Project #5 this summer. FINAL PROJECT. Mowing strip along front walkway

Our final project this season is to create a mowing strip along our front walk.  It is very difficult to mow currently.  Our property is every so slightly sloped, thus the need for the stepped walkway.

I plan on finding antique / reclaimed brick similar to those pictured above.  When everything is done, the brick mowing strip will flow into the "brick" front porch.

How To Install The Mowing Strip:

Step 1

Measure the walkway. Standard bricks are 4 inches wide and 8 inches long; use other types if you prefer but make sure that they are designed to be used in ground installations.

Step 2

Dig a trench around the walkway at least 4 inches deep. Make your trench wide an inch wider than your bricks so that there will be room to work bricks into the sand.

Step 3

Fill the trench with sand up to about an inch below the surface and tamp it down well by walking around it or leaving it to settle for a few days.

Step 4

Lay your bricks in a line or across the sand and work them into the sand foundation until they sit evenly against the edge of the grass. Lay them flat, on end or tip them on their sides. Add a second row of bricks inside as a "curb" around the bed. Tilt bricks against each other in a sawtooth pattern. Use a mallet and board to tap them so they sit evenly.

Step 5

Sprinkle some sand around the edging to fill any gaps and backfill the edging from the garden side with soil. Water the edging well to settle the bricks into the sand.

• START: Start by Sept 1.

• MATERIALS LIST:  reclaimed brick

• ESTIMATED COST: relatively inexpensive, depending on where the brick is acquired.

• PROJECT DETAILS: SEE ABOVE
  

• PROJECTED TIME LINE: 2 weeks

• WORKERS FOR PROJECT: 2 (Honey bunny and me)

Project #4 this summer. New Garage Door(s)

Only one of our garage doors currently opens, the other has to be manually lifted.  To complete this project will will need to also get a garage door opener for the larger of the two doors.

We plan  to get a new large energy efficient door to match the existing small door.  The large door is not insulated and lets considerable amounts of cold air in during the winter months.

the second part of this project is to turn these standard garage doors into faux carriage doors by using a commercially available kit.  The picture above is magnetic hardware attached to a standard garage door.

We will also purchase magnetic window kits for the look of a window on the door as well.  I have no idea how it will actually look when everything is said and done.  I hope it looks fairly real.  Skymall has a really nice "carriage" door kit.  That's a picture of it to the left.  I can only hope that it actually turns out like this.

• START: Start by July 15.

• MATERIALS LIST:  large garage door, garage door opener for large garage door, magnetic hardware kits for both doors, window kits for both doors.

• ESTIMATED COST: Pricing dependent upon hiring help or DIY

• PROJECT DETAILS: SEE ABOVE
  

• PROJECTED TIME LINE: 2 weeks

• WORKERS FOR PROJECT: 2 to install faux look of carriage doors, may hire help to assist with hanging large garage door.

Project #3 this spring summer. Replace Wood Trim around Garage.

The past few years we have noticed the trim around our garage doors was in need of repair.  By the end of last summer, the wood trim was in sorry shape and must be tackled this summer.  AHH... the joys of home-ownership.

Remove Rotted Trim

• Raise the garage door up. Using the flat-head screwdriver, pry the old trim off the doorjamb.

• Using your hammer, remove any nails that may be remaining. Use the claw end of the hammer to remove any residual caulk left behind by the old trim.

• Sand down the jamb by hand using a sheet of rough-grit sandpaper. This will help ensure a smooth application.

Install New Trim

• Close the garage door fully. Start at the top and measure the opening. Using a miter saw, cut a piece of trim to size.

• Have a helper hold one end of the trim to the header while you hold the other end. Position the trim by allowing the weather strip to slightly bend over the garage door. Tack the trim into the header with the finishing nails spaced about 12 inches apart.

• Measure both jambs from the ground to the trim, and cut each piece of trim for the appropriate jamb.

• Line up your jamb trim even with the top trim, and tack into place using the finishing nails.

• Make sure that the weather strip is even all the way around the opening. Finish nailing the trim into place.

• Put the caulk in the caulking gun and apply a small bead between the trim and the door jamb. This will help in keeping moisture from between the trim and wood.

Read more: How to Redo Rotten Trim Around a Garage Door | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5234424_redo-trim-around-garage-door.html#ixzz1kndgClDS

Allegedly... the above procedure is how this whole thing will work.  

Seems easy right?  

Somehow I don't think that this will go as smoothly as it describes.

• START: Start by June 30.

• MATERIALS LIST:  lots and lots of wood trim, nails, caulk, sandpaper

• ESTIMATED COST: Don't even want to think about it.

