Update on the Rye Grass / Sons-Before-The-Fathers

This is where we were last weekend...

but after a week of daily watering and lots of late Summer SC Sunshine here's where we are now.

The trees suck all the moisture out of the ground and the soil is so acid that i cannot grow warm season grass but this annual rye seems to love it and helps the soil - so yeah!

The Sons-Before-The-Fathers

 I also wanted to show you the Fall blooms on the Sons-Before-The-Fathers plant that was the mystery plant earlier this year. Don't be fooled, the foliage you see is some sad old variagated lirope border grass. The flowers have no foliage.

This is the plant that has leaves in the Spring dies back,

 then in the Fall these crocus like flowers appear apparently with no leaves. It is an interesting plant. Not native to the South as I understand but it is common in Maine - where the lady who lived in the house from 1901 - 1946 was from -

so who knows we may have an heirloom pass along.

Have a great weekend!

Aerating the lawns

   The front yard here had ivy covering every inch of it for decades - ivy is evil. It sucks all the life and energy from the soil. One inch under the grass the soil has the consistency of dry cake mix - powdery and dead. I have spent years adding compost and topsoil trying to bring life back to the yard. In the back yard the riding mower, bicycles, scooters all compact and harden the ground.

   I decided it was time to aerate. I rented a pull behind aerator from the local rental center. I was happily surprised to find that it was only $29.00 for a one day rental. From Friday afternoon when school let out until 4 p.m. on Saturday it was mine!

   Round and round, figure eights, wandering wavy lines - i tilled the front yard for at least an hour. I then went to the back yard where i let my eleven year old son help me since the areas are not as tight as they are in the front yard. He was happy to drive around with a "new toy" - and i needed a break from that riding mower seat. Now we are just waiting on some Fall rain to come and renew our yards, and our spirits.

Update on the lawn....

I decided to go ahead and seed the front yard with annual rye seed. i watered it every afternoon - but i could see nothing changing. Yesterday was cloudy all day, then last night we had a really good thunder shower, lots of good soaking rain. This morning I got up and saw the flush of green starting! i can't grow grass under those trees during the Summer but we can have a lush green lawn for the cooler Fall and Winter months. If it's cool I can get it last until May. Can you see the lush green of the grass coming?

Sunday Afternoon Rain

Jack and I went out on to the porch after lunch as we often do on Sunday afternoons. He sits and watches the cars drive by or keeps the cats in their place. I often listen to music and fall asleep, bad head bobbing propbably provides passers-by some entertainment.

Not long after we got outside it began to start a nice slow soaking in rain. The kind of rain that Garrison Keeler would memorialize on Prairie Home Companion. It was a great 30 minutes of calm and quiet.

The rain on the metal roof of the porch was so relaxing.

Bathroom Ceiling is finished!

i got the green paint and everything is finished - i love how clean everything feels. With that dark border and the pink that room always felt dark. Then when the ceiling was slowly falling down, the room was dark and dirty feeling. Now it's light airy and CLEAN! i'm happy to be done.

Now i'm moving out onto the porch ceiling outside the bathroom to see how clean i can get that. it shouldn't be as bad as the bathroom. thanks for checking by.

New Ceiling Goes In

Now that I am out of school for the Summer I have time to take on a project that i have been putting off for SEVERAL years. We had a bad leak in the front bathroom when the proch roof leaked. I have been dreading this job and putting it off with any excuse. This month I decided it was time to "just do it!"

I ripped out the old ceiling which was some kind of pressed fiber board - that was THE nastiest job i have done in restoring this old house. NASTY!

Once the old ceiling was ripped out and cleaned up I put up a nice thick layer of insulation. The electrician came, rewired the room, and put in four lights!

I decided that real bead board was the best choice for me to put the ceiling back in place because the room is small and i don't think i could have fit sheets of anything above my head in that tight space. The bead board took a while but really wasn't that hard. Fitting the boards around the round light openings was very hard.

I think the ceiling turned out good and strong - i don't think i'll have to worry about that ceiling falling down again!

I then had to remove the wall paper border that was apparently super glued to uppermost edge of the wall. Several large pieces came off - but most were the size of postage stamps - again  - a nasty job.

I put up two types of crown molding around the edge - all i can say is thank God for caulking! that was the hardest thing i have ever done - i have done base molding - but crown molding is much harder for some reason.

