August 2010
19 posts
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Monthly Garden Report for August
Is the summer over already? Technically, it’s not over until the equinox, but I always counted September as the beginning of the slow slide into winter. I love autumn, so it’s a welcome change.
Normally, it’s my favorite time of year in the garden, but I’m put out a bit this fall. Some areas are just not working and the garden is mired in an awkward youth of braces and bad...
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Lez Oofs
That is to say eggs, or, “les oeufs” as my husband and I like to call them in our own pigeon french. For some reason, raising chickens is a much a part of the modern gardening landscape as “growing your own.” But I’ll pass on the animal husbandry, thanks.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the appeal. In the light of the recent salmonella egg scare, I have to...
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Know Your Soil, People
The other day a neighbor was commenting on the awful “clay” soil in our neighborhood. Another time, my sister asked me where the clay stopped in our area, the implication being the soil couldn’t be so crappy everywhere. The thing is, we don’t have clay soil; we have sandy soil. Most neighborhoods along the Wasatch front rest on alluvial deposits or an ancient lake bed,...
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WatchSkywatch Friday: A beautiful film that makes me want to travel more than ever.
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Do Fear the Reaper →
All the cowbell in the world isn’t going to save you. Not even if you’re the world’s oldest living organism. Sorry, Pando.
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Gardening On Mars →
I’m liking the picture this article is painting, although I’m not so sure about the wisdom of introducing foreign plants to extraterrestrial environments. Certainly not after that Doctor Who episode.
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The Rules for Squash Deployment →
A favorite columnist in our local newspaper lays out the etiquette for offloading your veggies onto unsuspecting neighbors.
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Upheaval
It’s all snowballing now. It began when the arborist came out to make an estimate for excavating the patio and I lamented the possible event of losing the Subalpine fir if we remodeled. He said, “We could move that by digging it up with the air-spade.” I’ve seen this done, but not on this scale. I began to excited by the possibility of saving my favorite tree and thought,...
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A Mother's Pride
Me: Emily,* (*names have been changed), what's this ring of rocks doing around this little pile of compost by the fern here?
Emily: Oh, that's our garden.
Me: Your garden?
Emily: Yeah, me and Timmy* made it.
Me: Where'd you get the compost?
Emily: We took it out of the flower bed.
Me: Could you please ask before you do that next time?
Emily: Okay.
Me: Why'd you put it inside the rocks?
Emily: Because that's what you do to make seeds grow.
Me: Oh, really? What's this growing in it?
Emily: Our seed.
Me: What kind of seed is it?
Emily: We wanted popcorn so Timmy got a popcorn seed out and we planted it.
Me: You're growing popcorn?
Emily: Yeah, and look how big it is now! Aren't you proud of our garden Mommy?
Me: Yes, I'm very proud.
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Excavation vacation
I’ve reached the point on this patio project where I’m going to call in outside help. I should have prepared for this from the beginning.
The patio are is located beneath the canopy of our large and healthy Silver Maple and Subalpine Fir. This area is ideal for a patio as it’s in the shade, next to the house and on close to level ground. The problem is all those roots…
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Where Have I Seen This Before? →
This seems so familiar…where have I seen this before…Now I remember! I started something just like this in April and it tanked. Oh well. Fly, O phoenix meme! and rise triumphantly on the wings of someone less snarky and who’s determined to make it work.
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