How about a pretty picture to start? The ‘Coralburst’ crabapple we planted last year is doing great and putting on a beautiful show. When our dog Hudson died we planted a Picea glauca ‘Hudsonii’ for him and Mr. Much More Patient decided we should plant a tree for our dog Rita while she was still with it so she could enjoy it too. We couldn’t find a tree with Rita in the name so we opted for something pretty and girly instead. We’ve taken her picture by it while it’s in bloom the last two years and I hope we’ll have many more photos like that.
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| Although the area around the tree is mulched, that whole area is getting really weedy. The weed torch will be making an appearance this weekend too. |
The weather has been wonderful here so most of this week’s finds are all about summer. Bring it on!
I like to drink cocktails and experiment a bit in summer. Last summer I perfected a real dacquiri (not the sugary fruit laden variety but simple, crisp and limey). This gimlet sounds pretty good.
Are you using a spiralizer? Tell me if it’s worth it. I hate to have kitchen gadgets everywhere so if I’m going to use them, they have to be something that’s worth the space.
If you’re into white gardens (as I predicted many people would be in my Garden Trends for 2016), here are some very pretty ones.
You’ll notice a new addition to the sidebar over there ————>
I’ve created a very small Amazon shop featuring some of my favorite gardening gear. Honestly it’s as much to help me find the things I buy frequently as anything else. Some of it is flashy and some is rather mundane (garden twist ties, for instance), but once I find something I like I tend to stick with it. Those are affiliate links which means I may get a percentage back if you buy something. That helps me buy plants to tell you about! 😉
I enjoy this blog because you never know what you’re going to read about. It might be tiling a bathroom, digging a fence post hole or chickens. It’s just a cool chick doing cool stuff, mostly on her own.
That’s it folks. There is SO MUCH TO DO this weekend! I have to finish up container planting, oodles of work in the garden, find homes for all the plants (I can’t keep up with the watering anymore so stuff needs to get in the ground), sailing, my nephew’s high school graduation and so much more. What’s on your agenda this weekend?
4 Responses
Hi! I love your blog and have been following it for months now but haven't commented yet. First off, I'm sorry about your dog. My two are getting older and I dread the day…
I noticed that you use a weed torch. I have one that I bought to help keep my huge expanse of pavestone driveway and patio weed free, but I've been disappointed in it. It seems to have no effect on green weeds, they don't seem bothered by it at all unless I spend a good bit of time with each one…it's certainly not quick. People love them though so I must be doing something wrong. Any tips?
Thanks for the nice comments on Rita. What kind of weed torch do you have? I started with a small one with a screw-on propane canister and was disappointed. I got a larger one (I think it's called a Red Dragon but I'll have to check), that hooks up to a 20-pound propane tank and that seems to take care of things. I do have to spend a few seconds on the healthy weeds, but I just burn them until the foliage wilts and turns bright green. That helps weaken the weed and draw energy from the root (vs. incinerating it and still having healthy roots to push up new growth). Unless the weeds are really little I have to hit them a couple times. It's not perfect, but it's still better than any other method I've found for large areas like paths.
I have the screw on gas can. Not enough fire power. I've been using a flat metal ice scraper tool to slice off the weeds lately, its the fastest thing I've tried. Doesn't kill them but they eventually die after having their head removed a couple of times, and the patio looks better right away.
Working on wedding flowers now and freaking out a bit because my roses were supposed to be peachy pink and they are definitely orangey peach. Too late to figure something else out so hopefully it's okay with the bride…
They photograph beautifully so that's what matters most. I do not own a spiralizer and given my kitchen purchasing that should say it all. Have you ever had zucchini "pasta"? If you dream of long, slimy, disturbing strands of the world's least valuable vegetable, you will love it! I like to sear zucchini in a cast iron skillet so it gets some caramelization and then bake it really quickly with a deep marinara and some cheese. Similar flavors but actually respecting what zucchini wants to be! Do you ever publish kitchen stuff of Friday finds and groan knowing I will chime in?