Next comes the painting - which i love -
the ceiling and trim will all be bright white and i'm thinking powdery green or yellow for the walls -
i'll keep you posted.

Ready for the 4th of July

We love to decorate for the seasons. I got the bunting hung yesterday. Symmetry - it's good thing!

Back from the beach

My family has been going to the same condo at Garden City, SC since the 1980's. It is neat to now be taking my children to the same place where i went when i was younger. The Condos look better than they ever did. They survived hurricane Hugo and the whole area has really recovered nicely. The condos face Murrel's Inlet on the back side. This is a pristine ecosystem, where much of the seafood eaten locally comes from. My son spent most of his time fishing with buddies his age. I tried to empress on him how special this area of the state is and how terrible it would be if toxic oil were put into the oyster beds. Crabs and the fish are plentiful - it really is a beautiful alive area.

Since many of you are into architecture like i am i thought you might like to see the "spaceship" house that is next door to the condos. I've never seen anyone there - the local marina owner said that once the owner came and took him into the house. Said he made him take off his shoes - it was a time capsule back into the 70's - shag carpet avacado appliances, a real trip!

These birds are everywhere around the area. The bright tip of orange on their wing is the only nice thing about them - you can see that he is not the least bit worried about me.

A sego palm in bloom.

The camera really didn't do justice to the beautiful dark purple hydrangea plantings.

This close up looks blue - but was rich purple.

The landscaping is full of these oliander plants these are approximately 8 to 10 feet high.

This little flower is everywhere and grows and thrives wild. The camera really did capture the brightness of these flowers - they were just that bright.

I think i might have to get a hibiscus and give it a try - so beautiful!

We had a great relaxing time - I hope the area isn't transformed by oil the next time i get to go there. Forecasters have said that if the oil in the gulf gets around Florida it would head straight up the east coast to Ga, and SC. I really hope not.

Newspaper under the pinestraw

I save the Sunday paper each week. Colored coupons don't last - they turn to powdery dust, but the plain old newprint can last up to two or three years if covered and not exposed to sunlight. It's cheap and really does a great job of retaining moisture in this hot dry bed, as well as good weed control.

I clean the area of all weeds place the dry newprint in layers about 8 sheets of paper thick and spray lightly with the hose pipe (garden hose). Then I cover the wet newsprint with a thick layer of pinestraw. The final product makes me happy. Schools out - I get two months to destress and work in the yard.

I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny.

“I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny. But we can have lot's of good fun that is funny!” says the Cat in the Hat. Gardeners just say thank you Lord for all this good soaking rain. I have an update on the Sunny Border, and then i'm off to celebrate my birthday with my family - look out Outback - country come to town!

You can see that everything has come back and filled in nicely. It's been hot here and many things are pumped and doing good. This is an unnamed daylily from a old gentleman breder here in town. He sells his culled out trials once a year in the Spring.

Echinaciea have come back nicely and are really filling in. A new sea holly is tucked in behind it and will make a nice contrast to the pinks and yellows in this area.

The mandilla vines are loving the heat and now all the rain we have had here in the Upstate of SC. They should be grabbing their frameworks by next week or so.

The center of the bed features an Italian Cyprus Tree, Shasta Daisies, and yellow daylilies.

Sunny Border

 

My saved Mandevilla plants have successfully made in through the Winter, and have been placed back into the front Sunny Border. They grow about as fast as kudzu so - they are doin' fine! I'm so proud. 

Here's a close up shot showing how healthy they are -

i think the black cow will make them happy too.

  

The knockout Rose i got for my birthday last year is doing good - this one is a lighter pink that i got from the clearance rack at the end of Summer last year. I love the soft pink. I'll be curious to see how they like the hot sun this summer. 

    

Here's one of the new peonies we are trying out. I've never attempted to grow peonies - they seem so hard according to what conditions need to be prepared. I know one thing - they are loving the bright sun in the front bed. I hope they like hot and dry July.

  

This planter is at the bottom of the steps leading into the new White Garden in the Circle Yard.

This guara plant didn't do that great last year, this year it is singing loudly. Below is close up.

 Finally our newest addition, Hosta June. The bright green looks good in the White Garden, it really shines out from the shadows. I bought it downtown at our Spring Festival - i love to have memories attached to plants.