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5/27/2014 10:15:23 AM

Go Big or Go Loam



This weekend will be forever know around here as "The long weekend of holes and trenches... and fences... and bushes... and Did-a-mac-truck-just-hit-me?"

Over the last three days, I helped hubby dig the 2 1/2 ft by 2 1/2 ft by 20 ft trench, dug the majority of three holes through gravel-sand and just enough clay to have turned the ground into solid concrete, and with hubby's help planted all the bushes except one and built deer fencing around all the tender lilacs (aka deer salad).

For the last month I have been digging holes for all these little beauties to go into and filling the holes back in with good dirt mix, so nothing impressive seemed to be getting done because you can't plant up here until almost June.  (Or at least until Memorial Day according to people who know landscaping.)
 

But this weekend, it all changed because this:

Now looks like this:

Okay... so it will look a lot more impressive when I have brick edging and mulch in place and the bushes have grown for a couple years, but at least those little suckers are in the ground. Big-Grin

So stepping backwards a moment... We first placed all the little bushes on their holes to make sure they were in the right order by our bush map.  And then we got busy finishing the holes and trench for the lilacs and few other bushes that were not on the "map".

Why such a big trench for such little lilacs you ask?  Well, because not only do we REALLY want these little bushes to grow and make a hedge between our yard and the neighbors ever growing collection of rottweilers, but also because this trench will be home to some Siberian Pea-Shrubs (if I can ever get them started by seed well enough).

We also moved our planting bed for asparagus since it was not getting any water next to the house unless I hand watered it.   

Our dwarf burning bushes were added next to a pair of struggling lilacs that we planted a couple years ago, and with better holes for them, I hope they will do better than the lilacs have.  (The hole on the end is for one of the dwarf mungo pines once the natural concrete was fully dug out.)

It took us until half-way through Monday to be finished with all the digging and start planting, but things progressed quickly from there, and here are the lilacs (behind the most embarrassing fence I have ever had the privilege to work on).

I've built a lot of fence in my time.  In fact, for a while it seemed anytime I was within 200 yards of my parents, it was on the other end of 200 yards of fence we were building.  Fences that could hold in horses leaning their entire weight against them.  Fences that could hold out dogs or keep in rutting pigs.  Fences where each wire could be played like a musical instrument they were strung so tight and strong.  Like the fences we built in Georgia (pictured to the right).  

And this... this just isn't.  Not even close.

Part of the problem was trying to deal with poor quality materials like semi-falling-apart wire fence that was taken off our falling down fence near the road-side.  And yes... that is cloth material on the top that I hope will last a full season but fear it will not.  So much for "Do It Yourself" on a Budget... this is more "Jerry-rig It Yourself"... but when your landscaping budget is completely blown on the bushes and soil amendments, you still have to protect those little bushes from the deer somehow and using the materials, and material on hand will hopefully get us a full season of time to save up a bigger budget for a much stronger and more beautiful fence.  And that is also unfortunately the other half of a reason that our fence is probably too embarrassing for a deer to try to enter.  Why make solid posts and perfectly strung wire for something that will probably be torn down and re-done to look nice in less than a year?  Hummm... maybe because my ranching ancestors would disown me in a heartbeat if they ever saw this ramshackle fence of disgrace?  Shhh

In any case, like with so much around here, it might be ugly, but it works.  And the entire front is a poorly stretched gate that can be opened when it is time to add mulch or plant pea-shrubs.  The top (if it holds up very long at all) not only provides protection from deer jumping in, but also gives about 40% shade for the tender new bushes while still letting the rain fall through, and some small protection from the hail that will still be pelting the ground at least a couple times a week for another month or more.

And as for how it looks... this is the Country.  With a capital C.  And it could hardly look stranger than the neighbor's suit of armor tied to a tree, now could it? 

  And speaking of things that are being used for unintended purposes, I found that using a paint can opener to loosen the bushes root-balls worked really well.

And now all our bushes (except one extra dwarf mungo pine that I have yet to decide where it goes) are planted and maybe I can take a break.
  

 

 

Or I can finish fixing our upper windows in the bedroom....  

Hey... I have a list over 50 items long, and for some reason it just doesn't get done on it's own.  Dizzy

So what big project did you tackle or procrastinate this long weekend?


     POST LINKS FORWARD TO:
          5/27/2014 12:29:46 PM - What Paper Mache and Fencing Have in Common
          5/28/2014 11:58:10 PM - My Public Apology to a Fox
          8/9/2014 1:46:28 PM - Oh Deer!
     POST LINKS BACK TO:
          5/21/2014 1:11:21 PM - The 19th Hole


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COMMENTS

5/27/2014 1:03:17 PM mom
lol, definitely need a couple of posts in front of lilacs just to hook fence at bottom.

5/27/2014 1:14:48 PM TinkerT
Yep.  Baby deer could probably wiggle right under the "gate", so I will need some tie-downs on it, but the rest should just horrify any deer away because they will be too afraid it will fall down on them if they get near it.

5/27/2014 1:42:13 PM Punkin
Oops! should have read this one first. What a ton of work you have done. Your right to say the deer will probably stay away.
They will be sketterish (probably spelled incorrectly as there was no word for it in computer dictionary) LOL
Everything looks wonderful.
Please rest.

5/27/2014 1:53:55 PM TinkerT
Thanks.  I would like to think the deer would be skittish of it, but they would probably walk right into my house if I left the door open, so my luck will be that they use it for a trampoline or something.  LOL

5/27/2014 7:29:29 PM Blake
not as ambitious as you this past weekend..... listened to the sump pump run & thought about building an ark...... fun to watch all the garter snakes seeking higher ground.

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