Tag: hope grows day

I’m really late getting my September Hope Grows Day post up – I have reasons (not excuses) including visitors from overseas, a busy work and gardening schedule have kept me away from my computer – but I’m back on track and catching up!

This is my fourth month of taking part in “Hope Grows Day“, a monthly Gardening Blog meme hosted by Hanni of Sweet Bean Gardening. I am reporting back on how successful I was in August and showcasing what I am hoping to see in my garden over the next month … Join us all over on Hanni’s blog and share what you are hoping for – Hope Grows September 2011.

How successful was I in August?

• Top of the list in August was “Get rid of the damn moles! For real this time!”. Did I? Yes! Don’t ask me how, I’m not going into detail. Suffice it to say I got in professional help in the form of a local company called “The Mole Man”. It requires “maintenance” by myself which is a bit of a pain to do, but the stuff I have to use is non-toxic to my pets and other creepy-crawlies, so I’m happy. So far so good, the mole is a lot less active than he was. Hopefully next month this time the mole saga will be over!
• Get all the beds composted and mulched in preparation for spring – I’m not quite finished – with visitors etc it was difficult but I’ve spend the last two days working on this and I’m making good progress. Should be done by the end of next weekend.
• Get the destroyed lawn area reworked by adding compost and preparing the soil for one last attempt at having a beautiful lawn – Done! We have new lawn that so far seems to be doing really well. I’m happy with it!
• Restock the veggie planter – Almost done – planted parsley, lettuce, coriander and cherry tomatos – waiting for the nurseries to get Basil seedlings.
•  Start thinking about the front “Gardenia bed” – Had no time to really plan anything specific but I did think about it.

What am I hoping for in September?

• That time stands still for a few moments … September is almost halfway over and I have so much to do. I’m hoping for the gift of time!
• That my gardening friends in the USA (Texas in particular) get some much needed rain and that the weather in other parts of America settles down. I’m praying for you all.
• For myself, I’m hoping to get the composting and mulching completed as soon as possible. I never realised just how big my garden really is.
• I’m hoping for more lovely surprises in the garden. The past two weeks have been wonderful with my first ever Iris blooming and the Ixias have given us so much pleasure.
• I’ve just finished planting seeds (my second ever attempt). I’m really hoping that they sprout and give me lots of new plants to plant into some of the bare patches I still have so many of in my garden.

That’s all for now! What are you hoping for in September?

Happy Gardening
xxx

My third month of taking part in “Hope Grows Day“, a monthly Gardening Blog meme hosted by Hanni of Sweet Bean Gardening. I am reporting back on how successful I was in July and showcasing what I am hoping to see in my garden over the next month …

How successful was I in July?

• Top of the list for July was “Get rid of the damn moles”. Was I successful? Nooooo …. The war on the moles continues and I regrettably am about to resort to mole traps (I really don’t want to!). I wanted to get rid of them using organic methods but they are not leaving. And they are destroying two of the beds in the front garden to the point that some of my favourite plants are dying so I need to take more drastic action. I warned them … I used sonic mole repellers, all kinds of foul smelling potions, camphor balls planted all over, I even tried the “flushing” method all to no avail. The more I tried the faster they burrow, so … what next? ***
• I hoped that my bulbs and plants would continue to grow well throughout the winter months and THEY ARE! I have so many buds opening all over the place and to crown it all, my Azaleas are quite spectacular this year. I’m very happy! I had considered getting rid of the Azaleas at one stage – boy am I glad I didn’t!
• I hoped to get the back garden planted up with new plants on the side that was damaged during recent plumbing improvements – we are getting there! I’ve planted 47 new plants so far. It’s a very large area (far larger than I realised) and it will take a lot more planting to get it looking like something I can be proud of. The thing is that I have a vision and have carefully researched and selected the plants I want there. Not all the plants are currently available so I want to wait until they are. I’m tired of planting things just for plantings sake and to “not have bare patches”, only to end up with stuff I don’t really like or want. So this time I’m waiting for the plants I really want there for the long term. If it takes a bit longer to get it looking nice, then so be it.
• And finally, I hoped to get all my little “projects”  completed, once and for all – Did I? Noooo – that was wishful thinking, wasn’t it?

What am I hoping for in August?

• Get rid of the damn moles! For real this time! *** Last night I read again on “It’s not work, it’s gardening” about how Alan flushes out the moles in his garden. You can read the post here: How I catch moles. I’m going to try the “flushing them out” method Alan uses. I don’t think I was doing it right, so I need to try it again. I really don’t want to kill them and I have a neighbour who’s garden I’d LOVE to put them in :). (the one who threatened me with lawyers letters about my trees … I think he should get my moles!)
• Get ALL the beds composted and mulched in preparation for spring.
• Get the destroyed lawn area reworked by adding compost and preparing the soil for one last attempt at having a beautiful lawn.
• Restock the veggie planter with basil, coriander, lettuce, parsely and … one or two others still to be decided.
•  Start thinking about the front “Gardenia bed”. Not happy with it anymore, I think it’s a bit of a mess. So I want to think about it and work out what I really want there and start working towards redoing it.

That’s all folks, what are you planning to do in August in YOUR garden?

Join us all over on Hanni’s blog and share what you are hoping for – Hope Grows August 2011.

Happy Gardening
xxx