Laundry Day!

Laundry Day!, a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

The garden also doubles as a clothes dryer. I figure I save about 50 cents a load with line drying. I have the line on two pulleys so I don't need to walk around the garden for this. For some reason I became obsessed with laundry lines on pulleys a few years back. Nothing better then sending your clothes out to dry - save money, reduces emissions and mountain top removal and you get a little exercise for free. The only thing is I can't plant snow peas under the line, like I did last year. Disaster.

Next time I take this pic, all the clothes will be tan, gold, or red.

Official Radio of the Garden

IMG_0021 a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

This here's the official garden/deck radio. I finally decided against outside speakers and went for this tiny Tivol iPal (hate the name, like the look). I thought it would have greater flexibility since it has a rechargeable battery and doesn't need to be tethered to anything. When not in the garden it fills in as kitchen radio which we were also considering purchasing. It gets great reception which was an important consideration and gets loud enough to enjoy, but won't bring the cops or annoy the neighbors. Its tiny and sounds good and also has a ipod jack. I'll be out back listening to WPFW until the mosquitos come.

I Hear the Rain I Hear the Rain

IMG_0048 a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Ok, so the garden and mulch paths aren't handling the rain quite like I wanted. An overflow tube runs from the rain barrel and down one of the garden paths. I took a little time to grade that particular path away from the house and to go with the flow of water from the overflow tube. It is kind of working, but it is turning some of the paths into a kind of liquified mulch. In a way, this might be evidence that it is effective and sending the water where I want it to go. I just need to continue the "water path." Right now, it ends prematurely a few feet from where it will eventually end up and so it is kind of backing up and getting stuck mid-garden. Some day, I will try to send it to the very back of the yard - the compost zone. I have heard that in olden times, there was a creek there that got filled in during the 30's/40's.

On the bright side, the basement has not flooded yet. There is a lot less water by the side of the house compared to days of yore. And - overall, the yard feels less waterworld-y.

Columbia Pike Video

Nice Video on the Pike...nothing about gardening though...skip past the intro to get to the good stuff.

Rain Barrel Action!

MVI_0039 a video by okfuskee on Flickr.

Here's the rain barrel doing its thing in light to moderate rain. Some might wonder - why a rain barrel? Isn't water pretty cheap around here? Well right after we moved in we had a 100 year storm that put the basement under about 6 inches of water. Ever since then, we have been doing many different things to prevent future such events. Everything we have done has been external to the house...well almost everything...I did caulk a few coins into some basement holes that were squirting water like some dutch levee without a dutchboy. Bambi didn't like that idea even though each coin was selected to be meaningful in some way - MA quarter, Ohio Quarter, CT quarter (It has a tree!) and I think something from 1976... to be patriotic or something. Also I finally caulked one bad window...but anyway we did nothing drastic inside. We graded the earth around the house to slope away, took out a few planter boxes on the side of the house that seemed to collect and hold water against the house, took out a wide concrete walkway on the side that sloped into the house, and have added great quantities of organic matter to our clay soil. The result has been a gradual diminishment of basement flooding. At this point, we haven't seen it flood for quite a while. Anyway, the rain barrel takes 55 gallons out of the equation - not much...but maybe enough to take it past the critical mass needed for flooding, and when it does fill, the overflow tube sends the extra far out into the yard.

We do save a few pennies on water but that doesn't feel like much. A bigger issue is the amount of water that no longer ends up as storm run-off which is costly for local government and damages the Chesapeake Bay. Looking for more info? See Arlington County's Sensible Explanation and their What Can I Do Website has other ideas that go beyond the rain barrel.

And one last thing...it is kind of fun...hoping for rain so I can get some free water to water the native (and not so native) plants in the front.

To get even more up close and personal with that spout, click here.

Mulched Up

IMG_0032 a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Got all energetic, loaded up the mulch wagon a couple times, and got most of the garden paths done. Looks pretty good. At first I was all uptight about making the cardboard covereage perfect...that wore off pretty quick. Got 2-6 inches of wood mulch down most places. Should help with weed suppression, flooding, and muddy shoe syndrome (MSS). Over time, it will compost and be usable in the beds. Thought there was something else to say....ummm...smells good...oh yeah: I was worried about laying down some mulch that would make a great slug habitat (as in the Great Slug Attack of the summer of ought 9) but this stuff is (I hope) too well ground for slugs...too fragmented to make good shelter or a good slime trail surface (he said...starting to wonder an' worry).

Cardboard Paths

IMG_0002 a photo by okfuskee on Flickr.

Put down some cardboard in the paths. In the past, wood mulch in paths got pushed/sucked into the mud and just disappears. Now I am laying down some repurposed cardboard. It will also contribute to the whole weed suppression thing too. Seems to confuse squirrels a bit as well. Also - makes rats and rodents stand out a bit more for hungry hawks. I was tempted to just leave it all cardboarded...though I suspect it will not appeal to B. Hmmm...for another overview type pic, see here.

Rain Barrel Time...or Not

IMG_0003
Originally uploaded by okfuskee

Turned the rain barrel over in a fit of over enthusiasm on a sunny warm day. Got fooled by the vagaries of climate change I suppose - 70's days next to freezing days. Very confusing. It filled up in a day, and we will freeze tomorrow night, so now I am emptying.

In case you are wondering - this is a rain barrel from the county - you pay 52 bucks, and go build your own. Caulking, drilling, and snacks! I recommend it. It is an old pickle barrel...painted with some house paint to add some style.