"renovating" my yard/garden

[manfred]

O.K. ! here's the deal: I'm going to present my yard as a topic of discussion, just for the fun of it, and because I am admitting that I certainly don't have all the good ideas.
So,... you have a pretty basic 20 meter by 50 meter square with the house in the southeast end, (bottom of the rectangle) near the street, 2M. from the east fence and 3M. from the south fence (which is yet 1.5M. from the south street curb). keep in mind that the rectangle width is the street front, and the length is the depth of our lot , going out to our back fence. I must also mention that we have 2.5 meter road/alley that runs the west fence on our side, about half way to the back with a .6 M. retaining wall up to the house ground elevation
Paul,(sleepy), already has some inside track on our house project, but this is the yard up for discussion:
There is a balcony on the full south end of the house where we like to sit in summer. No matter where we look, there's mountains. Let this kick off the ideas, ..more info to follow, where necessary. Manfred

[Biggles]

Hello Manfred--

This is really an interesting project you have put forward for us --I hope you are not in any rush--(at least a few days) so we can 'design' and come up with several ideas!!

Have you any particular Plants you would like to incorporate into your garden?

I would like to ask you a couple of questions though-

Have you any children to consider and if so what age group?
Are you just wanting an easily maintained garden?
Did you want to grow any vegetables etc.? (in Containers)
Have you a Greenhouse?
Would you consider just Container Plants so you could alternate them during the Seasons?

Here is hoping 'we' come up with some ideas to suit you--Bigs

[manfred]

Hello Bigs!
Childern 2= out of house now, one 10 yr, one 13 yr boys
otherwise only Ann and I

Lilac, presently at the east end of our deck, but sadly in the way of the old walkway around trhe east side. Ann would like to renew the walkway, we both would like to smell the lovely lilac in season,( from the deck?). not sure where to transplant it. A machine will do it.
I have one elderberry (of course, in my case), It can stay put by the fence.
no greenhouse yet anyway
no garden for the past few years
Two larger dogs. Yeah,... I know. that is a problem.
22 birdhouses. The birds are necessary, but they eat my elder.

[maggyd]

It would be helpfull if you could provide us with some photos Manfred, there is a lot to take in and pics would give us a better idea of exactly what you have and where! My bungalow sounds a if it is in roughly the same position as you even down to the pathway that runs at the other side of our West side fence which drops down on the otherside. The Lilac is going to take some moving if it is big as its roots will have travelled quite away! I would be tempted to cut it down and take it out replace with a new one further away they arent very expensive and as you sound youngish (youngish children)!! you have plenty of time to watch it grow, you can always transplant the old one at the bottom of the garden and it will shelter your garden from the Northerly winds.

I would be very interested to know exactly where you are? as the Mountains sound wonderfull. come on get that camera out and let us see what your at!!

[manfred]

Hi I guess 55 is youngish. I started late. I'll have to send some pics. I live in British Columbia, Canada, surrounded by the fantastic Rocky Mountains, so we can look up to the 3000m heights from our town base of only 500 m (roughly). Let me figure out how to send a pic, perhaps using "photobucket", and give you a link. Leave it with me. i'll be seeing my computer guru son soon.

[maggyd]

Photobucket is fairly easy Manfred If I can use it anyone can and Im ten years older than you so you are young!! I would love to see photo,s of your lovely mountains too, I live on the side of the Cleveland hills but they are nothing compared to what you look at the highest point is Roseberry Topping and it is only 320m.

[manfred]

Thanks, I've been in there once before but I have not properly recorded the user name and/or password properly and no matter what I try' I can't get in lately. My son knows how to get around that, but i haven't seen hide nor hair of him in his "off-time" . It doesn't help that I am also deep into house reno and find so little time with this fun stuff. I will get to it, though, mark my word!!

[Biggles]

You are forgiven Manfred-so long as you dont forget to get back to us so we can see the progress you are making whether House-wise or Garden-wise-

I might even give you a gentle reminder if you forget ;D--Bigs

[maggyd]

Mar 12, 2009 22:25:13 GMT 1 @manfred said:

Thanks, I've been in there once before but I have not properly recorded the user name and/or password properly and no matter what I try' I can't get in lately. My son knows how to get around that, but i haven't seen hide nor hair of him in his "off-time" . It doesn't help that I am also deep into house reno and find so little time with this fun stuff. I will get to it, though, mark my word!!

As long as you have your user name M you should be able to click (forgotten password) and they will send you the information they should have your e.mail address.

[manfred]

okeedokeee I now have some pictures you can look at in Photo bucket. My guru son helped me get it all fixed up!!! Here is the link:
s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/manfred_photo/ . There are some nice pictures of our mountains and the lake, and of course, my house, just the front view. I will get my computer guru son to take some more pics when the sun shines tomorrow.

[jennywren]

Ah Ha I was just going to ask where you lived Manfred and took a guess, Canada - I recognized the terrain - but then I notice you mention this in a post above

I visited Campbell River one year - awesome place

Lovely photos

[Sleepy]

Mar 17, 2009 5:26:40 GMT 1 @manfred said:

okeedokeee I now have some pictures you can look at in Photo bucket. My guru son helped me get it all fixed up!!! Here is the link:
s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/manfred_photo/ . There are some nice pictures of our mountains and the lake, and of course, my house, just the front view. I will get my computer guru son to take some more pics when the sun shines tomorrow.

Wow! What a lovely home Manfred. And such wonderful views!!!

