A slippery slope from having everything in place, to things falling through the cracks.
One of my favorite views in the back, but currently too many pots... actually blocking the view.
Yeah, too many tiny things. A clutter-mess.
I think it's time to clean-up the playroom.
I'm in a waiting for it to cool down phase, and that's a hard place for me to be. Patience is a virtue and all, I wish I had more of it. As I was headed to bed Monday night, I thought hey there are things you can do! Take that birch tree out, and before it drops all it's leaves. And all those little banana shaped seed thingies (strobiles). The tree doesn't fit with everything else, and it's starting to clog the gutters. Not to mention scraping the window & disturbing my sleep.
Everything went exactly to plan (I had no plan). My expanding saw got stuck.
That's fine, I've got LOTS of saws. Hey, why not the Sawzall? Somehow I also got that blade stuck in the tree. Realizing I should take more weight off the top before I chop the whole thing down, I ran back to the garage for another saw. Worried the tree would fall while I was gone, I hustled. Please don't hurt anything!
In the one minute I was gone, errr... things happened. I put the garbage can and ladder in place before dashing off to protect the Aloe africana & Hercules. I really lucked out, there was minimal damage.
I did get the bulk of it chopped up and in the compost bins, but I felt wreckless over the lack of planning. Calm down!
I noticed a couple of plants behind shade cloth had fallen off the rack - how long have they been languishing back there?! Sloppy! They are ok thankfully.
I've got to get it together.
In good news, the gate was installed. Obviously not by me, I hired TriValley Fence Works. We've hired them in the past, and their work is good and fairly priced.
Before- standing at the top of the slope between the properties looking out into the fire lane. This is a great spot for truck access and dumping materials. I want to keep it that way.
This area is completely open to our real garden, I'm standing right at the corner of the wood fence looking down.
A new smart looking gate/fence! 6' tall, 23' wide with a 12' opening.
Open.
and shut. Of course you can still see into our back garden. Along the top of the slope, I have planted a row of grevillea, banksia, protea & friends that will very soon conceal the view. For me, I prefer that vs. a solid wood fence for THIS area.
Anyway, today is a new day. I'm reminding myself to settle down. Enjoy the enjoyable. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Although the slope is in a state of renovation, this sweet little Phylica is already a beauty.
The Plumerias are blooming, and smell luscious.
Agave desmettiana Galactic Traveler has rebounded nicely!
And the weather is going to cool to the 80°'s, after today. I'll be able to plant and tackle some things, and not feel so incompetent.
"I may look fake, but I'm real where it counts." Oh, Dolly 😢. Rest in peace.
Yeah, this heat is killing me. Hard to do anything. Nice gate. It looks very functional.
ReplyDeleteAnd today is so weird, feels muggy! At least I got some weeds pulled. :)
DeleteMad respect for tackling the birch tree in the first place. Glad you got it out without getting hurt.
ReplyDeleteI need to come visit and bring my new drone. I'd love to get the lay of the land from the air.
And that plumeria, it gives me hope that mine will get to flowering size at some point without croaking.
It was so dumb of me, a good reminder to think before I act. You are always welcome! Whenever, I'm around. I'd love to pick your brain about it.
DeleteIf I could place a bet on your plumeria blooming, I would!
OMG. “I think I’ll just grab a random saw and cut down a tree today.”
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha ha! Well I had been thinking about it for a while, but you're right I should've planned it out better.
DeleteI wish I could cut things down so easily. I agonize over removing anything! The fence and gate look great. Will you be growing something on it?
ReplyDeleteHonestly I have been thinking about it for the past year. It doesn't fit in and filling the agaves with those seed heads in the winter Argh! I hadn't even thought of growing something on the fence, so YES.
DeleteThere's a lot of beauty around.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tomichan, 100%!
DeleteSometimes I think it’s a shame when I feel like I’m winning when I’m losing again.
ReplyDeleteI have had a lot of fun following your new property/garden journey. And adjusting to a world without the joyful Dolly. She was a positive and generous person.
DeleteI'm listening to Sundown now, thank you! Wonderful Dolly, one of a kind.
Delete"... but I'm real where it counts"! Words to live by, try to be our best authentic selves every day.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think your spontaneous, free spirit came perilously close to getting banged up. Next time, please, don't go it alone. Tree removal shouldn't be a solo endeavor.
Having a second property that's a clean canvas, maybe some of your potted plants can move there, either in the pot or in the ground?
You have a grand, slick new fence, both beautiful and practical.
The Phylica is practically huggable. I love it.
Here's to workable temperatures, for me it's 70 or less (I melt at 80's :-D).
Chavli
Thank you Chavli, and NO I won't. I learned my lesson. Yes, it's cooler today and I'm excited to get some things in the ground. That will help with the clutter! :)
DeleteI was really counting on at least one more stuck saw pic before the whole thing came down! Glad you and the plants are okay. I hope Gerhard does do a drone shot or two of the spaces, I really am confused as to how they flow together, even though I know you've shown us in the past.
ReplyDeleteThat's my bad. In my photos, the perspective is so OFF. I hesitate to post them. I am not capturing reality, one side somewhat done -the other a big garbage dump. Also the house just throws it all off. I'd like to have AI make the house disappear, but that would be a BIG PHONY. I'll keep trying.
DeleteI have great respect for your energy and bravery! My own garden is badly in need of a major overall but I've backed off on a lot of the hard stuff, partly because I no longer have the confidence in my strength I previously had but, more recently, due to the awful heat. I expect I'll be making full use of my tree service guys this fall...
ReplyDeleteI love your Phylica (I've previously lost 2) and the gorgeous Agave.
P.S. I quite often start projects without any plans!
I thought I was in the era of being basically done, mainly weeding or tweaking this or that, hahaha. Jokes on all of us, does that ever happen? YES to TREE Guys, I'll be using our service again too - there are more to tackle "up there".
DeleteYou are amazing with what you do and your garden is always a pleasure to visit! I have gotten saws stuck on occasion as well, and thank goodness all is OK for you! I love seeing the progress and the the Plumeria and Phylica are lovely too!
ReplyDeleteHa ha, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one! Thank you Lee.
DeleteI'm always amazed that something like a birch can even grow alongside agave and aloes let alone flourish... but I also twitch to see leaf litter stuck amongst cactus spines and aloe leaves so yeah, it would have to go!
ReplyDeleteAmazing what you've accomplished this year even through the heat. I suspect you will go insane now that it's cooler!
Twitch! That's exactly right. We're zone 9b, a blessing -the only curse being soft limits.
DeletePlans? What are those? How are they made? And how do you execute them properly? I'd really like to know. My days rarely go according to plan. I get distracted, but I've never gone out and decided to chop a tree down. (I did get rid of several of the hundreds of catalpa seedlings on my small lot, the continuing gift of my neighbor's catalpas. Does that count?) Anyway, yes, I'm still saddened by our world losing Dolly Parton. She was one of a kind.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha! Ok, nice to have company. Good luck pulling the catalpa seedlings, that's so frustrating not being able to do anything abou tit.
DeleteYeah - cutting trees...I may have dropped a tree on the power line to our house once, on the Fourth of July, and ripped the power meter off the side of the house to boot. No electricity all holiday weekend. I thought I had everything under control until I didn't. Oh well. Lesson learned (I think).
ReplyDeleteWhat! Jerry, that's unbelievable. The whole power meter ripped off the house. I'm impressed.
DeleteHa! Well, my husband was NOT impressed at all!
DeleteTrees.. yep, we have many a story too. The thing is I love trees, but they grow darn fast.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Dolly with us.
RIP
xo