Another Backyard Project

In the winter, this part of our side yard is in the shade, which means that it's icy and tends to get ice & snow buildup. CJ puts a ton of snow over here and every spring I end up digging it out and throwing it into the yard to melt. Getting older, I really want to avoid this. CJ is going to have to start throwing the snow into the yard from the beginning because when that snow melts in the spring time - this area is just one big icy lake.

So, to hopefully help in aiding of water going into the ground and not becoming such a lake, I'm digging out all the extra dirt on top and removing it from our yard (I'm bringing it to school where they actually need it it fill in holes!) and then dropping in the leftover stepping stones from my patio project earlier this year. I'm planning on going as far as I possibly can because there's just so much run off onto the sidewalk when it rains and when the snow melts. The drainage just needs to be better and every year I'm worried that I'll slip and fall and break a leg or an elbow. At the end towards the driveway, I'm going to have to trench it so the water runs out to the driveway and then out into the alley. Bad drainage is just the worst and something needs to be done about it. 

I'm a little sad about how Phil killed all my hostas back here too - yesterday I dug out 3 and just composted them. because they were so stressed and had been smashed so often, they started reverting to plain green leaves. It's really annoying and they weren't as pretty anyway. I have one HUGE hosta left which I'm going to have to move to save it. I'm planning on putting it by our front door, just to the right of the steps when you're looking at the house and a little to the left of Quentin's room.

Soooo... back to my project before it snows.... Happy Wednesday!

 

BIKE BIKE BIKE

I've been spending a huge chunk of weekends at bike races! My oldest is finally at the age where she can join the high school teams and so she did. Her first race 2 weeks ago was filled with nerves and apprehension but this week was the absolute opposite. It was filled with smiles and fun. All the girls worked so hard the practice week and you can tell they knew what they were doing this week and knew how to bike when the course funneled down into the singletrack. What an awesome weekend!

 

September is Here

 And it's already half finished. I've been a terrible blogger. I've really updated my Instagram stories more because that's way more convenient. To be honest... finding time to sit and write is not at the top of my list!

Earlier this week I filled out an application to do the Master Gardener course with the U of M Extension and become a Master Gardener. That was a lot of thinking about future projects! Part of it includes engagement and getting people more involved in gardening or sharing knowledge. Some day maybe I can incorporate high schoolers in the school garden for teaching and learning and also - volunteer credit and a reference for a job!

In the meantime I can't even come up with a coherent thought today... so I'll leave you with some pics of the past few weeks!

Spring is here

 All the garden projects have been started. Now I just need to focus, sit down and finish them!

I'm making a rabbit cage to keep the pests out. I'd like to see my tulips in bloom and my sunflowers tall this year.

The dog loves the sunny steps. 

And we need to get the patio finished so we don't have to eat dinner on our back steps. 

Happy gardening and yard project season!

So Much Garden Work

 It's really nice starting from a clean slate but I also feel like it's a lot of work! I was awarded a Lawns to Legumes grant - it's for $350 and I'm super excited! The area where I'll be putting in natives is right under the two new windows next to the door. This area gets so much water drainage and I need plants to suck up the water and not flood my yard! The stairs onto the new patio area - that area is also basically a pond in the spring, so we need to do something about it, my best idea is to do a permeable patio surface so instead of doing a concrete patio, the patio is going to be mostly pavers however, we'll have 2-4 inches of gravel between each paver to let the water go into the ground instead of sitting on top. Also, towards the lawn corner of the patio, I can dig out a french drain where the water can pool and be released back into the ground. 

So much work but I can't wait for it to be finished so we can finally enjoy our new backyard!

Started Seeds

 This winter seems so long. I'm not sure if it's because the snow started early or if it's because it just doesn't seem to stop!

Hot peppers and lavender are started. Now is the time to get the veggies and fruits started that LOVE the heat and sun. Our zone 4 doesn't have a long enough season for the pepper plants to get really good fruit on them so if we give them a good 8-10 week boost, we should have some good peppers by the end of August!

Now is also the time to get "woody" herbs like lavender, thyme, and sage started. They also need the extra time so the plants can use the energy to put into the leaves instead of growing by the end of the season.

At the school garden this spring, we're not going to do an extended season because the plants can get so finicky in the beds AND you have to check them almost 2-3x per day. No, thank you! Instead we're going to introduce the extended season by putting up plastic to warm the beds and melt the snow!

I'm ready for spring!

Adventures to Come!

Passport photo = Check

We're heading out on adventures this summer and I'M SO EXCITED. I think the kids are going to see an ocean or maybe a sea. And eat all the food. And be in a place where the native language isn't English.

Also. Happy Valentine's Day!

 

The Daily Star Wars Battle in Photos

 

Ski Day!

 

We've had the weirdest weather lately! And SO MUCH SNOW. On Wednesday we went skiing with friends and had so much fun! We'll have to do it again!