[maggyd]

What a fantastic house and them view are to die for the planting around the house looks lovely Im going back for another look we need some of the rest of your garden Manfred if you are wanting advise on that.

[maggyd]

Just a tip if you had right clicked the image code and copied it then on your thread right clicked again and pasted leave 2 spaces between each link - have a look at peview if it works then post your reply. Just practice it it doesnt matter at all if it goes wrong we dont mind just practice.

[bogmyrtle]

Stunning views Manfred, and a fabulous house, what a wonderful place to live. Looking forward to seeing more photographs, thanks for posting those.

[manfred]

Good Morning from western Canada! yeah,... we do have a fun place to live. i know the pics in Photobucket are not that revealing of what the house looks like, but , assuredly,..more are on the way, now that I have things figured out. I'm at about grade two level computer, but I have to be careful, as many grade two-ers are getting real good at it. I'm just way behind!
The lilac is to the left of the balcony, and the elderberry is more right of center, near the fence. acchh I need more explanitory pics. Consider them on the way. Some might say it doesn't need much work, but gardening is progressive. Manfred

[maggyd]

Every garden is an ongoing project Manfred its just a continual merrygoround of cutting back digging out and planting!! but we love it I mean what else would we find to keep us occupied?

[alicat]

Ditto everyone else Manfred, you have aq lovely house and surroundings. Looking forward to seeing your garden pictures.

Maggy you are so right, two years ago we changed our garden and built veg beds, now it's all change again.

[manfred]

Hi again, Here is the link to Photobucket again:
s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq24/manfred_photo/
and,voila,...some more much less beautiful views of my first base reno stage of the yard. See the junk pile at the north end of the basement window, where, as I was telling Sleepy, my interior renos began? The pole in the front is slated to go by the authorities, yet it houses my birds?!* . Note the truck is parked in the side alley.). The back shed is in dire need of siding, roofing, window. Note the grapevines on front end of shed, and SE corner. They need to be moved, and shed needs to be "done". Note the white lilac in the NE corner of the house. It is so out of the way that no one even smells it when it's short season happens. I really want to get a machine in and level the ground, re sod it and place in some plants, raised garden, or?? Manfred

Edit: Sorry, link was broken. Now it's fixed.

[maggyd]

That links not working sorry Manfred!! you need to click preview when you post a link and see if its working Why dont you do individual photo,s using the (img;code-)right click on the mouse -copy-then past onto your thread. Just practice with one at a time and see how you go.

[manfred]

hi It is dark in B.C. now, but probably equally dark in England! Sorry Maggy, my guru son fixed the link(so he says!!). In an afterthought I considered a shot off of the roof into the south front yard. Tomorrow! I'd like to re-do the balcony and put a sidewalk (refresh the grown-in one) from the stairs east and around the corner. This will require me to move the (or replace the) lilac on the east corner of the sidewalk. What are your collective thoughts on the fence and the area toward the street? I've considered putting concrete for winter parking, with several holes recessed in the concrete for flush potted plants, which get removed in the winter and covered with a tapered concrete lid, that covers the holes, permitting driving over. See,...they don't allow parking on the street in winter because of the snow plows. If I park on the non street portion like I did last winter it is no problem. I end up real close to the fence, but it works. I also end up with a huge snow pile at the east end, which last year wrecked my fence And the fence should maybe footed in concrete as well). The pole that is slated to be removed has lovely virginia creeper all over it and my birdie condo. I want to maybe talk the authorities into cutting it off just above the bird houses and leaving it with a large house number on top. ah who knows. manfred

[maggyd]

Hi Manfred if your going to move the lilac on the east corner you would be better cutting it down to maybe a couple of foot! that way it would be easier to move and it should sprout again maybe Sleepy can come in on this and advise.

Why not instead of Concrete use a membrain and cover with pebbles? and you could stand pots on that or even just a couple of slabs to stand pots on.

Can you get Concrete Post in Canada something like I have here




Once these are set in they are very sturdy and wouldnt be moved by snow.

[Sleepy]

I wouldn't be so severe Maggy. The shock of the move and the heavy pruning would do for it I would think. Move it when it is dormant. As a rough guide you want to dig up a root ball that is 1' wide for every 1" of trunk diameter. Replant to the same depth that it was before, and give the new excavation a good forking and a liberal sprinkling of bonemeal before replanting (well forked in). And of course stake well wth two stakes at 45 degrees to each other. Water well until established.

In my opinion anyway

[manfred]

:)Thanks Maggy and Sleepy! If it was not for the fact that Lilac are such an intoxicating perfume, the short season of this experience might suggest a mock orange instead, almost equally nice perfume, and I think it's a bit longer, but would it survive the intense sun and heat? moving it out beyond and to the edge of the sidewalk is my idea. it can then be trimmed to allow the walking.
Also, Ann, my wife , suggested the city wouldn't go for concrete, as they need quick sewer line access to the street in case of a dig. the authorities always have a way of throwing a damper on things!! She's prob. right. asphalt Pavement would be more acceptable, I think. It's just that If I get away with parking on the strip, like I did last winter, the wheels make quite a rut in the lawn grass. The idea being that it needs to be pretty solid to survive my winter park. We do get a lot of snow most winters. Manfred

[maggyd]

We can get old paving stones from the Council yards here Manfred have you asked your Council? you could put a couple of lines where the wheels go and put pebbles in the middle! that way they could be lifted if needs be.