Yesterday was Earth Day. I’d like to claim I knew that, but I went the whole day without remembering. Amazingly, I ended up doing activities appropriate to Earth Day anyway.
We got a somewhat late start to the morning. I made coffee and goofed around with some home design computer programs. Having spent an hour and a half on Wednesday giving the back and side yards their first attention of the season, I was determined to find a way to modify our landscaping so the side yard doesn’t devolve into a weed-strewn strip of no man’s land that I have to spend time and energy clearing merely to please the Home Owners Association fascists. The side yard in particular perplexes me, because it is a strip of land about six feet wide and about fifty feet long. It’s got great southern exposure, and used to be nothing but a strip of bark chips that has now been thoroughly taken over by clover and what I fear is common crupina. I want to till the soil, put down some weed barrier, and maybe go as crazy as building a series of narrow raised beds to take advantage of that southern exposure sunshine. Add some bark chips and a stone path to the back and I’d much more pleased with the space.
After my fantasies for the yard had taken shape, we jaunted down to Tim’s for a couple of hours and whipped up a batch of cinnamon rolls from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. Quick, easy, and delicious (even though we distracted Tim with game talk so that a couple of steps were missed). Definitely delicious anyway.
Tim and Chris took off for a day of board game play with friends on the eastside while Kate and I ran off and bought a cart of spring seedlings. As I’ve had no luck whatsoever in growing mint from seed the last two years, I bought some mint seedlings and will try it that way. We also bought a selection of other herbs, vegetables, and flowers. I spent the afternoon preparing soil and containers so we can transplant our purchases. I also refreshed our stock of birdseed and finally bought a hook for our hummingbird feeder. I re-tied some of the branches on our apple tree so I can keep them from overshadowing the whole yard without trimming them off the tree. The branches should be fine when the tree grows taller, but right now they’re at eye-poke and head-swat level.
Somehow Kate and I managed to spend a good portion of the day outside, under blue spring skies and the warm (and welcome!) sun. I made some progress in the yard and as Chris and I swear we’re going to do less traveling this year, maybe I’ll even be able to prevent my garden from drying up and dying this summer.
Some gardening ideas…
For really good, dense, weedblocking groundcovers, try any of the smaller sedums. They spread quickly and you can start a new patch just by breaking off some pieces of the old plants and sprinkling them on the bare dirt, then step lightlyon them.
Other good ground covers: Sweet Woodruff (which would probaly do even better in your zone than mine, since you don’t have 100+ degree days and low humidity), Creeping Thyme or Wooly Thyme (altho any variety of thyme will work), Gazanias (lots of pretty flowers in many colors), Marjoram, Oregano, Mint (oregano and mint will take over your yard if you don’t prevent it) and some of the Dwarf Bamboos.
To keep your yards from drying up and dying while you aren’t home: Soaker hoses and a couple of cheap timers that go on your faucets. Just set it to come on for an hour or two every few days and you are good to go. And don’t forget to mulch mulch mulch.
Daylilies are pretty and come in a gazillion colors. Plus, they are damned near care free, provided you water them once in awhile.
Some gardening ideas…
For really good, dense, weedblocking groundcovers, try any of the smaller sedums. They spread quickly and you can start a new patch just by breaking off some pieces of the old plants and sprinkling them on the bare dirt, then step lightlyon them.
Other good ground covers: Sweet Woodruff (which would probaly do even better in your zone than mine, since you don’t have 100+ degree days and low humidity), Creeping Thyme or Wooly Thyme (altho any variety of thyme will work), Gazanias (lots of pretty flowers in many colors), Marjoram, Oregano, Mint (oregano and mint will take over your yard if you don’t prevent it) and some of the Dwarf Bamboos.
To keep your yards from drying up and dying while you aren’t home: Soaker hoses and a couple of cheap timers that go on your faucets. Just set it to come on for an hour or two every few days and you are good to go. And don’t forget to mulch mulch mulch.
Daylilies are pretty and come in a gazillion colors. Plus, they are damned near care free, provided you water them once in awhile.
Some gardening ideas…
For really good, dense, weedblocking groundcovers, try any of the smaller sedums. They spread quickly and you can start a new patch just by breaking off some pieces of the old plants and sprinkling them on the bare dirt, then step lightlyon them.
Other good ground covers: Sweet Woodruff (which would probaly do even better in your zone than mine, since you don’t have 100+ degree days and low humidity), Creeping Thyme or Wooly Thyme (altho any variety of thyme will work), Gazanias (lots of pretty flowers in many colors), Marjoram, Oregano, Mint (oregano and mint will take over your yard if you don’t prevent it) and some of the Dwarf Bamboos.
To keep your yards from drying up and dying while you aren’t home: Soaker hoses and a couple of cheap timers that go on your faucets. Just set it to come on for an hour or two every few days and you are good to go. And don’t forget to mulch mulch mulch.
Daylilies are pretty and come in a gazillion colors. Plus, they are damned near care free, provided you water them once in awhile.
Some gardening ideas…
For really good, dense, weedblocking groundcovers, try any of the smaller sedums. They spread quickly and you can start a new patch just by breaking off some pieces of the old plants and sprinkling them on the bare dirt, then step lightlyon them.
Other good ground covers: Sweet Woodruff (which would probaly do even better in your zone than mine, since you don’t have 100+ degree days and low humidity), Creeping Thyme or Wooly Thyme (altho any variety of thyme will work), Gazanias (lots of pretty flowers in many colors), Marjoram, Oregano, Mint (oregano and mint will take over your yard if you don’t prevent it) and some of the Dwarf Bamboos.
To keep your yards from drying up and dying while you aren’t home: Soaker hoses and a couple of cheap timers that go on your faucets. Just set it to come on for an hour or two every few days and you are good to go. And don’t forget to mulch mulch mulch.
Daylilies are pretty and come in a gazillion colors. Plus, they are damned near care free, provided you water them once in awhile.
The only critical step we missed was putting some of the melted butter in the inside. After the batch yesterday, I’m convinced the sugary topping is nice, but not necessary.
Now that I’ve made them 3 times, I’m convinced that the right answer is to put more butter in the initial filling mix as well as to put butter on the dough. That’ll make it stick together a bit better so that the rolls don’t fall apart quite so much.
The only critical step we missed was putting some of the melted butter in the inside. After the batch yesterday, I’m convinced the sugary topping is nice, but not necessary.
Now that I’ve made them 3 times, I’m convinced that the right answer is to put more butter in the initial filling mix as well as to put butter on the dough. That’ll make it stick together a bit better so that the rolls don’t fall apart quite so much.
The only critical step we missed was putting some of the melted butter in the inside. After the batch yesterday, I’m convinced the sugary topping is nice, but not necessary.
Now that I’ve made them 3 times, I’m convinced that the right answer is to put more butter in the initial filling mix as well as to put butter on the dough. That’ll make it stick together a bit better so that the rolls don’t fall apart quite so much.
The only critical step we missed was putting some of the melted butter in the inside. After the batch yesterday, I’m convinced the sugary topping is nice, but not necessary.
Now that I’ve made them 3 times, I’m convinced that the right answer is to put more butter in the initial filling mix as well as to put butter on the dough. That’ll make it stick together a bit better so that the rolls don’t fall apart quite so much.