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KathieB's Garden Blog, Georgia edition :)


KathieB

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That yard is huge! So much potential and it’s off to a great start. . Maybe I missed it but are you going to do anything to the fence to preserve it? Down here they have to be pressure washed and sealed on a regular basis. 

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7 minutes ago, Sable said:

That yard is huge! So much potential and it’s off to a great start. . Maybe I missed it but are you going to do anything to the fence to preserve it? Down here they have to be pressure washed and sealed on a regular basis. 

Not sure what to do about the fence. It is obvious it has been given no special care in its 10 years of existence. A couple posts need shoring up and the planking is so dry and brittle that I hope it never gets hit by lightning. Unfortunately, all of the wooden fence is mine, even though  6 or 7 of my neighbors enjoy the privacy it gives them. I haven't figured out a diplomatic approach to encourage them to help $upport replacement. Somehow, "Hi, I'm Kathie. Here are some cookies. Do you want to split the cost of fence replacement?" doesn't seem quite on target. :D 

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2 hours ago, KathieB said:

Not sure what to do about the fence. It is obvious it has been given no special care in its 10 years of existence. A couple posts need shoring up and the planking is so dry and brittle that I hope it never gets hit by lightning. Unfortunately, all of the wooden fence is mine, even though  6 or 7 of my neighbors enjoy the privacy it gives them. I haven't figured out a diplomatic approach to encourage them to help $upport replacement. Somehow, "Hi, I'm Kathie. Here are some cookies. Do you want to split the cost of fence replacement?" doesn't seem quite on target. :D 

That’s a dilemma. If you can get at least 3 neighbors to pitch in, I would call that a win. Does it have to be wood or can it be pvc? 

I own both sides of my 10 foot hedge on three sides of my property. I love it but it is costly to trim four times a year. In your case,  just planting a hedge around that border line would be very costly. Plus, I guess it would have to be an evergreen to keep the privacy year round. 

 

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What a lovely piece of land to start on. I like the idea putting  Hostas in the shade  and then moving the acid loving plants to a more sunny location. I am more of a fruit and veggie gardener but I love perennial everything. I have a Rose of Sharon that is very close to a hedge that should be removed or at least really brutally pruned as it is so close to a hedge. I was reading about them the other day on the net and it gave me the impression that they are not very choosy about soil or sun or pruning. that is as much as I know about them, so I will be interested to see how yours do..allowing for the difference in geographical areas of course LOL

Good luck with your project and I hope the fence thing works out for you

 

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1 hour ago, Sable said:

That’s a dilemma. If you can get at least 3 neighbors to pitch in, I would call that a win. Does it have to be wood or can it be pvc? 

I need to do research on fencing and the HOA regulations. I'm about to join the board of the HOA, plan to question other board members on current acceptable practice. All of the streetside fencing is pvc, put up by the builders. It's not the best quality, and not particularly to my liking. Interior fencing separating lots is the responsibility of the lot owner. Since my house was one of the first to be built 10-11 years ago, all that wooden fencing in the photos is mine. None of the wooden fencing in the area appears to be in any better condition than mine. At the moment, so long as it is standing, the fence is something for Phase 5 or 6 -- after the hot tub installation, at any rate. :D 

30 minutes ago, Thimble Hall said:

... Rose of Sharon that is very close to a hedge that should be removed or at least really brutally pruned as it is so close to a hedge. I was reading about them the other day on the net and it gave me the impression that they are not very choosy about soil or sun or pruning.

Rose of Sharon is hardy -- you practically have to put them in a wood chipper to kill them. I have high hopes for mine filling in to make a nice hedge wall behind the island.

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22 hours ago, havanaholly said:

Before the fence finally caves, what about a hedgerow of azaleas to replace it?

  1. They wouldn't grow high enough to provide privacy
  2. All the new plantings would have to be removed
  3. Their bulk would make the narrow end of the yard even narrower
  4. I don't particularly like azaleas except when massed as spot color.

But aside from all that ... there is a 200-lb brindle mastiff who lives next door. :D 

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3 hours ago, Dalesq said:

That’s a big project, but it looks like you’ve made a good start! :) 

I like that island focal point with the trees behind it.

Thanks! I like the island, too. I plan to get a bench for it and add pots with flowers.

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Don't forget the best time to plant fruit trees is 10 years ago, but the second best time is today! Wish I had mature trees in my yard- that's always the hardest part for me (can't really keep them alive and so sad to lose my investment) good luck!

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10 minutes ago, stlouism said:

Don't forget the best time to plant fruit trees is 10 years ago,

So true! And unfortunately I've not found a place to rent a time travel machine. :( 

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We tried a couple of maple seedlings but the deer ate them once they got going good and the neighbor mowing our yard finished them off.  We had fruit trees in Havana, but after we got figs the first year the rabbits decided to eat those.

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57 minutes ago, Mini Man said:

Hey there KB!  I just edited this topic to see how these tags work.  Please excuse the intrusion.  Hope all is well!

Hey your ownself! :) You're welcome to intrude any any of my posts, dear heart.  You're right that the tagging feature doesn't get used enough. Personally, I just never think about it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am reading your blog posts enviously.  When we first moved here we tried for some native tree saplings from the forestry people for the first couple of years.  The deer found them to be delicious.

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55 minutes ago, havanaholly said:

I am reading your blog posts enviously.  When we first moved here we tried for some native tree saplings from the forestry people for the first couple of years.  The deer found them to be delicious.

No problems with deer, but there is a large orange cat who has designated my side yard as his personal pissoireVa-t'en, foutu chat! (FYI-- I understand human hair is a deterrent for deer. A hairdresser I know has a client who swears by it.

I planted the 3 lavender bushes under the bird feeder this morning. I hope the lead-footed pigeons (aka flying rats) don't do them too much damage before they take hold. I will leave the feeders empty for several days in hopes that the pigeons won't come around.

The third Paulownia arrived today. It has several leaves and looks suspiciously like the first two -- a tomentosa rather than an elongata. I'm going to plant it and let nature take its course. If it grows quickly to create shade and privacy, I won't be too concerned about its pedigree.

Jody was looking for a white crape myrtle for the side yard, but I found one with coral flowers that I ordered online. I love coral colored flowers. It will be outside the office and craft rooms to provide privacy and block the view of an ugly corner where a white PVC and wooden fence sections come together.

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5 hours ago, KathieB said:

...I love coral colored flowers...

Oh, me, too!  I wish we could have brought our coral azalea bushes with us, but I don't think they would have survived the move.  We had some native azaleas with yellow blooms started under the front window, until our neighbor, who had offered to mow our yard, ignored the items I had placed on either side of them and mowed them down.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Did some weeding this morning. Have ordered a bird seed feeder with a protective cage designed to keep out squirrels. I'm guessing it will also keep out the shack bully pigeons. If it does, I'll get a caged suet feeder to block the greedy starlings.

Some new additions to the garden in today's blog entry. Rain, rain ... *sigh*

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