A few weeks ago, Bill and I did a ton of work in the back yard. We put it off all summer because it is too rutting hot to be outdoors for too long, and both of us have an aversion to waking up any time before 10 am on weekend mornings.
I have several projects that need to be accomplished before the cold weather sets in. In Texas, that means I have until about November to get these done.
The first thing I'd like to do is turn my "compost pile" into an actual working compost generator. Right now, the pile of grass clippings and kitchen scraps is busy sitting around enriching the sand that's underneath it because I'm too lazy to go out and turn the pile by hand. I think the solution to that problem is to move the whole pile to the garden area and let it mulch/compost there instead. It's obvious that I need a better solution for my household composting. I've done some poking around and found several ideas for DIY compost barrels. I found an article in "You Grow Girl" and as luck would have it, I have an old rubbermaid storage container in the attic. I'm not sure how it will hold up in the summer but I'm willing to drill a few holes in it and give it a try. This small bin would be just for kitchen scraps & the occasional donation of grass clippings or mower-mulched fall leaves.
The second project involves removing the oleander bushes on the side of the house. They've been there since I bought the place, and I really don't like oleander. I'm saving to hire a pro to come cut them down, take out as much stump & root as possible, and then safely dispose of them. I don't want to handle the removal myself because oleander contains a deadly toxin that I'd rather not be exposed to. This shrub removal leads to the Spring project of building a raised garden bed in the area where the oleander is now.
Why the front yard? Because it's the only place that gets full sun all day. I've been trying to garden in the back but it's too shady. When I say raised beds, I'm not kidding. It would probably be better off described as a "platform" garden. I want the beds to be waist-high at least, so I don't have to bend or kneel to garden. Of course the whole thing won't be filled with dirt, just the top foot or so, but it would sure be nice to have some fresh compost to grow in!
The third project is to replace the low (2-foot) retaining wall between me and my creepy neighbors. It's all done with railroad ties, it's ugly, and it's not holding up. When my upslope neighbors replace their wall, we'll use the same contractor to do both sides at once. It'll also give me a chance to demolish Creepy's fence and build it on my side of the retaining wall, giving me another 2 feet of vertical privacy.
The one I'm most likely to accomplish is to clear out this season's dead bamboo. I have a lot of it to cut down, bundle, and set out for the city.
2 comments:
One of our more imminent projects is to set up a red worm bed. Let me know if you want some for your compost pile and/or garden.
Oooo! Worms! Yeah! If I can't convince the local earthworms to take up residence in my compost, I'll get some of yours.
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