Bird Garden - in progress

Creating a Bird Garden

INTERNET IMAGE Example ONLY

One of the many items I have noticed on the internet are painted poles and I happen to love bird houses and feeders. I decided to put the ideas together based on images I found online.


(If only mine were this fancy!  I imagine they had to paint the designs before putting the poles into the ground. I'm a bit impatient.)

 Earlier this summer I started the bird garden near the Filbert tree that hangs over the back fence line (aka Hazelnuts) While I have not finished painting the poles due to the arrival of wet, cold weather, this is a very easy project.

1. Picked a location
2. Purchased round poles ( $7 each) and quickcrete from the local hardware store
3. Placed poles and painted with primer so they would last longer (same day)
4. attached metal flashing to keep cats and squirrels from the feeders
5. started painting and attaching feeders and houses (with more to come!)

Suggestions - be sure to have various levels of plants, shrugs and trees nearby to encourage the birds. Mine like to fly from the apple tree in the center of the yard where I've attached suet to the "bird garden" to the neighbors lilac tree over-hanging the north fence to a new feeder I put in by my Japanese Maple.

To attract more birds and bees and create shade, I intend to plant another low tree or high bush in addition to the Eastern Redbud we planted this year. 

A Successful bird feeder in action! 

(As of Thanksgiving, I am filling this feeder every 3-4 days.)

Year One - changes and improvements

While there is no doubt that a low-maintenance yard can be appealing to some and certainly at different stages in life- I like to think I'll be able to work for at least another 20+ years before I have to tone down the workload. In the meantime, so much fun creating and changing! Front yard and back yard changes since home purchase 2013

The BACKYARD - NOVEMBER 2014

There is still lots to do! Re-level the water tanks (there was some soil compression) We hope to build a greenhouse in the next two years and enlarge the garden beds. Bamboo fencing is sitting in my living room waiting to be placed in front of the water tanks and cedar chips remain on the driveway needing to be moved somewhere in the backyard.

Below are some pre-purchase images for comparison - the firepit above is located where the pond below used to be.

 Here's hoping that next year is as successful!

1st year check-in - Front yard progress

Water barrel System connections and overflow

Rainwater collection system continues....

 

 While I got on the roof via ladder (an absolutely terrifying experience I have no intention of repeating) to clean out the gutters, add improved gutter filters, and run the hose to determine the flow patterns, I really need some rain to give it the true test!

Building a woodshed - Part 2

So my husband (Tim) took on the rest of this project, completing it in a day of hot, hard work. Because we don't have a larger sized vehicle we arranged for the delivery from our local Ace Hardware of the 10ft 2x4's, plywood sheeting, and tar paper.   While we had one package of roofing shingles (donated by the previous home owner), I ended up having to get a second package.  Since Tim and I have different idea of what "light grey" means, we ended up with a 2-tone roof.  

One major summer project done before the rains come! (It's supposed to rain in a day or two - check out my post about the water barrel project that is also closer to finished)

The inside demensions are approximately 8ft wide, and 4ft deep (there are 3 rows of wood) We are likely going to cover the rt side (when looking at it) with a tarp or other cover to protect the wood from winter wind and rain. I'll post an update in the spring with how it fares. 

Best of success on your projects!

It's how the garden grows. Soil improvements without tilling

Soil improvement without tilling

Because I'm not inclined to rent a tiller, pay for fertilizers, or generally do more work than I think I have to, I have decided to try an idea I found that should allow the soil to improve over the winter.

This idea came straight  from:http://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2012/11/27/preparing-and-planting-the-raised-row-bed-garden/

This is a great website for organic gardeners!

So this is a photo of the start of this process. Eventually I'll be doing this across more of the covered areas. The plastic now covers all of the straw and rocks from the original pond are holding it down.  Those rocks may have been a pain to move (which I've now done at least 3 times) but so worth it in usefulness!

The local Wilco provided the large bales of straw (did you know you can fit 2 of these in a Scion?)  It made a total mess in the car but I didn't have to wait to borrow a truck.  The straw is 3-5 inches thick and hopefully by next spring it will be happy planting time!

DIY Teacup Bird Feeders

DIY Teacup bird feeders or bird bath

I originally got this idea elsewhere on the internet - if I find the instructions I'll be sure to add the link.  But basically you take glue, teacup, saucer, an old spoon if you want, a copper cap, a stick or post, glue them together. Stick it in the ground!

tea with the feathered friends!

