OK -- one last detail

On June 23, the post was about finishing the front triangle area of my yard, and the statement was that it was done and dusted -- until I thought of something else. Well, of course there had to be something else. The pebbles at the back end just felt...wrong. Ah ha. What they lacked was a nice border. Bottles wouldn't do as the slate was really a pathway to have access to the plantings and a tripping hazard isn't a good idea for an old geezer. Thought of plastic edging, but then a hard no to plastic. Didn't want to buy anything. Mmmm. And there it was. Large black pebbles that had previously made a lovely design in front of an artistic tree stump were now completely hidden by the foxtail agave that has grown so aggressively (and beautifully). Dug a few of those out and created a border that just makes the area look finished. Or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Revamp done and dusted...until I think of something else

While it may be hard to believe, procrastination and dithering are my stock and trade when it comes to yard work. Every now and then, however, something actually is completed to a satisfactory conclusion. Well, until it doesn't work and then has to be done all over again. But here's hoping that things grow in as expected (hoped for) and within a year, it will look fully formatted and lush. Fingers crossed. 

Having a designer with impeccable taste helps

I have mentioned the abundance of rain has created a veritable jungle in the garden. Normally it would just be allowed to take over and do what it wanted, but one particular area off the back stairs had problems. Some of the geraniums had a rust and fungus (needed to be cut back), the hens and chickens were overpowering the Lantana, and whatever the delightful succulent in the middle is called, it was so lush you couldn't get to anything else. Having two useful rain barrels and a hose is important, so something needed to be done. 

Fortunately, my friend K volunteered her favorite designer to give me his opinion for how to proceed. Nick's advice was just what I needed. He suggested making pathways that opened up the space and created a more zen area than the current mayhem. That was accomplished fairly quickly, but then, as I looked at the dirt paths, well, it just didn't sit well. Now here's where it gets a little like a fairy tale. Pebbles would be perfect, but they are expensive and I knew the area would need multiple bags to cover it properly. 

To distract myself, I checked out NextDoor and lo and behold - free bags of pea gravel were just posted and they were only a two minute drive away! You've never seen someone jump in the car so fast. Made it. Then realized the bags were so doggone heavy I would probably put a hip out just getting them in the car. As luck would have it, the person giving the bags away came out to see who was talking to her cute little dog and I begged for help loading. She took pity because she could she that I'm an old biddy. Whew. It gets better though. Another woman had driven up to ask about a beautiful set of shelves being given away. As I was struggling with a bag of gravel, she walked over, grabbed a bag in each hand, lifted them like they were dandelions, and threw them in my car. She helped until all 17 bags were loaded and then, listening to my profuse thanks, happily loaded the shelves and drove off. 

Nick felt that river pebbles or pond pebbles, being larger and shinier, would be the perfect touch, but free is free. At least pea pebbles are round, not rough like regular gravel, and when wet are actually pretty colors. It took eleven bags to get the job done, and though Nick volunteered his person, K, to help out, my pride took over my brains and I did it myself. Paid for it the next day, but the sense of accomplishment was so terrific.

In addition to the cleanup and creating access to rain barrels, I decided to add a bit of whimsy that had become surplus to requirements in another area. Just couldn't resist the iron plant stand and golfer, even though golf is utterly alien to me as a sport.

A big thank you is in order to the designer of the hour, his majesty, Nick. And a bigger thanks to K for not only recommending his services, but translating for him as well.

 

Happy face

Things are going totally nuts in gardens these days, including mine. It's hard to believe that even non-gardener that I am, some things have thrived. OK, to refresh your memories, the African Daisies, Geraniums, and Sea Lavender have outdone themselves this year.

My bottle border area with the tiny aloe I planted what seems like yesterday, has exploded and is blooming.

Even this guy is super happy with the abundance this spring.

Ornaments with purpose

Around Christmas, someone used tree ornaments to - wait for it - decorate the agave in the parkway in front of their house. Cheerful, bright, and puts a smile on your face. The holidays came and went, and yet the ornaments remained. Frankly, I was shocked. Not that the homeowner chose to leave them, but that they weren't stolen. You may, or may not, remember that I had put cheerfully painted corks on the agave in my parkway a few years back. Who would want to take those? Well, it took only a couple of days to find them stolen right off. The tree ornaments are shiny and very pretty. Very tempting one might say. Yet they remain. Nice to know things have changed for the better. Or maybe, it's the cherub guarding them. Any thoughts?

Arty, bright, and beautiful

Not at all guaranteeing that this is the last post featuring beautifully designed gardens, but given that spring has indeed sprung, and we are heading into warmer (read hot) weather, this could be it. All depends on what catches my eye as Nellie and I venture farther afield. Of course, that depends on hips and knees being in working order. That's my hips and knees; Nellie's are just fine.

Mind you, these are all located on the parkway, so the homeowner is doing the City a huge favor by creating a masterpiece.

The homeowner's yard is also very artsy and well-planned, but this wouldn't be a Cranky blog if I didn't point out a couple of things that are less than environmentally sound. First is the artificial turf (read plastic) that we know is not only a poor weed barrier, but simply breaks down over time to add more plastic waste to the soil, air, and water. Not only that, it's hotter than plants or even gravel. In addition, adding to the heat are the concrete decorative areas. They are very pretty and make the yard stunning, but they also will release carbon forever. That aside, though, it is a treat to look at. And the homeowner did all the work himself from planning to execution.

