Central Florida pond under construction

[CountryEscape]

Colleen, your gardens are spotless, you sure have done a fantastic job. I never noticed before, but love how you change from what looks like pea gravel with larger round rocks as a border, to the mulch ... different colors of mulch too ... back to grass. And, by the looks of things how do you keep the grass trimmed right up to the rocks? I'm far too lazy for a weed eater, so I use Round-Up as an edger around my flower beds, about 4" out, just enough so the mower can get up close. I know, I'm lazy, and your beds look much more natural like that. I get more ideas every time Iook at others' photos of their landscaping. Now, if I just had the money to redo areas. I looked today, and realized when I added the mulched area walkway, I can now remove the landscape snow edgers that are in the middle of that area! So ... where do I go next with them?!

 

[callingcolleen1]

Thanks CE, I am glad you like my pictures. Last years pictures always looks way better this time of the year, cause we are all just looking at dead dry grass and flowers right now!

The only advice I can give is to do what the Romans did, "divide and conquer" the yard a little at a time each year. Rome was not built in a day! The very back of my yard is the puppies "pee and play" area and it is currently under "natural" restoration! He he

Going to work that old dead tree truck behind the bench this year and turn it into a miniature "fairy wonderland garden" sure to attact all kinds of rare garden tinkerbells for sure! Ha ha ha.

Have I gave you new guys any new and exciting ideas yet!

 

[gardengimp]

Notice Colleen did not answer:

And, by the looks of things how do you keep the grass trimmed right up to the rocks?

Maybe she already has garden gnomes and fairies?

I'm curious about that also; doc and hubby no longer allow me to use power tools that require upright mobility. Bah - legs are overrated.

Maybe the grass up there in the cold blue yonder does not grow so fast?

 

[sissy]

ok don't tease or we will come kick dirt in your pond colleen

 

[callingcolleen1]

Please come and kick dirt in my pond, I will still welcome you and be very happy to have you over for a coffee Sissy, and the dirt blows in pond every day, and that's OK, cause the big pond sedge will eat all the dirt!

My grass gets trimmed by garden fairies in the middle of the night, they roll the rocks and pull the overgrown grass away, then they clip the grass neatly around the edges with little tiny sissors, one blade at a time ...... that's why I have to build them a miniature fairy town by the little pond out front, and a hotel will be made out of the tree stump to accomadate the out of town worker fairies!
OK I may should lay off that nice green grass ......... he he he

 

[sissy]

what for the guys who did your sidewalk /colleenjust made a pot and having a cup now .COFFEEEEEE NEED COFFEEEEEE

 

[CountryEscape]

So, seriously, Colleen, how do you trim that grass next to the rocks? Do you use a weed eater type trimmer? You surely do not use a hand trimmer, that would take forever. I know it looks much better to do it that way, but I like to spend time planting and growing, and less time mowing, so Round up is my trimmer of choice! It's not near as pretty, but it works for me. I just envy anyone that has time to do it the right way. And, yes, I do need to take a section each year and renovate or add or change. I already have some ideas for changing that won't cost me much if anything. Will need to add fresh layer of mulch, but other than that, just move things around and expand as I go. Got an idea for my little wooden bridge, the base for each side. But, first need to make sure the edges of the stream are high enough to ensure no water will flow over the edge from ice or quickly growing plants, then I can measure for the bridge. Neighbors tossed all the ceramic blocks from their garage that blew down in a storm a year ago, and said I could have all I want, so thinking I'll use them for step and base of the bridge! Thinking thinking thinking this time of year ....

