find a balance between the natural forest and the urban yard.  Up by the house it is more urban traditional, hydrangeas and rhododendrons. 

Farther out we want to add some new plants but avoid looking too manicured. So, a couple of maples, some hostas that will get to 6 feet wide, and ostrich ferns.  They are large enough to be seen but positioned somewhat randomly.

We are also trying an experiment. We are using an decomposing, ancient cedar stump as a bed for a red huckleberry.  This is a natural location for huckleberries, they often root in old stumps in nature. 

Enough for today, time to kick back with a coffee on the deck!

The local fire department raised the fire rating to extreme today.  That means not only a fire ban but also a work shutdown.  Can’t use power equipment with the exception of carpentry tools so most work is off limits.  We just finished planting nine trees and a couple perennials, and we are melting.  Time for a root beer float on the deck.

It is the summer of family visits, which is really nice.  Both Kelly and my family have been stopping by.  Hardly a week goes by without someone here.  Earlier my youngest brother and his wife came for the day.  Over the last few days my older brother and wife were here.

We took the chance to do a fast getaway to Tofino.  This was their first time there, so naturally you have to stop at Catherdral Grove.

The sun is out and so am I, in the yard that is.  I spent the weekend and Monday putting in the driveway gate.  This is a BIG checkbox.  Kelly has plants that have been waiting many week to be planted that required the front drive to be fenced off so the deer would not eat them up.  I took Monday off in order to finish hanging the gate and put up the fencing.

The gate posts were a bear.  Our soil is 6″ of forest duff then sandstone and gravel.  Soft sandstone but stone none the less.  I had to dig the last foot with an air chisel.  Bleh.  Didn’t get them as deep as I would have preferred, only has deep as my arm is long.  I hope I don’t regret not spending some cash and getting somebody with a machine to bore them out.  On the bright side my free cement mixer performed great. I do need to get a grease gun for it.  The drum squealed a bit on the last mix.