Crape Myrtle Watch, 130703

So how are the crape myrtles doing, subsequent to my switching two of them around last fall?

Well, the one-that's-supposed-to-be-a-Bayou-Marie-but-isn't is doing fine in its new location down next to the step.  It's got fat bright-reddish buds on it and looks ready to burst into bloom any day now.

The one-that's-supposed-to-be-a-Pixie-White-but-isn't is still making up its mind what it's going to do.  Or maybe it's sulking at having been dug out and moved to the top of the patch.  At any rate, though its wood is green it still hasn't broken dormancy.  I read online about a crape myrtle that didn't start leafing out again until the August after it was transplanted, so I'm giving mine time.

One of the New Orleans specimens is doing quite well, thank you.  I anticipate flowers from it very soon.

However.  However.  The other New Orleans is not doing as well.  You could say it has suffered from a disadvantage.  Don't know how I didn't notice it before, but it is tiny compared to its mate planted at the same time.  The latter has completely overshadowed it.

So to give it a chance and to fill out my new front garden bed a little more, this afternoon I dug it up and moved it to the opposite corner of the lower plot, by the west entrance to the path.  Yes, I know autumn would have been a better time. But the late great gardener Christopher Lloyd liked to say that the best time to do anything in the garden is when you're thinking about it and you have the time.  Besides, how was it going to survive all summer under there?

Took longer than I'd imagined.  Crape myrtle roots go deep, but I couldn't dig to the extent of them since this one's roots were so tangled up with those of its companions.  And then the hole I dug for it was full of rocks at a comparable high level.  Afraid for a minute there I couldn't get enough dirt out of it to get the shrub in.

But I did, and for the record, this is how it looks as of today,

mulched with compost and watered in.  We'll see how it does.

A Bit of a Break

Me, showing off

Today was my birthday, but I had no time to celebrate in the usual way.  No cake, no ice cream, no kicking up of the heels.

For that matter, except for some dirt-shifting late in the afternoon, I didn't really get any work done, either.

On the house or garden, I mean.

This is because I had the annual recertification training for substitute teaching in the morning, work at the Big Blue Box Store in the late afternoon and evening, and errands in between.

But that doesn't mean I can't be festive here on the houseblog.  And frivolous, too.

"Frivolous" is exactly the way to describe one of my errands this afternoon.  For I have an Idea of what I want to do with the paving in my new front garden bed, though I don't have the cash to do it and won't have it for the foreseeable future.  Nevertheless, being in the neighborhood I stopped at a local stoneyard and checked out the flagstones.

This is Colonial wall stone.  It matches my bluestone windowsills and some other flagstone paving I have on the property.  Nevertheless, I don't like it as much as I do this:

It's called West Mountain stone, and it comes from over by Scranton.  I really love the colors.  Wouldn't it be great if I came across someone who had some stone similar to this on their property that they wanted to get rid of?  Barring that, for this while I can only dream.

There's that.  But I can also treat you to some pretty flower shots from my garden, of what's currently in bloom and blossoms from earlier this spring.

Flowering quince, backyard west border, April 21st

Columbines, backyard, east border, May 12th

Kerria japonica pleniflora, backyard, north fence; also from May 12th

Lilac; "Miss Kim," I think.  Side door, May 18th

"Brother Cadfael" rose, front border, June 2nd

"Don Juan" rose, west side of house, June 8th

"Clio" rose, back porch steps, June 11th

There are a lot more I didn't get decent pictures of this year.  But I hope you enjoy these.  I only regret not being able to depict how wonderful the lilacs and roses have smelled, too.  Maybe I can convey a little of it in a haiku I wrote about three weeks ago:

Through open window

Scent of lilac breathes rapture

Soft sultry May night

OK, So Where Were We?

Oh, yes.  Up to the first weekend in May, recounting this spring's not-so-lightninglike progress.

Eh bien.  Nous recommençons.

Saturday, 11 May 2013:  Dare I admit that nothing got done on the house this past week?  Too much sub teaching, too much working in my least-favorite department at the Big Blue Box Store (Home Décor-- booooorrrrrrinnnngggg!!!), too much rain, and too much watching TV late at night on the computer.  But this morning I Made Myself get out to do something about the weeds in the flower beds in the front garden.  Even though it was in the lower 40s and freezing.

