We’re still in the heat of summer but fall is coming soon. With fall comes more outdoor chores. It also is a great time to plant larger trees and evergreens in our yards. This time of year is also when everyone is telling us how to plant a tree. The stories and articles are everywhere. I’ll be offering my thoughts and techniques on this in a later post. Now I just want to point out what I think are flaws that I find in stories and in real life.

I just read an article this morning giving information on moving trees within a yard. At the end of the explanation it recommends the new planting hole be twice as wide and deeper than the root ball. Then add plant mixes and fill the hole back in to the depth of the root ball and so on. The next paragraph suggest hiring a professional with a tree spade for larger trees. For those who have never seen a tree spade in operation, it works like this: A hole is dug at the final site of the tree. The tree is then dug with the spade and deposited in the pre-dug hole. That’s it. No two times as wide or deeper than the root ball and filled with any special mix.

I have even been through this when dealing with landscape architects. Sometimes when planting in an existing landscape, the extra large hole can encroach on existing plants root systems or pose other problems. Then in comes the tree spade to plant the larger trees and those holes are fine.

I’m not saying that in some cases taking the extra effort may not be of benefit. It’s just that those trees mechanically spaded in have none of that and do just fine. Landscape work and gardening should be something we can enjoy. Too many times I read where simple jobs are made to sound intimidating and people may avoid them because of it. I want every plant I touch to grow and I hope the same for anyone reading this. I never like to think someone may shy away from a project due to overly complicated instructions or extra work that may not be necessary. We all want success, but we should not feel intimidated in the process.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

If you’re like me you are out in the yard and discover that you forgot something. Or you start an unplanned activity and realize you don’t have what you need. It may only be a short trip to the house or garage, but what if my shoes are wet or muddy and my hands look even worse?

I have now solved that problem with a spare mailbox I found in the garage. I mounted it to a fence in the yard. It could also be mounted to a fence post or any other location that may be available in your yard.

I have mine filled with a small ball of string, an extra pair of pruners, a knife, a trowel, hose washers and a few pond supplies and some fish food. You’ll be surprised how much will fit in there.

I try to keep older, or spare tools in the box. I’d hate to see anything happen to my more expensive tools. But this is a great way to always have things close by, without making extra messes. It also can keep me on task as I don’t stop what I’m doing and end up sidetracked.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Here’s a recipe I found in the Summer 2008 Out Here Magazine. I thought I would share it.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 dozen mushrooms
3 red or green bell peppers
2 onions
2 dozen cherry tomatoes
Pineapple to taste
Smoked sausage (optional)

Marinade:
2 cups olive oil
2 cups lemon juice
4 or 5 Tbsp. fresh oregano
1 tsp. pepper

Combine marinade ingredients.

Cut each chicken breast into five chunks.

Marinate chicken overnight.

Two or three hours before cooking, put chicken on skewers, alternating with mushrooms, red or green peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes and pineapple.

Marinate an additional two to three hours, then grill.

Serves 4-8, depending on how much you put on each skewer.

I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Yesterday I began working on the bog garden. Frustrating would be the best way to describe it. In an earlier post I mentioned my thoughts of having a “bog within a bog” to keep an area free of spreading plants. This would leave access for the butterflies to get water. I was not happy with that idea at all when I started working on it.

I did manage to install the main container portion of the bog. When I had the inner container installed, it did not look right. It was removed. I’m pretty certain that even when plants were added, I would not have liked it.

Right now I have some new thoughts on completing this project. Today may be the day it all falls into place. I’ll keep you posted.

Just remember, everyone can have an outdoor project that may not go as planned. That’s when we take a break and decide how to make things work the way we want them to. We can’t let our frustrations overtake us. It happens to all of us, myself included.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Summer has left us hot and dry as of late. Don’t forget to check the the air filters on any outdoor power equipment engines. This dry weather creates a lot of dust. The air filters clog up fast in these conditions.

A few minutes now can save a lot of money later!

