Friday, June 14, 2013

Journal Notes...Wiring Irrigation, backyard project,etc (really long and boring)

This post is my journal entry.  It is long, detailed, and picture heavy.  It is for my reference.  Feel free to ignore it.
The huge rose garden (well over 3000 sq feet) is getting irrigated.  This will be the last step.  I have a manifold in place that is to cover six zones that will be automated.  My husband is running wire to the back porch for the console.  Here, he has dug a trench.  


Underneath a path.  Need to remember this when deciding what materials to put on this downward sloping path.

He used some type of triangle hoe?

He also used this thing.

This is the six valve manifold.  I couldn't begin to tell you about this thing but I have a feeling I will learn shortly.

It is running through the middle of one of the legs of this L shaped rose garden.
My wonderful husband wiring it.
Began screening the other leg of the L

Steeply sloped both laterally, and vertically.

Need to move container plants, considering planting the hibiscus, outright thinking the other trees will shield in winter.

I am having an issue with how my paths are going to run.  This garden is clearly done by an amateur.  I thought I had a plan but it seems to be doing it's own.

NOTE....if you are doing a big project like this...BUY IN BULK.  Sam's has 225 of screen with staples for about 20 dollars.

Mowed this area, unlike other areas where I let the weeds stay.  Yes, I know better and probably lazy but only relatively.  I work on this garden in the raging heat.  If I don't do something, they will die, so yes, I suppose I am lazy and next year will know better.  All that being said, the mowing made the screen flatter.  NOTE.  When planting beds and intending to do screens.  Be sure to plant in straight lines.  This was a whole lot easier.

Bought 500 sod staples at a time off Ebay which were better and half the price of anywhere.

I am concerned that the holes are not large enough for water to get through.  Will probably drip irrigate.  I think the screen is semi permeable but I see it pool so I am thinking, no.  Also, does the black screen, heat the plant even further despite being under mulch (i.e. radiant energy?)

Used brick to outline.  This is a whole lot straighter than the other leg of the L.

Used pins to push down bulk.  Concerned about the mulch erroding away.  Thinking about putting scrap wood or running the tubes to prevent.  But to use the tubes would  be inefficient.

Does look better but need to smoothe out dirt where the pipes were ran.  For the record, a ditch witch was used and weeds grow in no time.  Next year, consider not using rye grass here.

I wanted to have this area (one side of the pipe) screened by bloom day (arbitrary deadline).  Using cedar mulch on the front part but probably will use leaves as the filler on the back.  At some point, I want to smoothe out the brick.

This side looks so much smoother than the other.  Probably because of more spacing between plants.

The plants that are screened and mulched seem to look better.  Could be an illusion because I don't see weeds around them.  The further up the slope, the more water needs.

Corner of the L.  Not sure if how I am going to run a path.  Most of this area will not be mulched.  Leave as grass? Gravel?  I don't want it to be a "formal" path.

Isabella is an amazing rose.  I can't wait to see her bloom.  I created a rose!  I think.  But she is very tolerant of things and looks very healthy compared to the other roses around her.

Screening more the garden

Camera fogged because of being inside and then going outside in incredible humidity.

Mulching another section.  That pussy willow I thought was a gonner is not dead.  The top maybe but the bottom is growing.





Put cypress mulch under cedar.


Almost to the pipe.

Pen needs weeding and mowing.  The morning glories are starting to grow on the weeds.

Mom gave my a Golden Rain Tree that I planted in the front field.

Bougainvillea needed to be repotted and pruned.



The wildflowers I planted in the front field must have reseeded because I see zinnia and sulphur cosmos.

My willow tree.

St. Joseph's Coat

St. Patrick


I don't know.  Need to tag better.


2 comments:

Jean Campbell said...

Your personal journaling is perhaps the best part of your blog. It's like coming over to your place and seeing what you've been doing, what's blooming and the latest project.

We're fortunate to have patient husbands who know how to make things work.

Cerberus German shepherds said...

Thanks, Nell. Last year I used Facebook but as I got more into gardening I found it to be cumbersome at best. I found myself referencing it to see what worked and what didn't. I found blogging to be a much more useful too. I do have an incredibly wonderful husband, with an engineering background, 15 acres, and lots of tools which has been a blessing. I like the journal as well...it might be boring to most but for me...it lets me know what I should and should not do....from what has and has not worked...he is a wonderful man.