It is Stinking Hot in VA Today - Gardening Update

I am not even going to check to find out what the exact temperature is outdoors.  All I can say is it is sunny, humid and hot.  Too hot for me to have the energy this afternoon to go out back and continue with the new perennial beds along the fence that was erected last fall.

In spite of adding amendments to the soil and tilling, the soil is still compacted and difficult to dig in.

Earlier this past week, I did get some help digging holes and putting in nine new root roses, as well as transplanting approx. 5 rose bushes from other sections of the yard.

Word to the wise and now from experience....  Don't dig up a plant that you are going to transplant until after the new location has a hole dug and is ready to have the plant put in place and watered.

Yeah, the transplanted rose bushes are not doing well at all.  They went from ravishing to death row, as the roots were exposed for 60 minutes or so on a warm day.

Finally, was able to plant roughly 24 red gladiolus bulbs, 36 yellow and 36 mixed variety gladiolus bulbs in the new bed area, yesterday afternoon.

I also began the process of moving and transplanting iris rhizomes with greenery from other areas of the yard, as the next line, after the roses and gladiolus in the new beds.  (One clump was reclaimed from the other side of the new fence, as the new neighbor mowed over the greenery.  To me, that signifies that he doesn't want them there and/or doesn't care for them being there.  So, they have another chance, back with their iris rhizome clan in neat little rows.)

Amazed at how some of them have survived, as the soil here in VA is such a dense clay that the majority of them were surrounded by dry clumps, as opposed to loose and moist earth.

Hopefully, over time, I can improve the soil nutrients and conditions within that area.

I did pick-up 6 bags of Scott's wood mulch at Home Depot on Thursday PM and another 8 bags earlier this afternoon, as they have them on sale for the holiday weekend for $2.50 per bag.  Wood mulch is a must in this area, unless plants are established and densely planted.  Huge help in holding moisture in the soil for root systems, as opposed to quickly evaporating back into the air.

There is a lot more to be transplanted from other sections of the yard, as well as there are a slew of other new bulbs that I purchased that have yet to find a home.

I am praying that I won't damage the calla lilies that are in a few sections of the yard that have been rapidly shooting up greenery this week.  They are in very odd areas and my goal is to have a lovely, dense section of garden beds along this line of fence.  An area where I can look out and enjoy or go out in the privacy of the yard and drink in their beauty.

Maybe tomorrow, in the early AM, it will be cool enough to work on transplanting the delicate beauties without damaging them.

Feel like I have been there and done all of this.  Took years with the other house landscaping, regarding, soil amendment and build up, stone walls, transplanting and purchasing of new plants, etc. 

Lots of personal time and muscle power, as well, as when needed, I have realized that I have to hire others to help periodically, as there are only so many hours and so much energy and strength that I can expend.

Another day...  Another day...

Crystal Chandeliers - Just Brilliant!

Growing up around antiques and older furniture made me sway towards more contemporary and modern, simple lines of furnishings and decorations, once I was of age and could make decisions about my own decor.

Now, look at me... Swaying back to the other direction, I am finding beauty again and again in the detail of more complex pieces, carvings and patterns, etc.

One of the items that I often search for when I am surfing my local craigslist.org site is "chandelier".  I came across this 18 light, crystal and glass chandelier back in early April.

The photographs are showing it in the owners newly redecorated dining room.  This was one of the final items to be removed prior to the new light they had purchased being installed and the ceiling being patched and repainted.

It took a couple of trips to procure this item.  One to view and make a commitment and another follow-up days later to pay and pick-up the chandelier and the plaster medallion.

I am not sure if the medallion will work on the textured and vaulted ceiling of my living room.  But, it might find a second life elsewhere, such as the adjoining dining room, as I am now in search of another much smaller scale and similar chandelier for that space (open to the living room).

This will not get installed right away, as the basement project is still in process and moving along well.  But, slowly.  That takes precedence at the moment.