Weekend warriors, water barrels and concrete!

Weekend Warriors woo hoo!

This past weekend  I didn't let the blazing heat keep me from work on the yard (or anything else for that matter) The downside is the need for constant fluid breaks.  When it's over 90 degrees and 50% humidity, being in the direct sun is exhausting. Nevertheless, Sunday I couldn't sleep so I got up around 5:30am (normally I sleep until 10am on my days off)  and began cleaning, organizing, and project fun. When Tim (my husband) wasn't melting he pitched in wherever needed.   Much of the work was in the garage but the yard and garden got a bunch of work done too!

  Cleaning and upgrading the shed...

  We added a shelf in the shed made from an old cupboard door and a spare 2x4 (kindly included in the purchase of the house). This meant I could hang up all those hoses that I keep tripping on.  I re-used twist ties that came with yard products (or string) and simply twisted or looped on a nail on the front of the shelf. They kindly turned themselves sideways improving my original plan and allowing me to put them very close together. 

The shelf turned out to be the perfect length to make a support space for some of the garden tools in the corner.  Excellent!

It's all about concrete

Mixed 12 buckets of concrete using a hand shovel and the grass edger turning myself into a human version of cement truck. This was used to stabilize the woodshed front posts (the back already had concrete) and the brick pathway that is under construction (picture below).



I kindly let Tim move the 80lb bags of mix. 

Concrete as stabilizer and weed reducer

I had originally started the path project without using sand or any intent to use concrete.  Mistake. Trying to get brick remotely level without sand is, well, almost impossible. Walking on it shifted the brick and weeds starting growing in the open squares.  Sure it looked good for a couple of hours but then the soil shifted, got wet, compacted etc.  As a result I had to re-set sections and there is more to correct.  I'm not so serious about  this project that I'm using a level - it's all eyeball. There is no doubt it slopes downward, but no worries - this will ultimately keep the rainwater run-off away from the house in the winter.  This area can get really muddy and It's the path to Tim's recently constructed paint booth.

www.dropoutart.com

Eventually the small spaces that I filled with concrete will have gravel/pebbles added for texture and interest. Maybe even glass pebbles?  Hmmm.

for other projects in process 8/11/14-8/17/14 -see additional posts

Part 1 - Building the woodshed

So this week saw the beginning of the woodshed construction.  Much of this was salvaged from our yard including the the railroad ties that used to border a part of the yard and the back section which is part of the old fence that surrounded the pond we removed.

Here is a handy link that got me started on the project: http://www.barefootagrarian.com/?p=123

Materials so far:
 4 pallets in good condition (get 6 if you don't have the fencing!)
 2 railroad ties to raise the pallets off the ground. There are many other options to do this but we used what we had
1 section of re-use fencing
 landscape fabric & cardboard to prevent the grass from growing up underneath
 2x4's or 4x4's - your choice for the corner supports

The pallets  were obtained from the local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store for $2 each.  Surprisingly, finding pallets that were in good condition for free has turned out to be an issue in my area. It is no problem to get broken ones but for this project we wanted ones in sturdy and solid condition. http://www.albanyareahfh.org/ 

Consider checking out the local one in your area!

The back posts re-used the 4x4's end pieces from the original fence with a 2x4 as a support beam and another short section of 4x4 added on.  These already had concrete around them so the hole was dug and they were just dropped in.

The front beams still need to have the Quickcrete poured in for extra stabilization but my husband came up with a creative way to attach the side pallets (see below) so the Quickcrete is a bonus support.

 As you can see, he cut a short section of 2x4, screwed it into the  back corner support and then screwed the pallet onto that.  You can also see (if you look close) the location where the 4x4's were stacked on each other.  









Behind the woodshed I put down 2 small sections of the previous fence which had been the 2 "gates" It is now stacked with some of the Walnut tree wood we salvaged this week from a massive trimming of the 80-100 ft black/english walnut graft that sits on the neighbors side of the front property line.  A large portion of the tree grows over our house and yard because it is south facing.  Next year the wood should be seasoned and ready to use either indoors or in the firepit.
Thank you to ATS Arborist Services in Lebanon  for the great job trimming it and the consultation on the old apple tree. (A one man local business)
 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ats-Arborist-Services/167348133280494

 

 

Part 2 - The roof - coming soon

Putting in the sod...

