Category Archives: garden

We’d lived in this house for years before I started giving the hedge an annual haircut. I wonder how it wasn’t growing crazy out-of-control in the earlier years of neglect. I guess it’s not really a hedge, it’s a bush that could be a hedge but for whatever reason someone planted it under the bedroom window.

This time I did it in a big rush because I was in this obsessive drive to complete as many good weather dependent projects as possible.

Also I did the 150 bulb project.

Bob said, “You don’t really have 150 bulbs.”

I said, “Yes, really.”

Then I brought in the bags. They were 75 per bag on sale for $17.99. I took a photo but I think it’s still inside the camera.

Once I started digging I remembered that 150 bulbs is not as bad as it sounds.

The first time I planted bulbs I only bought about 25 and dug 25 holes and thought it was the worst. Then I saw my little pitiful individual 25 flowers and realized I was doing it wrong.

This time I dug trenches and planted 25 at a time. It’s going to look cool in the spring.

While I was planting I kept finding previously planted bulbs and I thought it would be a terrific idea to take a photo in the spring so I know what areas need bulbs. Then I remembered that I did that last spring. I have no idea where the photo is, probably in a photo folder called “garden” with 900 other photos of flowers and pumpkins in it.

I need an app that will keep a photo of my garden that I take in the spring and email it to me in the fall when it’s time to buy bulbs.

I haven’t dug around in the front yard in a long time and I forgot how wretched my soil is. All yellowy dry with huge rocks. Some of the rocks were as big as my fist.

When it started raining I noticed some snails and decided get the bucket and do a run through. I must have picked 100 snails. They just keep coming no matter what I do. The next day I saw a few more and ended up picking another 100. Then when I got home the other night there was a giant snail loitering on the wall next to the garage.

To conclude, I leave this link from the NYT food section about a snail rancher which includes this quote, “It may often look as if snails aren’t doing anything. Ms. Stewart has learned that they are doing quite a bit. ‘That’s all they’re doing, is making love,’ she said.”

I don’t think you can tell how heavy this apple tree is from the photo. I tried the photo from a few different angles plus some Photoshop tweaks but this is the best I can do. There are TONS of apples out there. I had the brilliant idea of trying to rent a cider press but apparently I should have reserved one months ago. We’ll have applesauce and compost.

Sloppy transition.

I bought a bunch of linen bags awhile back and it looks like these are magical linen bags. Every time I use them I carefully put my delicate piece of wash within, zip the bag closed and throw it in the wash. And every time I open the washer my delicate piece is tangled up with the regular riff-raff clothes and the linen bag is intact. I’ve checked the seams. The first few times it happened I assumed I was a moron and didn’t zip them shut. No, I’m sure I’ve been zipping them shut.

Maybe rather than magic these are self-(un)zipping linen bags. I still keep using them. My delicate things had better toughen up.