Friday, February 1, 2019

Projects

With dry, mild days, Tom has been spending a lot of time outside working in the yard. He has all of the winter pruning done, so next on his list was making potting soil, using compost from our bins. Then he rebuilt the steps under the cedar tree.

We have been in our house 40 years now, and trees grow in that amount of time. We are the keepers of two magnificent old Western Red Cedar trees. Early on in our time here Tom built steps down under this tree leading to the lower yard and deck. Over time the steps have been adjusted to accommodate the flare of the roots of the tree as it expands. This is the latest iteration. 
 Charlie thought it was fun to roll in the new gravel. 


The other cedar is at the corner of our patio. Tom noticed that the roots are now lifting a corner of the patio.
 Concerned that the pressure might crack the patio or push it into the foundation, he bought  some cheap concrete cutting blades for his skill saw and cut a section of the patio. 
 A little bit at a time he gradually cut deeper and deeper, but did not go all the way through before using up four blades. He might do more later, but his sore hands told him to stop for now. Time and pressure might finish the job. 
Of course he tends to his greenhouse regularly. 
I finished the place mats that go with my table topper. 
 They are like little quilts but much more fun because the size is easy to handle and I just make them up as I go along, depending on how big the scraps are that I have to work with. 


Then three days this week I actually went outside in the afternoons to work in the garden too. I am by nature a garden groomer. I am most effective on my hands and knees, cleaning out beds, trimming back perennials, making things look prettier. 

I filled lots of bins with sticks, fir cones, and trimmings. 
 The tulips are coming up here!

By Thursday Tom was out of other jobs, so he helped too. 
It's all looking pretty spiffy around here for the middle of winter. 

Now it's finally February. The rains came back, with freezing temps and maybe snow in the forecast. I guess winter was just waiting. 

13 comments:

  1. It all looks so wonderful. I love those big ancient trees, and your garden is looking very spiffy indeed. :-)

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  2. I love Charlie. I’m ready for spring but I know it’s going to be a while. Glad the weather was good and you were feeling well enough to join Tom in the garden.

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  3. It's a long time before I'll get some time in on yard work. I like doing what Tom's doing.

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  4. how fun to be able to work outside, love you placemats. I'm working on compiling a life story for what has taken place since my last version...

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  5. I love those cheery place mats!!
    Your yard is looking great! Now that the neighbour's bug trees are gone it will be easier for us to keep the yard neat. And keep the eaves troughs clean.

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  6. I love the fact you and Tom have made changes for the trees. I know others who would have simply cut the trees down when the plants encroached on their space. (One is the owner of my previous home, he cut down all the trees!)

    Thanks for sharing the photos of your lovely garden. I'm currently looking out at the dreary, grey and white of snow. More coming this weekend.

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  7. You two are never at a loss for things to do. I love the placemats and I love small projects. I am heading out for "Airing of the Quilts" an outdoor quilt show set up in a nearby park. Your garden looks great. There is a cedar impinging on my condo deck. I think the HOA has plans to cut it down but I will miss the shade it provides.

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  8. Gosh, I thought I was really doing something just picking up sticks. You and Tom are the busy ones.

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  9. Charlie has an owner but you are definitely family. I really like your place mats and Tom's patio cure is close to being finished and like you said, it may finish itself.

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  10. You both are totally amazing!!!

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  11. Tom is a landscaper too! Nice work on the steps. Tree roots are very powerful...hope the fix works for your patio:)

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  12. It is Monday and I bet your yard looks a bit different this morning! We need photos!

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  13. Nice that winter waited for you to get your garden all spiffy before covering it with snow. Your industriousness in impressive as always. Your placemats are beautiful. How cool that you can make things from fabric.

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