Hiding the woodpile
Hiding the woodpile
June 11, 2006: The mower that I did have used to reside behind the woodpile and since it is no more I really miss calling what I do - Knowing Mowing - but maybe I can come up with some other catch phrase. Now my Dad did try to get the mower running again for me back in April. He actually is really good at that mechanical stuff and he also carves in plastic. I guess that’s who I take (the artist side of me, not the yard care side) after. Anyway in April I took the tarp off the old mower (it had been as I said behind the woodpile all winter) loaded it into the trunk of my 1998 Camry (yes it has a huge trunk) and took it to Dads’ Fix It Shop (AKA the garage). A few weeks later I got it back. Rust scrapped off, painted and in running order. So I mowed a little along the path and then put it back behind the woodpile, covered it back up and waited for the grass to grow. . . A couple of weeks later I went out to start my - Knowing Mowing - in earnest. But, it must have thought it was winter again with the cold and wet spring we were having and went back into hibernation. No matter how hard I pulled the cord or pumped the primer it would not start. I like to of pulled my arm off trying. No go. So I gave it back to Dad and went on to my hacking, scything and yanking. Not as lyrical a - Knowing Mowing - but much better exercise, and I actually like it better. I can see better what I am doing and it leaves more to work with (wow that’s a cool spin) as well as using NO GAS.
So here we are (still on June 11) using the plants I took out of the patio path to try and hide the woodpile. What a mess (you know until you take a photo you just don't see it, all I see is fuel and money saved on oil - not that I have an oil furnace).
June 11, 2006 Tiger Lilies and tall Daisy plants (in wheelbarrow) ready to be planted,
You take the sod off and put it aside. Then dig out the soil and put into a wheelbarrow. Then put the sod into the bottom of the bed upside down. Then put the soil back in.
June 11, 2006 the bed I am digging is what is called double-dug.
This method uses sod to mulch and feed the bed and the soil that was at the bottom to plant in. Now some words of caution: Make sure you don't, say, back a car into one of these double-dug beds. Take it from me it is not a pretty sight especially in February. "Oh, that bed will be frozen. I can just drive over it.." WRONG! The soil in these beds tend to stay pretty loose for a long time. "How can my tires be buried that deep! I didn't dig it that deep in first place." Ah. The wonderful world of nature.
Ok, it will be a while (like years) before the plants grow enough to cover that. But that is how I heat the house. It's kind of hard hiding seven cords of wood. I like to keep enough for two years of mild winters on the ground.
Note that the wheelbarrow is actually sitting on the mostly grown over gravel path. More coming about that...