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Recent Entries to this Blog
Another Haircut!
Posted: 27 May 2015 Posted: 19 May 2015 Posted: 17 May 2015 Posted: 11 May 2015 Posted: 08 May 2015 All Entries |
Pianolady's Gardens
HyVee Perennial Clearance!
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 6:23 pm I guess it's hot and HyVee is clearing out all their plants. Gallon perennials were $2 this week, so I picked up everything I thought I could use. Also found 4" perennials at the hardware store for $.99. Picked up a dozen coral bells in a variety of colors, 4 hardy geraniums, 2 Mazus Reptans, and misc. veronica etc. Frankly I don't remember it all now. I decided to plant coral bells in front of the new retaining wall and keep it simple. Once it cools down, I'll transplant a low ground cover around them. Thinking about dead nettle or sedum, got plenty of both. 
The shade is starting to take over already at noon, but I tried to get a bigger picture of the area. 
This blog entry has been viewed 2972 times
Found Patio Furniture on Clearance!
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 10:25 pm I don't put up "big picture" photos too often of the back yard due to its size & all the shade. It's difficult to get a decent photo. But right at dusk it does okay. Not much flowering now with all the shade gardens, and the vegetable garden in back....and the high heat! 
I did go out in the heat to find my clearance patio chairs I wanted to go with the clearance patio table I found last week. They don't actually "go together", but these were the more comfortable chairs. I paid 50% off instead of 70% off, but was tired of looking and decided to be happy with that. Chairs 
Table, which I did get at 70% off. 
This blog entry has been viewed 823 times
My New Blank Slate & Other Misc.
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 12:44 am I removed quite a bit of plantings to make room for the retaining wall, allow for some regrading for drainage, and to open up the bottom of the stairs to make them usable again. Since it was opened back up, I decided to install a path to the steps through the garden. I'll probably have to remove a few more ferns, but it's okay for now. I was originally going to put a landing at the bottom of the steps, but didn't like it once I had the blocks sitting there, so I went with this instead with the round stone path. I think I'll put some kind of ground cover around everything eventually. 
My elephant ears finally came up. 
Beans are looking good. 
And the little bog garden is doing well. 
This blog entry has been viewed 458 times
Cleaning Up
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:08 pm I think every muscle hurts from digging trees, pulling trees, pulling weeds, digging out unwanted plants and vines. But, the area where the new retaining wall is going is now cleared so they can get to it. The wild trees everywhere are gone (except the ones I undoubtedly missed), and the honeysuckle vine blocking my back stairs is also gone! Yay! I hacked and whacked until that thing was out of there, now all I have to do is figure out how to get the rebar that was supporting it out of the ground (aka honey do list). The honeysuckle used to block the entrance to these stairs. 
Another "before" pic of the retaining wall disaster. 
My cleaned up shade garden, it still looks busy, hard to get a good pic in the dappled shade. 
Vegetable garden looks pretty good, we got 2.5" of rain last night that we sorely needed. I'm experimenting having the peas grow on the hog panel arch with wire. 
Corn is being nibbled on by a critter, not sure how much I'll actually get this year. 
Only 2 squash plants came up, guess I'll have to be happy with that. Tomatoes in the background. 
Tomatoes and peppers always do well. 
Beans are looking good this year, now that it's fenced. 
This blog entry has been viewed 631 times
I'm Finally Done!
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 12:16 pm 
Done pitting cherries that is. I've never had a year like this, a month full of picking and pitting cherries, bumper crop! I have two trees, one that blooms two weeks later than the other so they don't all ripen at the same time. This year I got 36 pounds of pitted cherries, enough for 18 pies! I gave away another 12 pounds, and left a tree full of cherries because I just don't see the need to buy a taller ladder to pick them. My Norpro Deluxe stoner is still working fine, much to my amazement for such an inexpensive gadget. Going to buy another one for backup next year though, I've been using this one for 5 years now. http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Deluxe-Cherry-Stoner-Pitter/dp/B00005EBH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1245517373&sr=8-1 This blog entry has been viewed 422 times
June 7 Walk Around
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 2:17 am If you ever need to hide your water well, lavender certainly does the trick! 
If you need very good solar lights, these are great! Newegg.com sells them for $14.99 for a set of 6 often with free shipping. Better quality than I've found in the big box stores too. Wait until they go on sale! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882021178 
I've always liked the foilage of meadow rue. 
Potatoes & beans looking good, thanks to the anti-rabbit fence. 
Last edited: Fri Jun 08, 2012 2:19 am This blog entry has been viewed 572 times
Got A Lot Accomplished Today!
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 8:32 pm On the home improvement front....I visited the window showroom and decided the company I want for the new windows for the house. We also decided to look into vinyl siding after discovering it would be $6k to fix and paint the house. So he's coming back next week to bid on that too. Also arranged to have a new water heater installed next week, we need that as soon as possible. In the gardens, I got the window boxes planted, and am enjoying some new blooms. 
Not sure what this variety is. 
Hot Cocoa with Red Fairy in the background. 
Jackmanii 
This blog entry has been viewed 436 times
A Pleasant Surprise
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 6:55 pm I haven't seen this clematis bloom in a few years, I think being around the corner of the shed, it just doesn't get enough light. This year's the exception. Looks like it could be an Earnest Markham. 
This blog entry has been viewed 398 times
My Little Bog
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 11:17 pm When I decided to remove my ponds a few years back, I kept one lined and turned it into a small bog garden. Plants include corkscrew rush, blue rush, impatiens, and fox red curly sedge. 
This blog entry has been viewed 479 times
The Ones That Get Away
Category: Pianolady's Gardens | Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 2:46 pm It's cherry picking time, a time I have a love/hate relationship with. Love picking them, hate pitting them, love eating them. The picked cherries hog all the space in the refrigerator, pitting makes a sticky mess on the counters, and gets cherry juice on the lenses of my glasses, not to mention the clothing stains. But it's all worth it, since I continue to do this year after year. The best looking ones are always the ones you can't reach, it's my donation to the birds as I'm not getting a bigger ladder. 
I just keep reminding myself that without this... 
There wouldn't be any of this... 
This blog entry has been viewed 615 times
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