What Did You Do In The Garden?

[digitS']

It was not quite Garden Work but it started out that way about 30 years ago .

We made quite an investment in dahlia roots that Spring and continued the investment by building a picket fence for the front yard. The neighbors down the road turned their 2 dogs loose eevvveery morning. I didn't want them trampling our new, front yard flower beds. Yesterday, I rebuilt the front gate.

Gates take a lot of abuse and I have used minor repair techniques over the years. The old gate had so many screws! But, I need a few new ones and a paint brush to finish the job .

 

[ducks4you]

This local guy bought a decrepit horse stable in the early 1980's. He rebuilt stalls, pulled out and Straightened old wood nails, fixed the roof, fixed the fencing and set up a very nice local barn, 65 stalls. He also ran a small horse tack and riders supply store. I bought my first pair of leather field boots from his store.
UNfortunately he raised a near-do-well son who took over and ran the operation almost into the ground.
You can See it driving by.
Things fall apart, but they Can be repaired and parts replaced.
I am AMAZED as I watch YouTube videos~

Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration

Second generation conservation studio in business for over 35 years, using only the finest techniques and materials.

baumgartnerfineartrestoration.com

He does the impossible with paintings and artwork that others have given up on.
He is a first generation Swiss-American, whose father was also worked in fine art restoration.
I also am amazed by

home - Olaf Grawert Violin Studio

What services I offer

olafgrawertviolinstudio.com

Olaf repairs violins, violas, cellos and double basses for local and international clientele.
They both use products for glueing and woodworking AND canvas working that can be un-done.
Apparently you should NOT glue the front and back plates on a violin too strongly bc at some point it will need repair and need to be removed and refitted.
I have learned that plain water and gentle solvents with the appropriate amount of elbow grease will clean practically anything, and that you can break up big projects into smaller ones that are manageable.
Such is also gardening on my 5 acres.
This evening DD's and I are tackling the saplings and small shoots that have been plaguing me along the east and 1/2 of the north fencing of my north pasture. (The west 1/2 of the north fence is practically clear.)
When I work outside I don't see big swaths that need fixing. I break them down into small beds, as if that is my only yardwork, else you go mad at never seeing the end of any project.
Before my Carbondale trip I found a nifty LL Bean bag with a handle and decided that it would make a nice first aid kit. Originally I think that it was designed to be a make up kit, with a small mirror and several bags that come out, plus bags with hooks. I filled it with a tube of antiseptic in a zipper compartment, the front zipper compartment holds Most of the bandages, those that are wrapped, and I shoved a partial roll of Vet wrap in 1/2 of the side pockets. I also packed it with gauze bandages, as much as it would hold.
When we got back I bought anything that was missing--new small and large nail clippers, small scissors, an emery board and cuticle pusher, and a half inch thick new roll of surgical tape to the 3 packages of loose gauze.
I HAD to finish supplying this kit bc I am in middle of SO MANY other small jobs and it's hard to see the light at the end of those tunnels.
This kit hangs on the doorknob of the bedroom off of the kitchen, where I am currently keeping my laptop, and yes, we have used it since.

 

[ducks4you]

Yesterday DD"s came over and we mowed the 1 acre "yard" and the South Pasture. Looking Very good!
I took my big loppers out and cut back the pine tree limbs making it possible to drive underneath 3 of the south fencing pine trees. My loppers can cut 1"+ pine limbs. Youngest DD made a last trip out to the South Pasture to collect them, the loppers, deposit by my fire pit after hanging my loppers up. She is Determined that I put my toys away properly!
Friday afternoon through Sunday morning was the last time that the ponies got a good run at my Inner Sanctum, the fenced in area in front of the barn. I thought that they did a Great job at mowing and trimming there.
I hesitate to make certain plans of Any of my property bc all of the yardwork/gardening work has to be broken down into smaller jobs, else you lose hope of accomplishing them.
Still, we take the wins and enjoy the burning in my fire pit.

 

[flowerbug]

nothing done outside yet other than picking up a few pieces of gravel and putting them back where they belong.

not sure what i'll do today.

 

[digitS']

Today, I dug 4 5-gallon buckets and 2 6-gallon pots of compost out for the tomatoes.

Returned to the south house wall to dig out 2 holes in absolutely terrible ground for 2 plants. Last year, growing in compost, 2 plants did just fine. Difficult dig again in 2026! It's just "fill" not "soil" against that concrete foundation wall. Maybe by 2030 ...