Just passing by

Walking Nellie in different areas used to be very easy. Of late, not so much. That doesn't stop me from noticing things on the same streets we walk down almost daily. Of course, as I'm judging how people treat their yards, what colors they chose for the house, and generally whether I approve of their life choices, something striking will show up. Some delightful discoveries made themselves evident.

A birdcage affixed to a palm tree, not holding a bird, but plants:

Wonderful hand painted cinder blocks that act as planters:

A very artistic sunburst security door:

And my personal favorite. a dog and squirrels peacefully co-existing:

It doesn't get better than that.

 

Ta da! At last...

It's done! It's finished! Well...not exactly. Yes, the mosaic is done and I'm happy with the outcome. Neighbors have been gracious with their appreciation. It was a wonderful challenge. And here it is...the planter box mosaic:

Now I know what you're wondering. "What is she going to do with the mess around it? Clearly the setting doesn't do justice to the amount of neck strain that went into that project." And you would be right.  It detracts from the art don'tcha know. So - yes, I have plans for that, as soon as my back recovers. It's all very hard labor for a cranky old lady.

Mostly, however, instead of facing cactus and jade plants and having to muck about in the dreaded thicket, I am planning more mosaics while the weather is nice. Unfortunately, tiling requires a certain temperature range that seems harder and harder to come by lately. It's either waaaaay too hot, or too cold. Like Goldilocks and her porridge, it has to be juuuuust right.

Next project...tally ho!

Yes, even more chicken stories.

Ninja is getting bolder and a lovely neighbor gave me chicken feed until I could figure out a source. He maintains that mealworms are like crack to chickens, and I definitely don't want to encourage addictions in anyone, but I happily started bribing her with her drug of choice. Not that she is in any way prepared to succumb to my charms yet. We are figuring out where her preferred hangouts are so I can make sure she finds feed there, and also so we can check on her multiple times a day. She even deigned to drink from a bowl of water I set out just for her. It's amazing how the littlest things make us dance for joy because the CHICKEN decides she likes something we do for her. Yup -- officially round the bend and I can't even blame Covid-19. So here she is in all her glory:

Now a non-chicken related note -- that tiered pot I spent hours on just to decide the top pot was too big -- yes, I changed it out. And though it looks wilty and sparse right now, there will be dense foliage in a few months. And though the top pot isn't nearly as pretty as the first, it serves the purpose nicely. The pretty pot has been moved to the side yard and will let the geraniums thrive once they catch hold and root. After the marigold debacle, it's nice to have a win.

Tweaking great ideas

I confess that I have great ideas (in my head) every nano-second or so. OK -- so that's not quite true, but every once in awhile I come up with a notion that has potential. And so it was a couple of days ago. I have a beautiful firestick plant in front which used to reach to the sky and displayed delicate yellows and reds. Well, the wind storms we've had lately decided to bend the tallest so it was in danger of falling over. I did what I had to do and cut it off. The top will be planted elsewhere and to all you animal lovers out there, I make sure they are not easily accessible to dogs.

Before:  

 After:

Well, you can see the problem right off. Now there's a big hole in that section of the garden. Aha, says I. I will fill it by putting one large (ugly) pot at the bottom and add a decorative pot that came to me with no bottom, put that one on top and plant the top pot with pretty stuff and the bottom pot with normal succulents and it will fill the space, reduce weeds in that area, and be a nice subtle focal point (if you crossed my yard to take a closer look).

The bottom pot is HUGE and took a great deal of dirt to fill and the top pot was not much smaller -- do you already see the problem? -- and took endless trips back and forth to get the right mix of dirt and potting soil. Wow, I said to anyone who would listen. That's looking great. Now to add a sprig of this and that and oh...whoops, there isn't much room in the bottom pot to plant anything. And even though the roots could grow down and out just fine, there's not room for the actual succulents to look full when they try to grow in.

So while I like the rustic look, guess what I'm going to do. Why yes, pull all that dirt out, take off the top pot, why not, and place another, smaller pot on top, that conveniently enough, also has no bottom. Did I mention that most of my garden pots are scrounged from neighbors who are getting rid of them, or are being put out for bulk pick up? I take them in almost any condition and figure out how to make them work - well at least in theory. So long story short, this is what it looks like today, and won't look like in a couple of days.

Murphy's Law and Other Insights

Murphy had many laws - the most famous of which is, "If something can go wrong, it will." In my case it's more like, "If something can take far longer than it should, it will." So my grand plan of installing the - I hesitate to say art piece - main attraction in the front yard by the end of my vacation is one of those Murphy's law things. Then again, it's frustrating when there are so many projects beckoning, and one wants so badly to finish them. Many good things were accomplished, so that's satisfying, but it would have been better to get a few more items completely ticked off the old TO DO list. The other thing is my version of ADHD. As I walk around the (very extended) neighborhood, I can't help but get excited by some new garden plan or decoration. Having just discovered Pinterest, that also make for more distractions from actually working. Now, realizing that some projects were false starts and having to back-track wasted a bit of time, I don't count that as slacking off. After all, how do you know if you don't try? 

Found another couple of gardens and garden elements I really like. 

This home was mostly boring lawn and then there were these little areas that had cute vignettes. 

The next garden is almost Japanese in feel with slight terracing and plants that  have simple architectural shapes.

The last pictures are my solution to a very boring cracked footpath leading to the house. I didn't like the straight shot to the steps and wanted a sexier curve. I also wanted to use up some stray paving stones, brick and rocks I had managed to scavenge - legally and with permission from owners people. Keep it nice.