Showing posts with label Backyard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Backyard. Show all posts

Saturday, May 4, 2013

New Dog House

David leaves on the 11th, unless the Air Force changes its mind. Again. So we are trying to finish all the little projects he needed to get done this year. The most important project for me was the dog house. I can not go anywhere while he is gone without a dog house.

It was a family project and took all weekend to complete. I LOVE it. David even agreed to let me paint it purple!

Alex helping Daddy with the drill.




David being silly. 


It is huge, but we have a Great Dane, a Golden Retriever, and a Poodle. It took four people to lift it over the fence and get in place. The Dogs love it and I think it is great! 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Snowstorm and Birds

Our snow started at 7:30 and within a few minutes we were white. I love the snow and everyone knows that we need the moisture. The little birds that visit my yard every morning did not let the snow stop them from eating breakfast. It is hard to tell in these photos, but they all have red breasts and tails. I don't know what kind they are but they are very pretty. I have decided that I need a better camera and a bird ID book. 

 


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Grass Update

I feel like I am always working on the grass in the backyard. When we built the house we thought it would be nice to start out with a completely blank slate. No grass. No sprinkler system. Nothing but bare ground and a fence. I still think this was the right choice for us, but I am so tired of Bare Dirt.

We chose to plant buffalo grass in the backyard. It is perfect for our dry hot climate. The only problem is how slow it grows. So very very slow! This isn't a problem for the main part of the yard but, for the animals, it is not going to work. Tank can eat three or four heads of lettuce in one day. David bought 12 landscaper squares of fescue on June 1. Just enough to help with some of the dirt in the dog pen. Our wonderful nursery gave us 10 squares for free - They said they were just taking up space! I love our nursery!
David used my tiller and loosened up the dry, hard dirt and we started laying the grass.


About half of the dog pen will be this wonderful checker board pattern. I am hoping this will keep JD from digging as much. Plus I think it looks cool. I only had enough pavers to do this little bit but I will buy more soon.

This is the side yard for the dogs. The pavers will go up to the grass and then run down the fence line. The little shade structure will stay dirt. Hopefully it will give JD a place to dig without killing the grass.

This is Tank's yard (until the buffalo grass is established). All of his grass was free. I finished leveling the front part and layed a little more after this picture was taken. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of it finished.....

This was the buffalo grass on June 1st.

Our grass today (2 months after planting)! We actually mowed it last night! It is really starting to spread out. We have started walking on it but I will have to keep Tank off of it for a little longer.


I tilled, leveled, and removed rocks from the other side of the yard. It now has buffalo grass seed raked in and has started the four times a day watering. I just wish mother nature would water it for me a little more often!



Tuesday, May 15, 2012

15 May 2012

I have survived the clean up and it really isn't as bad as it looked. I lost a couple of tomato plants and a lot of my potato plants. After removing the broken limbs and raking the ground, only I can tell the difference.
The buffalo grass with the dog's foot prints.

After raking the yard- it looks so much better.

A close up of some of the grass.
My hubby bought me Foxglove for the front flower bed for Mother's Day. He always buys me a new plant for the garden on special days. I don't like cut flowers - they just die. I am afraid to plant it until I know if we are staying or going. It is sitting in the flower bed looking pretty, just waiting to find a home.





We got about an inch of rain over the last week. It was a very slow, cold, soft rain that would not go away. My garden has really taken off with the cooler weather. Some of the garlic and onions are wanting to flower and I do not know what to do with them. Should I cut them off or let them flower? Back to the books!
Garlic


Onions
Fire and Ice Radish

Southern Giant Curled Mustard Greens

Stowell's Evergreen Sweet Corn

Creole Collard Greens

Tendercrisp Celery

Mystery carrots- I first planted carrots in the large bed by the backdoor, but the wind destroyed the bed and after a month, nothing had come up. I planted the second group of onions in that bed and found a new place for carrots. Now I have little carrots popping up all over the onion bed!

The new carrot bed with really little carrot plants! Yes, those are dog foot prints.


Red Cored Chantenay Carrots
 
Big Top Carrots
Broccoli, cabbage, and spinach after the dogs played. I think most will make it. I need to harvest the spinach soon.

Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage

The potatoes, after the dogs. They are starting to perk up.
Spaghetti Squash with my first bloom!



Mr. Stripey Tomatoes

My first tomato flowers!

And my beautiful peach tree.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

9 May 2012 - Garden Tour

I have spent the last two weeks trying to find a way to help my Hubby's family from New Mexico. I can't. There just isn't a practical way to help with a 5 hour drive. So, on Monday, David is put in for humanitarian orders. If the Air Force approves the move, and they should, we will move home to Dyess Air Force Base within the next few weeks. I think I am in shock. We bought a house in October and now we will have to let renters move in. It really sucks. My garden is starting to look like an actual garden. My flowers look pretty in the front yard. I can see the buffalo grass from my kitchen window. I just want to cry. But that is me being selfish - it is just a house and they are just plants. David's Mom needs us. I will go and start over - again.

Now on to happier things - a photo tour of my garden. My garden always makes me feel better.




The cactus garden is starting to flower.




My Yarrow is almost ready to bloom. It has really started to take off this year.


Corn


Spaghetti Squash


Zucchini Squash


Okra


Eggplant


Yellow Squash


The other bed of Okra.


Kentucky Wonder Beans


Potato Bed


The potato plants are starting to flower!


A visiting bee getting a drink from the water sprinkler.