It took an entire evening removing the crystals and the individual candle bowls from under each light fixture and cleaning them.  I am certain it might take just as long or longer to re-install.  But, for now the pieces are clean and stored away ready for installation.

Little factoid, this house built in 1983 does not have overhead lights in a majority of the rooms.  Mrs. O'Dea must have elected not to have them installed in lieu of using table lamps.

Personally, far too dark for me and when the sun goes down it makes me very sleepy..

January 2011 - Blog Update

I have been out of pocket, in terms of my blog.  Blame it on me breaking the screen to my laptop one evening in November as I moved from the sun porch to the den.

Creature of habit.  Obviously, I prefer the mobility and flexibility of working from the laptop where I want and when I want with broadband access.  Whether it be out on the sun porch or while winding down in bed, prior to going to sleep.

The laptop has been hooked up to an external flat screen monitor in the upstairs office.  I just need to get into the mode of not being mobile.

The library project or what has extended into the basement project has been underway for a couple of months.  Eight hundred square feet of porcelain tile to be laid.  So, far the large "library" room and the bedroom are completed, as far as tile work.  This AM, the men began to pull up the brittle and crumbling synthetic stick down tile from the laundry/utility room floor.

The bedroom is essentially completed in terms of renovations:  Tile, new baseboard and door handles, dry wall repair, painting of the ceiling, trim and walls.  Coaxial cable was rerouted through the stairwell and along the channel behind the baseboard into the room.  Electrical and lighting fixtures were all replaced.

A friend just re-did a room in their basement, new from the studs, and he had all of the electrical outlets upgraded to four gang outlets.  Took his lead on that and did the same with all but one outlet in the bedroom.  Also, I had them install a new dimmer switch up to control the overhead light fixture.

For those of you who smoke or have a loved one that smokes.  Take note:  It should not take two gallons of white Berh paint to cover a ceiling.  I think that they had to paint the rectangular area where the long florescent light was installed four times in order to cover the smoke discoloration. 

I knew that I wanted:

• Bright white for ceiling
• Bright white for trim in a high gloss
• Semi gloss wall paint in a shade of green to match the Chinese Oriental carpet

 These are the paints I used:

• I ended up with Berh bright white flat for the ceilings.  (Note:  $ _ Rep. at Home Depot advised me to get the 2 gallon plastic pails, as they cost less per gallon than the 5 gallon pails.  (Good tip.)
• Glidden white-on-white gloss for the trim work and doors.
• Benjamin Moore, Ben paint in an Apple Blossom (light green) for the walls.
• Rustolium Appliance White Paint (Air vents cleaned in the dishwasher (I know....OCD)). 

The only re-use items for this room was the current light fixture ($5. from ReBuild) Schlage brass door handle/knob ($5. from ReBuild) and a Lutron dimmer switch ($1. from ReBuild).  The four closet door brass handles are very similar to the Schlage and were a new in the box donation to ReBuild ($5. per unit).

Task this evening is to get down on the floor and remove the paint that got onto the new tile from around the perimeter and splashes here and there.  Plus, give the floor a good wash before the new area rug pad is put down and the clean Oriental carpet.

Workers will be back tomorrow to move the furniture back in and then move items out of the laundry/utility room to commence the tile work within that space.

I will start trying to post photos in a short period of time.  Not sure if my camera; which I have a couple of places that I normally place it has been misplaced or if the first couple of workers might have walked with it.  Let's hope it is just misplaced.

You might wonder what one does if they don't watch TV in the evening.  How about replace the toilet seat!

Seriously, that was my little project last night and I am so happy with it.  Master bedroom toilet had a padded seat that wasn't the proper size for the toilet basin.  It has been replaced with a new American Standard, Williamsburg toilet seat (new in the box from ReBuild, cost $5.).

What a difference it makes in the appearance of the bathroom. 

FYI:  The knobs, electrical plates and switches, along with the clean, padded toilet seat will be headed to ReBuild for donation.  I don't care if they give them away, as long as they do not go into land fill.

Stay tuned family and friends.

The Tree House Apres Tree Going Through The Roof