D'vorahDavida
Yetzirah

Staking Out My Territory.... Again
Wed Oct 11 2006

In a moment of madness, I logged into my diary and actually opened the customizer and glanced around thinking that I might do some re-decorating of my diary.

Luckily the moment passed and I high tailed it out of there before embarking on something I might regret.

I love Dear Diary.... honestly, I think it's the best blogging site on the net, but that customizer. . . Wow.

It is true that you can tweak the look of your diary till the cows come home, which is more than you can say for many other sites, but that same tweaking has taken up whole DAYS in the past and I just don't feel up to the task right now.

Maybe on the first real rainy day, I'll give it a go.

Today I grappled with a different chore that has been bugging me for most of the summer. I raked and cleared and generally made civilized the 'lost' area next to our house. It was full of tall gone to seed weeds and gravel and loose rocks and old stucco blobs, plus odd pieces of wood and a derelict wheelbarrow. I didn't take a before picture, it was just too embarrassing to reveal. But here it is now:

[album 65561 Alley2.JPG]

Now it is clean and well. . . barren. I prefer barren to junky. If it wasn't for a buried drain line, I would happily plant all kinds of things in that space, but I worry that the roots will interfere.

But after seeing how nicely dichondra can do if given a little encouragement, I am thinking that in the spring, after I kill off the emerging weeds, [of which there will be legion] I might pop a few plants in and see what happens. There will be no traffic to speak of and I could put some stepping stones down there to walk on. And I might find some other ground cover type things to put in there too.

But one thing for sure, I'm not letting the weeds have it ever again.
12 Comments
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Oct 11 2006
    You can't leave well enough alone. You can't let nature take its course and heaven forbid a derelict wheelbarrow should be given a space in which to moulder and disintegrate! I suppose the Hen was right there clucking and cheering you on. *sigh*

    But it does look inviting for paving stones and maybe a plant or two. Dichondra does very well in shady spots.

    Shalom
  • From:
    Cassia (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Oct 11 2006
    Nice job!

    For your next project, my back yard has a big pile of dirt in it from a long-ago flood or something... ;)
  • From:
    Mamallama (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Oct 11 2006
    Very nice. I have such a sense of accomplishment when I attack an overgrown garden space and make it civil again. I bet you do, too. Your plans for the space sound lovely. :o)
  • From:
    Fairywishes (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Oct 11 2006
    good job, oh the satisfaction of getting something like that done, I love it

    thanks for your comment, it really made me feel better and I'll try to implement lots of those thing as per your advice

    hope you are well

    s
    x

    x
    x

    x
  • From:
    Calichef (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Oct 12 2006
    Uhh... "derelict wheelbarrow," as in *unwanted* wheelbarrow? If so, I know a novice "kid" gardener that could sure use one.
    Hugs,
    ~Cali
  • From:
    ImNotLisa (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Oct 12 2006
    Please, may I have some of your motivation? There is nothing happening over here, that's for sure.
  • From:
    Bookworm (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Oct 12 2006
    Well, good on you. Nothing like that feeling of defeating the weeds. Hope you show us when you've planted things and the stepping stones are all in place. Sounds just lovely. ;-)
  • From:
    InStitches (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Oct 13 2006
    Reclaiming lost ground is always gratifying. Well done!

    As to the customizer, I shudder when ever I get near the thing and back carefully out of the room lest I disturb even the slightest bit of cyber-dust. Then I call the Decorating Fairy. She is completely uninhibited when it comes to this sort of thing and she works cheap.....a real point in her favor I might add. I am long overdue for a make over, but my favorite autumn graphics were lost and the company no longer exists so I am staying with what I've got for now. Good thing I like it. :)

  • From:
    Allimom (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Oct 13 2006
    Have you thought of going a fragrant route with that area and putting Corsican Mint?

    http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/298/index.html

    Alli
  • From:
    Yetzirah (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Oct 13 2006
    Hmmmm.... interesting idea. I don't know how drought tolerant that plant is. It LOOKS a lot like dichondra too. Thanks for the tip.

    I will scout around and see if anyone carries it here.

    And come to think of it, mint in any form would be a good choice. It can't take over because of the house foundation and the fence.

    I talked to a gardener friend and we decided that putting in some Jasmine and a Virginia Creeper might do nicely for the fence.

    So many choices!!! I might have to put them ALL in and see what takes to the spot.

    ;-)
  • From:
    Allimom (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Oct 13 2006
    How much direct sunlight does that area get? If it gets enough, you might also consider putting a Fragrant Corkscrew Vine (Vigna Caracalla) along the fence.

    http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1884/index.html

    Alli
  • From:
    Sweetsummerbreeze (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Oct 17 2006
    Nice job!!

    I hope you plant idea works.

    Huggs,
    Cyndi