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I have begun the propagation of a few new black raspberry plants. This is a project that I’m starting earlier this year than I have in the past. There is substantial growth to work with this year, which allows for the earlier start.

I was working with the black raspberries because they are of the trailing variety. This means that as they grow they trail back down toward the ground. ( Think of a fountain in shape ) This is usually a project I do in the fall. It is usually then I have the necessary growth to work with.

I began by filling a few recycled pots about half full with a compost mix. I then collected all the trailing limbs and put them in the pots. More than one can be put in a pot. Once the tips of the limbs are in the pots, they can be covered with additional compost mix.

That’s all there is to do other than keeping the soil mix in the pots moist. After a few weeks have passed I’ll check for root growth on the limb tips in the soil. Once a substantial amount of roots have grown the limbs can be cut free. The new plants can then be separated and taken out of the pots and given a permanent home.

Usually I do this later in the year and just bury the tips in the ground. With this earlier start the plants can be set out in the fall or just mulched in and be waiting for me in the spring.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

This weekend brought the addition of four new fish to our pond. They were given to us by a friend who had a surplus.

These new fish are huge compared to our pond’s other residents. It has caused me to work a few modifications to the pond. Originally I made a compartment out of stones where the pump sat in the pond. This seemed to keep the floating plants away from the pump. Most importantly it kept the roots of the plants away from the pump. It also gave the small fish a place to hide. Many of these stone had to be removed to allow more room for the larger fish. The plants were removed as well.

The floating plants still have not been put back in the pond. The small pump seems to clog easily. I may have to construct a different type of screen to allow the pump and plants to coexist. It may experiment with “root pruning” the plants so the trailing roots won’t interfere with the pump’s inlet. I’ll see what works best.

So far the larger new fish and our little ones are getting along swimmingly. ( Sorry. I couldn’t resist. ) I only wish I had room for a few more.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

This one of my favorites.

1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut to length
1 pinch garlic salt
1 pinch minced onion
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the bacon fat and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add green beans, minced onion and garlic salt. Cook until the beans are tender but still a bit crunchy, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Salt & pepper to taste.

I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

This spring, after the garden was planted, I brought out all my garden hoses. They were uncoiled and I inspected them for any visual damage. After hooking them all up and checking them for leaks they were coiled up neatly in various spots in the garden. And that’s where they have sat until now.

All the rain earlier this season has eliminated the need for the water hoses until now. The spot watering I have been doing has all came from my rain barrels. It is a good way to put the water exactly where I want it. If you only water the plant, only the plant benefits from the water. If all the garden is watered the weeds get watered too.

Today the spot watering was courtesy of the water hose. A watering wand replaced my bucket and the whole garden received a much needed drink. I may have had enough in my rain barrels for the job, but the hose was much quicker. The water in the barrels will be used for continued spot watering.

Here’s a quick tip: Put shut off valves on your hoses. It saves time and water when disconnecting hoses. It is also handy if you have to drop the hose for any reason. A great deal of water can be wasted when dropping a hose “just for a second”. They’re also handy when disconnecting a hose in one spot or to add a hose elsewhere. Water not just running on the ground is water saved.

Here’s another tip, this one for the rain barrels: If you’re using individual barrels that aren’t connected together, try to use the water equally from the barrels if you have more than one. One heavy rain may not fill one completely, but could be enough to top off multiple barrels.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I’m planning on watering all the plants in the garden today. A good portion of it is already completed. All of the new plants in the landscape will need watering as well. The warm, dry weather is starting to show on all of the plants.

Last night was when it really became evident. Most of the plants in the garden were showing some obvious signs of heat stress. They were wilting and droopy. When morning came it was obvious watering would have to be my first task.

Much cooler air greeted me as I stepped outside. The plants appreciated it as well. The drooping plants and wilted leaves were now looking as healthy and fresh as ever.

That’s one of my favorite things about plants. It is very interesting to watch as they react to changing conditions. Sometimes I wish I could bounce back from things as well as my plants.

I’ll see you in the backyard!