• PROJECT DETAILS: SEE ABOVE
  

• PROJECTED TIME LINE: 2 weeks

• WORKERS FOR PROJECT: 2 (just honey bunny and me)

Project #2 this spring. Faux Brick Front Porch

PROJECT #2

I will be painting our front porch in a faux brick pattern.  Replacing the worn front porch path with natural stone would be a great way to go, but it requires loads of cash...which will be spent on project #1.

Instead of resurfacing, I'm going to give it a face-lift with paint. 








STEP ONE:  Sweep the surface, then prime it with a concrete resurfacer, like Rust-Oleum's Epoxy Shield.

STEP TWO:  Let dry.

STEP THREE:  starting in one corner, use a 4-inch roller to create a "brick" with a terra-cotta-hued concrete paint. Paint another one below it, and so on, to make a border; repeat along the other side. Fill the space in between with a running bond pattern of 8-inch bricks. Don't worry about keeping them exactly the same size or the lines pin-straight; imperfections make the design realistic.

Let dry, then watch visitors do a double take as they walk in your door.

• START: Start by May 31.

• MATERIALS LIST:  Rust-Oleum's Epoxy Shield, Terra Cotta Hued Concrete Paint, 4 inch roller(s)

• ESTIMATED COST: Less than $50

• PROJECT DETAILS: SEE ABOVE
  

• PROJECTED TIME LINE: 2 weeks allowed.

• WORKERS FOR PROJECT: 2 (just honey bunny and me)

idea and project from:   This Old House
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh

Project #1 this spring. Hedge Row.

Arborvitae is a good choice for a hedge row because it doesn't need pruning to keep its shape.  They can reach 15 feet or more when they are mature.  As the hedge fills in, you have a solid wall of green to enjoy year round. The dense canopy of an arborvitae tree provides cover for birds and mammals year round. 

Arborvitae trees come in many different shapes. Some, like the American arborvitae, are wide, cone shaped. Others, like the pyramidalis, are thinner. The globe arborvitae is rounded.  For my projects I will be choosing the Techny Arborvitae.


The techny arborvitae is a fast growing arborvitae tree. They generally have denser foliage than many of the other species of arborvitae, and make the best hedges.  I plan of making a wall of green between our house and our neighbors house, as well as planting some along the side of our home to give us some shelter from the street.  When planted three and a half feet apart in a row, the techny arborvitae will grow to be a full shield in only a few years.  Once planted, a techny arborvitae requires little maintenance.

There you have it folks.  PROJECT 1.

• START: Start by April 15.

• MATERIALS LIST: About 12-15 arborvitae. Ground cover / perennials to add to the foreground of the planting beds.

• ESTIMATED COST: Thank god for Menard's gift cards for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

• PROJECT DETAILS:  Dig up strips of sod along both the north and south side of our property. Likely, a sod cutter will be rented to make the task of sod removal a bit easier. The north side will provide privacy from the street whereas the south side will provide privacy from the neighbors.  The trees planted along the south side will also help to shade some of the plants in the front beds that are currently getting too much light (azaleas) After the beds have been dug, the soil must be amended. After the bed has been prepared, they will be planted.  First the trees will be installed, followed by the perennials then ground cover.  After the install, both beds will be mulched.

• PROJECTED TIME LINE: 4 weeks allowed.

• WORKERS FOR PROJECT: 2 (just honey bunny and me)

Hummers

How to get hummers.  I'm not talking about the car, nor am I being vulgar... 

I'm talking about the hummingbird 

Hummingbirds are found throughout North America.  They are a winged gem for every gardener.  As a matter of fact, early spanish explorers called them flying jewels.

Are you trying to attract these little beauties to your garden this summer?  

Read on, I'll tell you what to plant to help attract this little bird.

But first, I'll tell you some interesting tidbits about them.

• Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world

• Hummingbirds can flash their bright colors, as well as hide them when needed.

• Hummingbirds are very smart and they can remember every flower they have been to, and how long it will take a flower to refill.

• Hummingbirds can hear better than humans

• Hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light.

• Hummingbirds have no sense of smell.

•  A hummingbird's heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute.

• A hummingbird baby is about the size of a penny.

• Females will lay a clutch of two eggs.

• Most hummingbirds die in the first year of life.

The last fact is the biggest reason to provide them with plenty food and consider yourself fortunate if you have been successful in attracting them to your property. 

	Plants to Attract and Feed Hummingbirds Trees and Shrubs Azalea  Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) Cape Honeysuckle Flame Acanthus Flowering Quince Lantana Manzanita Mimosa Red Buckeye Tree Tobacco Turk's Cap Weigela Vines Coral Honeysuckle Cypress Vine Morning Glory Scarlet Runner Bean Trumpet Creeper Photo © Ann D. Martin Flowers Some may be annuals or perennials depending on climate. Perennials Bee Balm (Monarda) Canna Cardinal Flower Columbine Coral Bells Four O'Clocks Foxglove Hosta Hummingbird Mint (Agastache) Little Cigar Lupine Penstemon Yucca Annuals Beard Tongue (and other penstemons) Firespike Fuchsia Impatiens Jacobiana Jewelweed Petunia Various Salvia species Shrimp Plant
	The above highlighted plants are plants that we have planted around our property.  We had success last summer in attracting hummingbirds to our backyard.  We are hoping to have even more luck this summer.

