That's It! That's All She Wrote! Finis! (I think...)

In Yesterday's post, I'd mentioned stretching fine, plastic "deer fencing" over the leaves used as mulch on several of my flower beds. This same fencing is often sold for stretching over ponds in the Fall - to keep out the fallen leaves. This is what it looks like (below).

You might want to click on the photo below to enlarge it.. so you can see the netting.

Tah-dah! My raking is completed! I know the yard won't stay this pristine,
but whatever happens now... happens. :-)

Perhaps if you click on the photos below, you'll see more detail. There's a bed at the left of the shed. The Woodland Walk begins at the right side of the shed. The Backyard Center beds are in the foreground on the left of this photo and stretch into the next two photos.
The LUMP of leaves by the shed, mentioned in yesterday's post is gone... the ravine is in the "Way Back"... again, if you click on the photos, you'll see it.

There are flower beds all over. But I've finished raking!

The only thing that occurred to me this afternoon was... perhaps I should find some very low, inexpensive fencing to put in the center and at the edge of the Woodland Walk to keep the leaves from blowing off.

I was not able to stretch the fencing over these beds. Too many trees. ;-)

Nothing Shady here today... the leaves are nearly fallen!
Have a great week!

Does Hard Work Outdoors Make You Happy, Too?

Yes, I'm a little tired tonight,
but what a good feeling!

Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Shady and I worked on the front, south, and north yards (in the front).
I also tossed piles of leaves over all the flowerbeds, cutting some of the tall flowers back as I went. As I was out of town yesterday morning, I ventured into a downtown hardware store (purveyor of anything and everything anyone might ever want!) and purchased "deer fence" (a plastic netting 7' wide by 100' long) that I spread over three beds, tacking it down as I went. (Doesn't that sound efficient?) I've been waiting to get outdoors to do this ForEver! ;-)

And yes, between the two of us, we hauled at least 5 large tarp-loads of leaves to the backyard ravine. Yea!

Today, I began in earnest on the leaves in the backyard... see below.
You may want to click on the photos to be able to appreciate the numbers of leaves!

Ten tarp-loads (raked and hauled) later, it looks somewhat better, don't you think?

For your information, if oak leaves are left to lie, and decompose, on the grass - they kill it.
It is hard to grow grass in a very shady area, but what I have established - I'd like to keep!

Do you remember that there are flower beds somewhere under these leaves?

If you look very closely, there's a huge lump of leaves between the trees and shed that Mr. Shady was unable to haul yesterday. My goal for tomorrow afternoon is to load and haul away those leaves, rake around the far side of the beds, in front of the shed and to the house, and generally "clean up" before I am forced to stop! I'm guessing there's a total of 10 more tarp-loads...

As Huck Finn once implied... This is Fun! Wouldn't you like to try?? ;-)

Nothing Shady there... we'd have a great time together!
Have a great week!

Such a Lot of Rain in October!

On October 28, we received a lot of rain!

(Yes... I'm taking the photo through the closed window... tooo much rain!)

Because I'd not emptied our rain gauge, I thought we'd received 5" over the day...
however, I was wrong.

But - I wonder if we didn't receive about 3" that morning.

Prior to this, while I was visiting my parents, Mr. Shady and our wonderful neighbors

removed a chain link fence and dug a ditch to facilitate the drainage of the abundant rainfall we've received during these past two years.

Perhaps you can see that it's working!!! Yea!

It was Frosty this morning... video added later!

NOPE!

I can wait for Frosty the Snowman's appearance!


But when I went outdoors to rake leaves this morning, I found it so beautiful outdoors!
Everything was frosted...

Please take the time to click on each of these three photos for a closeup of the frost. :-)

I think this is 'Trevi Fountain' pulmonaria...
looking towards 'Baby Blue.' (lungwort)

This is 'Purple Petticoats' Heuchera (coral bells).

And this is Sweet Woodruff.

While we wait for Frosty's appearance, you can actually watch my slideshow! :-)

It's getting less and less shady over here... the leaves are falling off the trees! ;-) I will probably have to wait until Saturday to do some raking, though. How is your November going? We are anticipating a few nice, sunny, warmish days!

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day - November 2009

I Don't Know How

(this year has gone so quickly)

Spring - 'twas wonderfully pleasantin weather and in flower --

Summer- 'twas extremely shyof norm, so cool and rainy --

Fall has felt quite fleeting,
quite damp with fallen temps --


And now we see November.

November,

sweet November

May allow yet time to see
(photos above and below taken October 28, 2008 - things looking unusually green)

me outdoors with my yardwork
as I long to be.
(photo above taken October 25, 2009 - same plants from above... fall-yellow)

Wouldn't YOU like to participate in Garden Bloggers' Muse Day? Carolyn Gail of Sweet Home and Garden Chicago originated this popular Muse. You could create your own post. But even if you don't, visit her site to see hers (click here) and find out who else is participating! :-)

Oh, Yea! Check Out This Tree!

I Couldn't Help Myself!

We really needed another tree!

(click on any of the photos...)

(flag marks the spot)

So, I called for help! Some great friends/folks from our local Nursery accomodated me.


















Getting ready to plant...












Oh! Isn't this getting exciting?

Yea! Look at that!
I had to give a hug! :-)

Well, what do you think?

We planted a 'Sunburst' (seedless, thornless) Honey Locust tree.
(Some nice information if you click above link. It'll be fine here, as it will tolerate partial sun)

Beautiful Spring foliage.
Nice filtered shade.
30 to 40 feet tall... someday.

Pretty as a picture!

Not toooo shady. ;-)

Would You Plant Just One More Tree If You Lived Here?

I'll let YOU decide!

This photo of the front of our house was taken in May 2004. The two large trees at the left of center were removed by mid-June 2005. There was a problem that I cannot seem to recall.

As an aside, you might notice my "Sunny Corner Bed" was not so sunny then. It used to be a bed of iris that had become overgrown and crowded, resulting in very few blossoms. We'd moved into this house in October 2002, so the previous Spring had shown the need for reworking this bed! :-)

Now the photo below was taken April 23, 2008. You can see the cluster of three shagbark hickory trees was still standing in the front yard... they provided a wonderful shade canopy, as well as a beautiful accent.

Here's are two more photos, taken July 31, 2008 of these beautiful trees.

This one might give you an idea as to the proximity of the trees to the front of the house.

However, they were three separate trees competing for root space and light source. They were just WAY too close to the house. Hence, they had to leave the premises (especially after I'd watched a wind storm push them around and nearer the house!) See this post from last Summer.

The photo below was taken November 27, 2008.
Does it look a little bare over there?
Even with my sister's little tree in the foreground?

I thought perhaps you'd agree with me. :-)
My next post will show you what I had done just recently!