Rock Shopping. In the midst of working out where to put plants from "The Great Plant Haul of 2023" I knew I'd need some smaller sized boulders to help build up some planting spots in the slope. Off to American Soil & Stone in Richmond, about 50 minutes away from Livermore. As luck would have it, Sophia & Ivan were free and game to go with me. *Sophia found the rock with the bright lime green.
This area can have standing water during extreme rain events- so I needed to really mound it up for drainage. We used to have several ducks - oh my ducks! Let me go off topic and dig up some pics- They were such fun, and only helped the terrible clay soil in this area with all their digging, EXUBERANT swimming and pooping. They lived in the garage as babies, below-we brought them in the house and let them play in paper plates filled with water and baby peas.
Free at last, outside!
Here are all 6 girls, 2 black runner, 2 harlequin, and 2 buff orpington.
Not a single cactus in the backyard, shocking! *With chicken Bossy Betsy, she didn't get along with the other chickens - but lived happily with the ducks.
Ok, back to the future. I added several bags of sandy loam and pumice.
End results, the rock border looks kinda "phony" now, but I know these things have a way of settling and becoming normal in a few weeks. And if not, I will fuss with it later. At least I know the Hakea will not *hopefully be stuck in standing water.
Excellent job with the rocks - I've never found any with beautiful mineral deposits (or is it lichen?) like that. Best wishes with getting everything planted.
ReplyDeleteGood job thwarting the surprising destructive squirrel! Maybe he/she has a plan to use the stuffing for a nest. The ducks were so cute! Do they ever pay you visits as adults, or have they found greener pastures?
I think they were labeled as yellow moss rock? I think the squirrel was making a nest and a coat, hahaha. I really don't mind the squirrels much, but them seem extra busy this time of year with digging. Sadly, we lost the ducks to an attack. Don't know if it was fox, raccoon or even the neighbor's husky that's always getting loose (grrrrr). I couldn't bear to have outside animals again. I used to have chickens as well.
DeleteThe rocks look amazing- the second I saw the ducks I got so happy and I called Ivan over to look at the photos. I don't have the old photos of the ducks and I talk incessantly to Ivan about them. He loved finally getting to see them!
ReplyDeleteohhhh, those ducks! They were so fun and social, you certainly heard them all day long with your bedroom right there!
DeleteYour rock hunting looks like it was a success. I am a fan of moss rock myself and have it incorporated throughout the garden. There always seems to be room for just one more! Those baby ducklings are adorable too and your photo captures are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI agree, can't have enough rocks! Thank you, nothing cuter than a baby duck, lol.
DeletePlanting on a steep slope is hard, not only for walking about, but for getting the right angle to dig without falling over. It's also difficult sometimes to plant in between other plants without accidentally stepping on them. I've been in the process of slowly redoing some of our slippery sloping lawn with steps and garden so that I don't have to mow it any more. Too dangerous!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have down all those things - stepped on a smaller plant, fallen, etc., many times. Hopefully I'm just about down planting so it will just be clean-up in the future. I'm glad you're taking the grass out, what a job!
DeleteI lived long ago in rural Arkansas, 34 acres, and I wish I could have brought some of the rocks on my land to my current small property. You picked some interesting ones. Now I can see your planting of the Great Haul and it's true, always room for one more plant (at least that's what I keep telling myself).
ReplyDelete34 acres! What a dream. Yes, always room for another
Deleteplant, :)
What a beautiful place you have - you have a great eye for design. Stinker Squirrels - they really made a go at that cushin
ReplyDeleteha, thank you! I don't mind the squirrels most of the time - this time of year they seem to misbehave!
DeleteThanks for the duck-memory and photos, so cute. Unlike the squirrel damage, that little jerk. They like to tear off great chunks of my palm tree "fur" (the trachycarpus that are hardy here have a furry trunk) for their nests, I'm thankful you weren't too upset about the cushion. Can you imagine if you'd just bought expensive garden furniture and they did that?
ReplyDelete