 

[callingcolleen1]

Sound interesting, I need a stream and then I will build a bridge somewhere in the future.....
oh yes the grass trimming, I weed wack the grass with a small old 25 year old weed wacker, and I can frequently be seen crawling around on my hand and knees, moving the rocks and pulling the weeds and grass out so the rocks don't get lost in the tall grass. If you keep up and do this at least twice a month during the summer, it will look pretty good, and weed wack weekly! I never have used chemicals and I hand pull the dandylions with a cool step on dandylion puller. I obsess over the rocks and move them constantly. I love my rocks they were free and very abundant along the river or just laying on the prairies. I can also be seen sneeking rocks home all summer, sometimes they follow me home! I got the pea gravel from old sandbags from a flood that missed me a couple years ago. The wood chips I got half price or on sale, and apply a new thin layer every year and pack that down too. It's all hard labour, 20 years of hard labour in the garden and still going strong!

 

[addy1]

I use 40 yards of mulch a year, getting good at tossing the stuff. It does control the darn weeds though!

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, your labor (all of you!!!) has sure paid off, as your gardens are beautiful, Colleen. Do you use lots of annuals (those looked like Gerber daisies, are they annual or perennial?) Colleen, or mainly perennials? I love to add the annuals to my mix, get quick color. This year I'm going to start seeds from those beautiful zinnias I had last year. I saved lots of seeds (anyone want any? I have enough for 20 years worth, I'm certain LOL, and they would be really cheap to mail ... FREE!!!) and have all different colors marked on the bags. I figure they were so pretty last year, bloomed literally all summer long, only had to dead head them maybe once every 3 - 4 weeks, and will save me buying more annuals. I, too, get things on sale, but mulch is never on sale around here. I just have to find the color I want at the price I want to pay! I like the red color, but I like the more shaved look of the dark brown, so not sure what color I will use this year. I have a light gray house, so the red seemed to contrast with it best. I love your red mulch, Colleen, more like what I want, but the red I get around here is more chunks rather than shredded looking it seems.

 

[sissy]

I want to get some of the glass mulch and the big glass rocks .The big glass rocks are made of car windshields and melted to make big looking rock shapes and the color is fantastic .They recycle all the windshield glass and window glass from cars that are junked for salvage .They are such a pretty color and when the sun hits them even prettier .35 dollars here for a large one about 3 ft wide and about 2 ft high .Not to heavy either .Be pretty by a pond or in a waterfall .No sharp edges either ,smooth as a babies bottom .I would worry in the pond because I am sure it heats up .

 

[callingcolleen1]

Sissy that sounds wonderful, never heard of the glass mulch before! You will have to do a little bed of glass and show us the pictures. Will have to keep my eye out for glass mulch too.

CE, I use several different colors of mulch, some areas are red, then rocked off, and then I have black in other areas, rock that off too in a pattern than snakes the the bed to similate a dry stream, and even brown chips too, just because I like all the different textures and shapes, it contrasts nicely and make the flower bed look like a work of abstract art! I have lots of zinna seeds from the previous years, now I discovered the little pinwheel daisies, can't remember the exact name right now, bought them late last spring for half price and planted them right next to the sidewalk,and they sure did turn out nice.

Another reason that I use so many different textures in the beds is because late in the spring the mulch goes on sale and then I buy what is left over so sometimes it is some of this and some of that....

 

[addy1]

So pretty Colleen............cute toes in a pink flip flop..........

 

[CountryEscape]

And I love the dragon fly metal art in the last pic. If I had access to all the rocks you do, Colleen, I sure would have tons of beds like that, too. Problem with mixing lots of colors of mulch is that so much wind here, it would all blow and mix and then not look at nice. I could have it look nice in the summer when not as much wind, though. I've found that the more shredded stuff does better at keeping weeds out than the chunks, so thinking I will change to the shredded look this year, hoping to find the red in that type. I envy all your rocks, Colleen ... I must go searching the creek beds this year .... dated a guy who owned 20 acres, had a nice creek running through it, but he was stingy, didn't want to share any rocks with me! We aren't dating anymore. LOL

 

[sissy]

oh geeze if guy does not shares his rocks how do you expect to get a rock from him .And guys get your minds out of the gutter ,I mean real rocks or diamonds :razz: not pebbles