Honey Bunny vs. The Funny Bunnies

You'll shoot your eye out, kid. 

Every year we battle with rabbits, and every year we become better warriors... 

This past Christmas Lex got a [honest to god] red ryder bb gun.  The exact same gun that Ralphie had in "A Christmas Story" (which is by the way one of my FAVORITE movies).  

Actually he got a shotgun (Remington 870 - REAL shotgun) and some bb guns.  The shotgun is to shoot zombies and burglars, the BB gun is to shoot the bunnies.  

Yes.  I said zombies.  We are HUGE fans of the Walking Dead.  If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend watching it.  The mid-season premier is coming up on February 12th on AMC.   Anyway... back to the bunnies.

Lex wanted the BB gun to shoot the bunnies we found on our property this winter.  

The bunnies cause such devastation to new plantings and bushes.  

Which (coincidentally) every year we have so much of.

Rabbit damage can be seen in gnawed wood and sprouts that have been nibbled to the ground.  They dig up bulbs that you have painstakingly planted, and reduce your perennials and shrubs into nubs.  A few years back they even chewed through our Christmas lights outside.  PESTS.  But they sure are cute.  Even as they ate all of our blueberries and strawberries last summer. 

Now when we seen one sitting on our property, Lex runs into the house to grab the red ryder and I quickly run at the bunny [clapping my hands] shouting "run bunny, go go bunny".  By the time he will return with the gun, I have safely shooed the bunny from our yard, delivering them to safety.  So far this winter, Lex hasn't had a chance to shoot a single rabbit.  What can I say, they are destructive BUT I have a soft spot for them.  I had a rabbit named Thumper when I was a kid.  True, I bought him the BB gun for Christmas; but I can't bare the thought of him actually shooting a bunny.

So each year we try different "weapons" to protect our home from these fuzzy tailed monsters.

LIQUID FENCE:  This is our choice product early on in the growing season.  It seems to work from March through May.  Warning:  it is the most nasty smelling stuff you will ever encounter, and your neighbors will probably hate you for a few days.  The odor lingers for about 24-48 hours, but the product lasts a few weeks (give or take some spring storms)

SHOTGUN BRAND REPELS ALL (GRANULES):  We swear by this product.  This year we sprinkled it in with every bulb we planted in the fall (~1100 of them).  Every few weeks during the growing season we sprinkle some on the ground.  We found that this is the product to use the beginning of summer through fall.  

CHICKEN WIRE AROUND YOUR PLANTINGS:  Self explanatory.  The cage protects your plantings.  Just make sure to bury it slightly to discourage burrowing animals to dig under the fence.  This would work all seasons to protect your garden.

If rabbits are a big problem in your area consider planting specimens that are "rabbit resistant".  I say that tongue in cheek because they ate my barberry bushes last winter.  Barberry is often thought to be rabbit resistant.

Here is a brief list of flowers you can add that are thought to be rabbit resistant:

• Agastache - Licorice sent.  attracts butterflies.  full sun. zone 5-10

• Allium - my personal favorite...the wild onion. full sun.  zone 4-8

• Astilbe - adds great texture to the garden. part shade.  zone 4-10. 

• Baptisia - full sun. attracts butterflies. zone 3-8

• Bee Balm - sun, part sun.  attracts butterflies. zone 3-9

• Catmint - another favorite of mine. incredibly hardy. sun, part sun. zone 3-9

• Daffodil - sun part sun. zone 3-9

• Daylily - SO EASY TO GROW. sun, part sun. zone 3-10

• Foxglove - part sun, zone 3-8   PROVIDE LIGHT AFTERNOON SHADE.

• Fritillaria - attracts hummingbirds. unique looking flower. can't wait to see mine in the spring.  this is their first year.  sun, part sun. zone 4-10

• Hellebore - one of the first plants to appear late winter/early spring. part sun, shade. winter interest. zone 4-9

• Iris - great cut flowers.  sun, part sun. zone 3-9

• Lambs Ears - great texture (soft and fuzzy) full, part sun. zone 4-10

• Lavender - outstanding smell.  full sun. zone 5-10

• Peony - unbelievable sweet smell. beautiful (if you don't mind a few ants). full sun, light shade. zone 2-8

• Salvia - I have them everywhere in my yard. beautiful. drought tolerant. full sun. zone 4-10

• Veronica - easy to grow.  interesting flower spikes. full, part sun. zone 4-10

• Yarrow - attracts butterflies. great cut/dried flower. full sun. zone 3-9