Loving Sod

Today I made friends with sod.  No, today I decided I love sod.  Until now, the grass around the firepit has been transplants from other areas of the yard where grass was being removed.  This is an exhausting process of cutting out sections small enough to lift in a somewhat uniform shape. Because the bottom of the transplants were of varying heights depending on the moisture in our clay soil, (Today it's concrete, tomorrow it's mud), It was an exhausting and time-consuming process of adding or removing soil to try and get the grass at the same height. But hey it was free right?  Now sod,  get the dirt flat, fill in any uneven spots, cut where needed.  AWESOME.

I only got 4 rolls and it filled about half of the unfinished area- for some reason when the clerk said 4x2 my heat cooked brain said: oh that will cover 8 feet each.  Ya, nope.  There is now discussion of adding a brick patio area for nearby seating between the lemon balm and the rounded planter.  (not shown).  This small area was all covered in gravel surrounding the old pond so it is cement in the summer and muddy in the winter.  It may be a lot easier to put sand on it and lay brick than to try and dig into it. I also have my doubts that the sod will be able to really take root in it without a great deal of digging and new soil.
 
Concerns: For at least 24 hours the sod will look lovely - sadly, the temperature is in the 90's which means lots of water and it make bake it to death.  Still, given the amount of time to do the other process, I'm ok with the tradeoff. 

I think it's time to raise a toast to my personal "sod".

Happy gardening!

Building the in-ground firepit

Closer to finished

 We really love out firepit.  It is large enough to get a good fire (3 foot diameter) , deep enough to protect from embers and the stone and brick around it also provide good protection from ash and embers.  Testing it out has been great fun. I have planted thyme between the stone and brick that is entirely steppable and we have added a grill across one side.

So here's the thing about an in-ground firepit.  If you don't fill in the hole properly or compact the soil completely- it won't stay level.  Also, if the blocks are placed on the lip of the metal ring - there isn't anyway to adjust it after the fact.  And there is NO way I'm digging this back out of the ground to get it level.  The North side is just going to sink.  oh well.

The original pond was 10 x 10 x 4.5 feet deep
the smell as we drained it was AWFUL. The pond was listed as a selling point of the house when we bought it last year (9/2013) but it was not part of the master plan.  Too much work for me to maintain.

As you can see, 1/2 the firepit is built on a ledge of the pond and 1/2 the pit is on fill. As a result, it settled on the north edge as the soil and rock compacted into the bottom of the pit.

The ring is from the local Coastal Farm and Ranch , http://www.coastalfarm.com/

The block is from another part of the yard that now holds the water tanks.

The rings sits on a circle of brick on top of 2 inches of gravel and the inside is filled with another 3 inches of gravel.

My Husband in one of his sillier moments.  Halloween 2013

After filling in the hole, I tried out various ideas for what to do around the pit.  I finally settled on using the stone from the original pond and scavanging rock that had been around the pond as well.  I then added the brick border to keep grass from growing into the small rock.
You can see that grass is in the process of being transplanted to fill in around the pit and eventually the Thyme will grow in as well.

Fun with water barrels!

So the next step in the roof rain collection has happened - I bought the barrels.
The first steps:
1. figuring out where to put them
2. figuring out how many I would need
3. finding clean, food grade barrels for a reasonable cost
4. getting them delivered

The 275 gallon tanks ($125 each) will eventually have some sort of fencing in front of them -- probably bamboo -  and shade cloth over the top to prevent growth inside the tanks. Water from the roof will run through PVC along the fence into the tanks.

The smaller 55-gallon tanks ($20 each) will be set close to the house
 on blocks with a single access point either from a rain chain or downspout.

Here are some links for sites that have been helpful in putting together my water collection plan:
(I am not necessarily going to use these exact plans - I will post what I use)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYTNciCplmw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUhox1ORlRk&feature=related

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-275-Gallon-Rainwater-Collection/?ALLSTEPS

http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/drip-gravity.htm

http://www.dripirrigation.com/drip_irrigation_chapters/25/drip_irrigation_pages/40

Decorating the fence and outside of the house

 One of the many projects for the yard includes decorating the fence.  While the garden begins to form, the fence is a large canvas that creates interest throughout the seasons.  Our current plans include: birdhouses, decorated records, shelving, metal signs and dropoutart.com original art.

original work by Tim Blackburn  Dropoutart.com 

The teacups, plates, pots, and tin sign are either from Goodwill or garage sales. the sign is  framed with spraypainted, re-claimed wood that cost 25 cents from the local Habitat for Humanity
Re-Store