One tomato plant will go into the north end of a bed — easy peasy, no posthole digger and pry bar work there. Two plants will occupy the pots ... I have learned to bring the level out to be sure water doesn't run off the top of the pots too easily.

One final bucket of compost is for the southeast corner of that foundation wall. I had run outta time to have lunch before an early afternoon commitment. Energy? I was plum tuckered out!

 

[flowerbug]

i went out to look at the killdeer eggs in a nest. one of the parents (probably the Momma) was standing over them while it was plenty warm out with the sun she was actually shading them to keep them cooler. this birdie knows us as she was much tamer than some from the past who have had nests out front. it's not that far from the birdbath. took a quick look at the eggs and talked to her calmly as i usually tell her the same thing every time i see her for a moment. "I'm not gonna hurt you or your eggs."

sadly and most likely though they will be lost to raccoons or snakes. if she loses the first round she'll lay a 2nd batch and some times she'll actually get to babies hatching but then even after that she will most often lose them. it's really sad but we get so many here because of the limestone mulch in front and back that sometimes we have two nests being sat on at the same time. between all of those somehow the population seems to persist and they keep coming back each year. when the babies hatch but before they run away and if i get a chance i go out and talk to them for a few moments to make sure they know my voice and who i am so when they come back they don't act all noisy and crazy. it seems to work, sometimes i get pretty calm birdies that know i'm not going to mess with them. the less noise the better. it saves them a lot of energy and flapping around for no reason because i know where the nest is at and if i really wanted to do them wrong i could, but i don't. i think they're such cute birdies as adults but the little peepers are even more cute and i'd never knowingly cause them harm.

i usually take pictures of the eggs and peepers if i get a chance but this year i'm not too likely to be doing that. i have enough pictures of birdies, eggs and peepers already on my website...

while i was out front i walked to the far corner where some weeds like to pop up in the gravel and while i was there i pulled out a few big handfuls and then i noticed a good sized morel mushroom out there.

later on i had a rotten orange to go put on the weed pile (maybe orioles will go after it) and on the way from doing that i noticed the morels in the back had been knocked over so i picked a few of them and rinsed them off (saving the rinse water) and let them soak for a bit and then mashed them up with my hands into the water and then i took that outside and scattered it around even more. when i was done i had the container back inside and rinsed it a little to pour that bit of water on the amaryllis. they may never do anything but there were probably still thousands of spores even in a little bit of water that was left but you never know what can happen in the future. at some point that potting soil will get reused in a garden and then something may happen from them after all. the larger mushroom i left out front because i've not seen any out in that area before (it could have had some that i never saw) so i left it there because we're supposed to get some rain tonight and just a few moments ago we had a bit of rain come through.

the rinsed plastic container went into the recycle bin because it has finally gotten to it's reuse life end where it is getting to the stage of cracking and while i'd have liked to keep it longer because the shape of the bottom of the container is nice a flat and that made those ones really nice for mashing up egg shells i have a few more yet to use up (it's probably about 10yrs old).

 

[Dahlia]

Yesterday DD"s came over and we mowed the 1 acre "yard" and the South Pasture. Looking Very good!
I took my big loppers out and cut back the pine tree limbs making it possible to drive underneath 3 of the south fencing pine trees. My loppers can cut 1"+ pine limbs. Youngest DD made a last trip out to the South Pasture to collect them, the loppers, deposit by my fire pit after hanging my loppers up. She is Determined that I put my toys away properly!
Friday afternoon through Sunday morning was the last time that the ponies got a good run at my Inner Sanctum, the fenced in area in front of the barn. I thought that they did a Great job at mowing and trimming there.
I hesitate to make certain plans of Any of my property bc all of the yardwork/gardening work has to be broken down into smaller jobs, else you lose hope of accomplishing them.
Still, we take the wins and enjoy the burning in my fire pit.

Do you roast marshmallows over your fire pit? Something that I like to do is make what I call Tin Foil Dinners and cook them in the fire pit coals. It is a simple recipe if you want to try it:
In a medium bowl mix one pound ground beef, 2 medium potatoes diced, 2 medium - large carrots sliced, one medium chopped yellow onion. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle a bit of red wine and mix in. Now wrap into serving size packs like this - lay out a couple layers of aluminum foil, put the mixture on top in the center. Carefully wrap up with a couple top pieces of foil so you would be able to flip the package while in the coals.
As far as how long to cook it - check it every so often for doneness by poking a fork into the potatoes. Bring your favorite ketchup along and enjoy the meal!