take rob's frustration with not being able to mow in the early morning plus his environmental consciousness and a smattering of old timey gadget nostalgia and what do you get? our new push mower! it doesn't have the precision of a motorized mower, but it's definitely quiet and easy and efficient. on saturday we also fashioned a composter out of a 32 gallon plastic garbage can by digging a 1.5 ft. deep hole next to the garage, drilling holes in the bottom third of the can and putting the holey can in the ground. i had absolutely no idea it was so easy. i know that you can buy lovely composters from gardening catalogs for over $100, but i'll take the less aesthetically striking blue trashcan stuck in the dirt for $8. i'm excited about the backyard alchemy of vegetable scraps + leaves and clippings + worms = soil! 
here's some summer bulbs being planted--tigerlilies and stargazer lilies. when i was a kid we had some tigerlilies that grew in the stand of pine trees behind the house (which made a great enchanted forest with just a bit of imagination), so those are a sentimental addition. we also had a clematis that trellised nicely up a lamppost, so i'll keep an eye out for one of those at the garden sale next weekend. the irises (greenery only) in the foreground are last year's transplants from sandy and will's garden and they're thriving. joyce and jean have also offered up some hostas, black-eyed susan, dutchman's breeches (the flowers look like little pairs of pants!), and bluebells that will get planted soon and add to our perennial diversity.
is that a Scotts push mower? Just curious...
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know about the mower as well. I have one that Dad bought the year before he died (from Sears I believe). It has never worked very well, however...not very sharp. Also, I'd like to see a photo and have instructions about the homemade composter. I, too, have always looked at them in catalogs and never have allowed myself to spend that much money for one. Love the tuplips!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to see that Pete already asked about the mower. I remember when we moved from Court street and I told Dad one thing I wanted him to make sure we kept was the push mower. He said "of course" and I was only later to find out that he thought I had meant push mower as opposed to riding mower. I think the old non-motorized mower got sold at the garage sale. How well does yours work Rob?
ReplyDeleteI really like the looks of this one...except for the price.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/brill_luxus.htm
here's how we made the composter (photo to come):
ReplyDelete1. purchase a standard 32-gallon plastic garbage can with lid.
2. dig an 18" deep hole in the spot you've chosen for the composter wide enough to accomodate the garbage can.
3. drill holes in the bottom of the can and 18" up the sides (we drilled every four inches or so) for drainage and ventilation
4. put the can into the hole you dug and replace dirt as necessary for a snug fit.
5. put a layer of soil in the bottom of the can, start adding clippings and produce, and put the lid back on.
rob got these informal instructions from our friend john who did quite a bit of web research before making his bin. a google search for "garbage can composter" yields sites with more info.
-c
i miss spring in a place where you notice the season has changed...and having a yard...and a garden...and compost...and being able to get down to the ground and back up--sigh. tulips look great and i like rob's hat.
ReplyDelete