Not the worst of it, either

But as soon as I opened the gate from the back yard, I knew the grass in the Snow Carpet roses in the front border was going to live another day.  The box shrubs and the golden cypress growing along the walkway along the east side of the house had burgeoned so prodigiously and grown together so enthusiastically that I could hardly get myself or the garden cart through them.  So, change of plans.  Clipped shrubs instead.  I might have gotten to the flower bed weeds after I was done with that, but I got an opportunity to make some money that afternoon and evening and couldn't say No.  I had to be grateful I at least got the walkway shrubs into a presentable shape.  And got most of the clippings raked and swept off my walkway and the neighbors' lawn.

A little too friendly

Couldn't use my electric blower/vac.  I lost the nut for the impeller somewhere in the backyard leaves the other day and it won't work without it.  Plus the impeller has worked its way up the bolt it spins around and won't come off or go back down, either one.  Stuck.  Hope I can get it repaired.

Monday, 13 May:  Excitement unimaginable.  This afternoon, in the interval between getting home from teaching and heading for the evening job, I finally, after all these years, got the stringer moulding for the main stairs nailed back up.  Hooray!!

Friday, 17 May:  Eve of the annual Borough Large Item Pick-Up.  Not much from me this year, but I did get rid of the old white pine painted quarter round put up by the previous owners two back.  I'd been keeping it thinking it'd be useful for something.  But having watched enough episodes of Hoarders . . . 

Saturday, 18 May:  Took the electric blower/vac to a small machine repair shop over in Industry.  Yes, I can repair it, for $16 worth of parts.  If I can't find a wingnut or something that will function to keep the impeller on, I'll have them order them.  But I have to try the cheaper option first.  The guy at the shop worked the impeller off for me, no charge.  It's plastic, and he figures it got too hot and melted to the shaft a little.  Could be right.

Then at the grocery store I picked up some eggplant and broccoli plants on sale to put in in the front garden.  Yes, the front. I have some  ideas about that, which I think I'll regale you with in a separate post.

Later, got out front and cleaned out the crape myrtle bed.  Pruned off last year's seedpods, shaped up the branches, cleared out the winter cover (old leaves and pine branches), and laid down some shiny new black cedar mulch.  Happy to see the two "New Orleans" crape myrtles and the One-That-Was-Supposed-to-Be-a-"Bayou Marie"-But-Isn't are all leafing out.  The One-That-Was-Supposed-to-Be-a-"Pixie White"-But-Isn't is still just bare branches, though those branches are green inside.  (Oh, didn't I tell you?  Naughty me for not posting.  Early last December I got fed up with the pink, oversized, so-called "Pixie White" mugging everyone who tried to come up my front steps and switched it around with the so-called "Bayou Marie."  The latter, the smaller of the two, took the transplanting just fine.  The former apparently is still thinking about it.)

Sunday, 19 May:  More front yard work.  (Watch this space.)  That evening, took the liquid refinisher/stripper to the tall bookcase.  Looks pretty smeary.  I think it's because I'm trying to be too stingy with the steel wool pads and using them way too long.  Guess I have to put them on the shopping list whether I want to or not.

Tuesday, 21 May:  Didn't get called in to teach, for a change, and I was going to get all sorts of stuff done, yay, me!  Instead, I spent most of this very warm day trying to figure out, remember, recollect, work out, etc., etc., how the heck the operator for my kitchen door transom works.  Finally cut the Gordian knot by unscrewing the guide that holds the transom rod to the jamb casing and pulling it through.  Having experimented with it, I think you push the bottom tab up to make the rod go up to close the window, and you push the top tab down to make the rod pull down to close it.  I think.

Other than that, spent a few minutes out in the back garden trimming last year's dead leaves off the hellebores and mulching around the blueberry bush.

Maple mulch composting since October 2008

And I cut a piece of oak chairrail trim to cope for the south wall of the 1st floor hall.

Also contemplated cleaning up my basement workbench.  There's no room to do the cope till I do, and besides, I can't find my middle-sized nail set and I need it to countersink the stupid nailgun brads that are still protruding out of the quarter round trim in the living room and hall.  Maybe it's in all that mess.

Wednesday, 22 May:  Got a wingnut at work (after work) that fits the impeller shaft on the yard blower/vac and it's all back together.  Haven't tested it yet, but I expect it'll function again.

Saturday, 25 May:  Worked on getting the last of the oil-based primer off the carcase of the tall living room bookcase, until I ran out of refinisher.  Found a whole bag of #0 steel wool in the basement the other day and yes, using cleaner pads does make a real difference.

