Gardening Reports (Areas 8 and 9)



Flower on one of our three magnolia trees



The last time I posted on the yard was May 11 HERE.  The gardening is for Areas 8 and 9 of The House That Cleans Itself project. Gardening will have to be a continuous project and I will now be moving on to Areas 10 and 11 (my husband's workshop and our garage). I am hoping to find many items from the workshop and the garage for a yard sale the last weekend of  July. Also, because of a minor operation on July 1st, I will not be able to sweat for three weeks and work outside in our Florida heat.

Cleanup and Exercise. We had a pile of lumber in the second backyard on the cement where I am holding that yard sale next month.  In the process of moving the wood to the front yard for Saturday pickup, I fell! I relaxed as I fell and was not hurt. Senior citizens need to relax when they fall so they do not break a bone.  

Instead of using my carts to move boards (how I had fallen), I devised an exercise plan. I continued moving one board at a time and pretended they were weights, moving the board up and down for exercise. I wonder what some neighbors thought as they saw me do this, but I was happy for the exercise, but not the sweat. .

It Takes A Village. I am so impressed with the help we have been receiving. Kenny's brother-in-law, Kevin,  assessed our water softner situation and advised me about calling one of our plumbers. Not only did Kevin do this, but he cleaned the rust off of the wall in our back yard. I was working at the time, but I understand that he had to use acid to get it off. Incredible difference as you see below!



Before



After

I found where the septic tank is located! It is in this corner where the rusty walls had been. I mentioned it to my husband and he said he always knew where the septic tank was. Now I need to know these things and my plan to put a lot of plants here had to be changed since I couldn't dig into the ground. before finding the cement from the septic tank. Instead I bought three huge pots with holes in the bottom from Lowes here in Plant City. I weeded and layered that corner with red mulch and put out the pots of Bengal Tiger Cannas--deciduous perennials with hardiness to 15 degrees F. Kerby's Nursery in Brandon is where I got them.  Kerby's said they need 4-8 hours of sun and this they have. During the morning I can sit in the corner and read while rocking in the swing. Under the gutter there is actually a live plug that works in case I need a light. Or, sometime I could use that plug for music!

Bengal Tiger Canna plants have
orange flowers all summer.

We had 16 bags of Home Depot mulch delivered by Wayne, who does our lawn now. So grateful that he does our lawn and we try to take him to dinner as thanks whenever he mows. To date I have used twelve of the sixteen mulch bags. I also used the mulch under large pots of Umbrella Plants in the front yard by the house.



Front yard

 It takes a village indeed. So thankful for:

* Our backyard neighbors (Kenny's relatives who help willingly)

* Wayne who mows and who delivered the mulch from Home Depot

* Kerby's Nursery

* Home Depot

* Lowes

Meanwhile, folks, please pray for our wonderful caregiver Kenny whom I had interviewed here. He is under the weather now.