I am traveling to Massachusetts today to check out some Hostas with my sister-in-law and her mom! I love hostas: Easy to care for, spread quickly and can be easily divided. They take over the garden and I no longer have to weed!
I started a hosta garden on the side of our driveway. I buy varieties based on their names, not what they look like. It's a mish-mash, but it looks awesome!
So far I have
Pilgrim (in honor of Sam's love for John Wayne)
Spilt Milk (in honor of Abby taking over the farm)
Frances William (in honor of my grandfather whose middle name is Frances)
Amy Elizabeth (in honor of me and my sister Beth)
Vulcan, Captain Kirk, and Enterprise (all in honor of my dad)
Today I am in search of
Andrew (in honor of my brother)
Sparkle (in honor of Hannah)
Cookie Crumbs or Delicious (in honor of Nathalie)
Teatime (in honor of Rachel)
Blue Angel (in honor of my brother Tom)
The Queen (in honor of my grandmother)
Sarah's Sensation (in honor of my sister Sarah)
Rascal or Faith (in honor of Samantha)
Emily Dickinson or Green Eyes (in honor of my sister Emily)
Old Glory or Patriot (in honor of my Father-in-law)
I have been on the search for Johnny Angel in honor of my brother John for a while. It apparently is rare and hard to find.
Showing posts with label gardens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardens. Show all posts
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
A Finished Job
A finished job... well, almost finished.
We have had a "permanently temporary" front steps/walkway for about six years now. When we moved in to this house (good grief! really? 14 years ago?!?!) the original front deck and steps were rotting away and falling down. We jury-rigged it for a few years before Sam finally tore it down and put up a quick set of "temporary" stairs. He fully intended to replace the stairs with a deck within a year. And then life happened. Other projects became priorities. And so the "temporary" stairs became more and more permanent.
Sam and I had been discussing our future in the last few months. With the understanding that the kids are getting older, Sam's parents are getting older, and Sam will be eligible for retirement in eight years (not that I think he'll ever retire), we could potentially have a need/desire to sell this house in the near future. So we began listing projects that would need to have priority if we were to make that decision. The front deck quickly became project number one. And so we set aside our tax refund and hired a contractor: Beauchene and Sons of Canterbury. Rene Beauchene built my parents' house, works quickly, and does great work at a fair price. (Yes, Sam could have built it himself, but since he hadn't gotten to it in six years....)
Early Monday morning Sam tore off the old stairs and deck before going to work (my guy is awesome!). Mr. Beauchene and his son arrived and got straight to work. By lunch time I had a beautiful front deck, large enough for two chairs to set on for watching the sunrise together (as soon as the weather cooperates!).
I can't wait for Spring to get here... of course, there's a snowstorm due in this afternoon...
We have had a "permanently temporary" front steps/walkway for about six years now. When we moved in to this house (good grief! really? 14 years ago?!?!) the original front deck and steps were rotting away and falling down. We jury-rigged it for a few years before Sam finally tore it down and put up a quick set of "temporary" stairs. He fully intended to replace the stairs with a deck within a year. And then life happened. Other projects became priorities. And so the "temporary" stairs became more and more permanent.
Sam and I had been discussing our future in the last few months. With the understanding that the kids are getting older, Sam's parents are getting older, and Sam will be eligible for retirement in eight years (not that I think he'll ever retire), we could potentially have a need/desire to sell this house in the near future. So we began listing projects that would need to have priority if we were to make that decision. The front deck quickly became project number one. And so we set aside our tax refund and hired a contractor: Beauchene and Sons of Canterbury. Rene Beauchene built my parents' house, works quickly, and does great work at a fair price. (Yes, Sam could have built it himself, but since he hadn't gotten to it in six years....)
Early Monday morning Sam tore off the old stairs and deck before going to work (my guy is awesome!). Mr. Beauchene and his son arrived and got straight to work. By lunch time I had a beautiful front deck, large enough for two chairs to set on for watching the sunrise together (as soon as the weather cooperates!).
It will get a coat of stain when the weather warms up. In the garden area we'll plant the near edge of the large deck (in front of the window) with tall white and pink flox, blue irises, blue asters, and pink astilbe. Each of the corners made by the two decks will have a tall pot with annuals along these lines:
And then more pots of annuals will be hanging from under the railing like this:
I can't wait for Spring to get here... of course, there's a snowstorm due in this afternoon...
Friday, April 25, 2008
I cleared out my sewing machine! Woohoo! I found a jumper for Abby that I cut out in January. I wonder if it will still fit her...
All the summer clothes have been unpacked and most have been washed and dried. I think somehow this year we have skipped Spring.
We have been slacking on school lately. Too much real life getting in the way. Not that the children haven't been learning things. Abby has been baking. Nathalie has been dog training. Hannah has been hand sewing all my little mending projects.
The meeting at the school: went better than I had anticipated. I hate it when I think of what I should say long after the opportunity to say it has passed! So I'll say it here: If the child were to be retained, the first few weeks of 2nd grade would be tough. But once she got into the routine she would adjust. Better a little adjustment for a few weeks than spending the entire 3rd grade year struggling to keep up and knowing you are slower than every kid, in every subject.
We have decided this year to let are garden go fallow. Besides the cost of the seedlings (which the van's alternator used up), the garden is just too small to really supply our family what it needs. Last year, before the drought killed our well and we had to stop watering the garden, we picked enough green peas for one meal, anough green beans for 3 meals, and 50 radishes. Our tomatoes and cucumbers succumbed to the drought before giving us any benefits. We'll support our local farmers this year.
All the summer clothes have been unpacked and most have been washed and dried. I think somehow this year we have skipped Spring.
We have been slacking on school lately. Too much real life getting in the way. Not that the children haven't been learning things. Abby has been baking. Nathalie has been dog training. Hannah has been hand sewing all my little mending projects.
The meeting at the school: went better than I had anticipated. I hate it when I think of what I should say long after the opportunity to say it has passed! So I'll say it here: If the child were to be retained, the first few weeks of 2nd grade would be tough. But once she got into the routine she would adjust. Better a little adjustment for a few weeks than spending the entire 3rd grade year struggling to keep up and knowing you are slower than every kid, in every subject.
We have decided this year to let are garden go fallow. Besides the cost of the seedlings (which the van's alternator used up), the garden is just too small to really supply our family what it needs. Last year, before the drought killed our well and we had to stop watering the garden, we picked enough green peas for one meal, anough green beans for 3 meals, and 50 radishes. Our tomatoes and cucumbers succumbed to the drought before giving us any benefits. We'll support our local farmers this year.
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