Sunday, 26 May:  Borrowed the neighbor's spare electric edger and tackled the encroaching grass growing over the back walkway for the first time in maybe two or three years.  As a machine it's better than nothing, and I certainly don't want to be an examiner of the mouths of gift horses, but getting much done with it is, well, arduous.  Maybe the problem is that it hasn't rained for awhile and the grass is holding on for dear life.  Thankfully, my neighbor says I can keep it as long as I need it.  Did all I could reach on two extension cords then did the same on one side of the front sidewalk.  By then, I had no stomach for rustling up a third cord.  Time to clean up and pack it in for the night.

Monday, 27 May, Memorial Day:  After work at the box store, got downstairs and made progress cleaning out my workshop.  Haven't finished the job; the stuff on the shelf above the workbench still needs going through before I can put things away, but the bench itself is clean.

Say goodbye to the mess!

Well, I tried.  Stoopy kamra!!

No nail set.  Don't laugh, but a lot of the inside work is being held up because I can't find it and smack those brads down.  For want of a nail set the progress was lost . . .

OK.  Maybe.  I guess.  But stay tuned for the big project that's developed this month.  As indicated, it's not an inside job.

Off Hours

Remind me that I need to reset my body clock to normal human hours.  Nothing to do with Daylight Saving Time coming on last night, just a reflection on the cockeyed hours I've been keeping this weekend.  Up till 3:00 or 4:00 Friday night/Saturday morning, not out of bed till Saturday noon.  Up till 5:00 AM DST this morning, not up and getting dressed till nearly 2:30.

My excuse is that I was getting things done on the house these past two nights/early mornings, I felt awake enough to keep going, shouldn't I take advantage of the opportunity?  Whereas if I went to bed at a decent hour, there was no guarantee I'd lug myself out of bed the next day to correspond. 

But this is ridiculous.  Today by my mixed-up timing I missed the opportunity to make it to church anywhere, and I missed over half of a beautiful, bright, pleasant day.  Shameful.

I did as much with it as I could.  Got out and pruned all the roses (barring the groundcover ones) for the spring, as well as the crepe myrtles and the blueberry bush.  Tied up the tall stem of the Don Juan rose so it'll climb, and cut back a lot of the English ivy that's overwhelming the clematis and the Sympathie rose in the back.

Got the first application of joint compound into the holes and gouges in the living room north wall, and around the two corners a yard or so to the west and east.  That place I chiselled out at the upper right hand of the doorway casing is going to be really tricky to get right.  The joint compound is really too loose for the job, but it's what I have on hand.  The whole wall and the problem corner especially will need repeated applications before it's through.

After a late dinner, got the west dining room window lintel gooped up with wood filler where the big splinter came out Friday night.  How long did I say it was?  At least a foot in reality.

    Was planning to do something else on the living room tonight, but I guess not.  What it is, either my POs or the POs-1 (I think it was the former), when they repainted the ceilings, got ceiling paint on the cornice moulding.  The cornice is dinky enough as it is, but the white paint along the top of it reduces its effective height by about a quarter inch.  I don't have the time or money right now to replace it with the more robust moulding the living room and dining room, if not the front room, should have.  So for the time being I've planned to paint over that white with the same cooked mushroom brown color (the can is downstairs in the paint locker), then go over it with shellac so it'll more or less match the rest of the trim.

But as it turned out, the remaining quart or so of the mushroom brown is covered with mold.  OK, Plan B!  There's an unused quart of a warmer medium brown down there, and I think I'll repaint the cornice entirely with it, with the shellac over.  But it's been sitting so long it's badly separated.  No point in me trying to stir it up myself tonight.  After work tomorrow I'll take the can to Lowe's, where it's from, and get them to put it on the shaker.  And maybe I can remember to ask if they can order the kind of wallpaper paste I need while I'm there (Roman's "Golden Harvest" GH34.  Wheat paste. "For English wallpapers."  Well, there ya go.)

Thinking about the cornice again.  If I actually have some money for frivolities someday, I want to get cornice moulding of a more appropriate size and nail it up using the existing as blocking.  What's there is 2" high if it's lucky, so it shouldn't get in the way.

Quick Update

I have been working on the house the past two-plus weeks; I just haven't been working in the house.

Nope, time and the growing season waits for no one, so it's been yard and garden, garden and yard, since the 19th of June.

Grinding up last fall's leaves to mulch the vegetable beds, mostly.  How long I could do that each day has depended upon three factors:  1) the relative wetness of the leaves to be chopped, 2) the battery life remaining in my lawn mower, and 3) the energy remaining in me.  Nos. 1 and 2 are the most determinative, since I'd be tempted to keep going until I dropped (though I know I shouldn't) if the mower would keep going and if there were enough dry leaves to do.

