Construction season has begun. Yes, this long cold winter has allowed the potholes to proliferate in our town, but that is not what I am not talking about. Rather, I speak of projects closer to home or, more precisely, underfoot. A few new ventures at NOLD (our New OLD house) are underway. Some are our own doing. Others require assistance.
We are painting our younger daughter's bedroom after the contractors pulled down the rickety shelving in one of her closets and constructed a sturdy shelf and rod. We replaced a second toilet, replacing the original from 1927 (Amazing!) that used 5 gallons with a low flush that uses 1.6 gallons. And, I am back in the yard, clearing debris and leaves, trimming bushes and trees, and weeding.
The resiliency of weeds never ceases to amaze me. One of few benefits of a long cold winter is pest control, decreasing the populations of unwanted insects and rodents to more manageable and environmentally healthy numbers. However, the weeds seem unphased. Committed to organic methods, I am a firm believer in a good weeding early each spring and late each fall. So, I am at work, a little bit each day.
As I move from bed to bed, I am surprised by more than the weeds. After last year's heavy trimming and clearing of the tremendous amount of overgrowth on our property, I am finding old plantings reemerging. NOLD has had four owners: the builders who had the home for about 50 years, the second owners of about 25 years, the previous owners of about 5 years, and now us. I had heard that the second owner was an avid gardener, and now I see the evidence of his work.
I am working hard to identify plants before relegating them to the growing heap of brush. Here is the first surprise that may now be getting far too much sun for its liking:
Hellebores in its white and pink and red variations is new to me and such a colorful surprise in the early spring garden. It may need to be moved, but it is definitely staying.
We are painting our younger daughter's bedroom after the contractors pulled down the rickety shelving in one of her closets and constructed a sturdy shelf and rod. We replaced a second toilet, replacing the original from 1927 (Amazing!) that used 5 gallons with a low flush that uses 1.6 gallons. And, I am back in the yard, clearing debris and leaves, trimming bushes and trees, and weeding.
The resiliency of weeds never ceases to amaze me. One of few benefits of a long cold winter is pest control, decreasing the populations of unwanted insects and rodents to more manageable and environmentally healthy numbers. However, the weeds seem unphased. Committed to organic methods, I am a firm believer in a good weeding early each spring and late each fall. So, I am at work, a little bit each day.
As I move from bed to bed, I am surprised by more than the weeds. After last year's heavy trimming and clearing of the tremendous amount of overgrowth on our property, I am finding old plantings reemerging. NOLD has had four owners: the builders who had the home for about 50 years, the second owners of about 25 years, the previous owners of about 5 years, and now us. I had heard that the second owner was an avid gardener, and now I see the evidence of his work.
I am working hard to identify plants before relegating them to the growing heap of brush. Here is the first surprise that may now be getting far too much sun for its liking:
Hellebores in its white and pink and red variations is new to me and such a colorful surprise in the early spring garden. It may need to be moved, but it is definitely staying.