This process has really done a number on part of my back lawn.  Set the mower low enough the mulch the leaves, and there goes the grass.  What I really need is one of those leaf-grinding machines, but you know what they say about wishes and beggars.

There's been a lot more planting, too.  Local nursery had a good sale on flowers annual and perennial a week or so ago and I took advantage.  Put in some impatiens under the kerrias by the back gate, and it looks so nice, I wonder why I never did it before.

Got some pruning in, too, late last week.  My weeping cherry needed a haircut, badly, and I confess to taking my pruners to the shrubs of the neighbors to the west, here and there, to clean up where he'd done a crudely quick-and-dirty hack job on them about a month ago.  I mean, I'm the one who's gotta look at them, right?

Week ago Saturday, the neighbor across the street brought over his ladder and cleaned the maple seeds out of my back porch downspout.  We thought he'd got them all, till it rained hard that afternoon and the gutter was still overflowing.  I was watching the spout over the rain barrel, when whoosh!!!  the last of the clog cleared and that water exploded out of the spout and, completely missing the barrel, made a small temporary pond in my back yard.

It settled down and filled the barrel, and we got another good barrel-filler the 23rd.  Hope we get another soon.  That's the last it's rained worth a darn around here.

What else?  Once the leaves were gone from their spot in the west border, I moved the broken bricks I put there two years ago, then dug out the river rock and took up the landscape fabric.  Discovered a cool thing when I did:  the previous owners, when they put in the board fence, lined the foot of it with brick pavers.  Funny, it's only like this on the west side.  Looks like it keeps small creatures from burrowing underneath.  I laid another row of bricks over that, since the fence has shifted a bit.

That done, I was able to turn my compost pile.  Lots of nice dirt on the bottom, which I'll have to decide where to use.  Maybe I can fill the depressions in my front lawn.  Heaven knows that with this dry spell the grass in those areas might be dead already. 

Anyway, tonight, even though there were more leaves to mulch (raked out from the dark and mysterious side yard), I elected to come inside and strip old shellac off the stairs to the third floor.  Don't think I've tackled that since the 12th.  I knocked off about twenty till midnight, even though I only have two treads and risers and a certain amount of stringer left to do.  My sensible reason is that I have round two of chemotherapy in the morning and should get a good night's sleep beforehand.  My real reason for stopping is that my hair is falling out, and although I got it cropped short a week ago, it got really annoying with the hairs sticking to the sweat on my back and shoulders.  If I didn't have more heat gun work to do, I probably would have pushed through.  But I'm not feeling that dedicated.

So I'll try to add a picture or two to this post, then it's off to the shower.

Worth the Effort

Considering that my stoopy tumor turned out to be a Stage 1C, Grade 1 ovarian cancer, and considering that it was 1c instead of 1A only because it ruptured during surgery, there certainly is a little voice in me that questions whether it would have made a difference had I been able to get it all out on March 25th as originally planned.

But accepting that the bad cold I got prevented that, I have to be glad for the four additional weeks I had to do things and get ready before I went in.

Like getting my hollies planted. I am so grateful that I made the effort to get those rocks out and get that job done.

Here's some pictures taken today:

See that? That's berries. Meaning that the clerk at Lowe's was right: It was okay for me to plant two female Blue Angel hollies on my property, provided there was some kind of male holly bush within a block. I don't know the paternity of these green offspring, but there they are!

The second bush that didn't come through the winter as well is nowhere close to catching up to its sister, but it sports new growth and berries, too.

In other garden news, all the roses have buds on them and in a week or two I should have blooms.

The white lilac I transplanted two autumns ago is very happy in its new position on the east side of the house and promises to present an abundant display of blossom pretty soon.

The year-and-a-half-old blackberry bush is running riot in the east back garden border. It looks like I should have berries (yum!)-- if the birds don't get to them first.

The kerrias are the best they've been so far, and the bearded irises and the clematis lift up their heads for joy.

It's really chilly here in southwestern Pennsylvania today, in the 40s and 50s, and they say it'll get below freezing tonight. I heard on a radio garden show this morning that my perennials should weather that just fine; it's annuals, only, one needs to cover. Makes me wonder if I should put sheets over my leaf lettuce and snow peas. But both of those like being planted before the last frost, so unless I'm feeling really energetic after evening service, I'll let them take their chances, too.