Hose Review

If anyone would have told my 20-year self that my 30-year self was reviewing a garden hose, she would have likely strangled me with a hose.  But it wouldn't really work because garden hoses in the past kind of suck.  

I am fully aware of the corny factor of this post but in all seriousness, this is an important and well used tool in my yard.  And because we have gardens on all sides of our house and only 1 hose, I'm constantly hauling awkward 50' hoses around the yard, which I tend to just leave in the middle of the yard. We have perpetual snake shaped impressions on my lawn. 

I'm not usually one for As Seen on TV products, but this one intrigued: 

I am tired of tugging and lugging…

So I dashed over to Canadian Tire, which, as an aside, I forgot how awesome it is. 

The version I picked up was NOT $19.95 [liers] as claimed above but 49.99 for 75 feet - which easily covers all of my gardens.  

Made from 'super strong webbing' the hose does do as it says and is light to handle, easy to move around and seems to adapt well to a range of nozzles. 

One note of warning, it apparently doesn't weather well in the sun, so be sure to store out of the direct sun.  And if you're highly impatient like me, remove the nozzle to drain as it seems to take an exorbitant  amount of time to drain.  Other than that, I'm hooked!  

I swear it will be cooler post next time…. 

LP

Winter Wonder$*#$land

No, no.  This is not just an old post that I was too lazy to finish.  This is for realz. After a particularly brutal and unforgiving winter, and an equally nasty early spring, the plants (and humans) are finally starting to feel safe enough to emerge.  

Looks like winter right? EHHHHHHHHH - wrong.  It was March 31st. 

The crocuses and snowdrops are out, along with  miniature irises that are too cute for words. Too bad they were demolished by last week's snow... 

The spring bulbs (ie. tulips, allium, and daffies) are poking through (no blooms yet) and everything seems to be tentatively ready to explode. A couple of the earliest ones that seem to do well here are prairie crocus, succulents, berginia, and forsythia.  

Prairie Crocus and Creeping Jenny - April 

Meanwhile, this is happening everywhere else. 

Boo hoo hoo.  Tough life west coasters.  Wanna see Calgary last Saturday?

Calgary is one of the most volatile environments I've ever lived in.  The winters are consistently cold - like consistently colder than the freezer cold.  Spring is a moody bugger. Spectacular warm days followed by -10 and 6" of snow. We can't even plant anything until May long weekend.  Then a short intense summer with light until 11pm. It's a wonder anything grows here ever. 

Even the one legged flamingo looks winter weary

Monster Karl Foresters (still sleeping)

Planting at our neighbours on one of our warm days in April

The tomatoes are settled into the window ledge and will remain a fixture there until at least June 1st. 

There is an undercurrent of resilience and hope in this town. Hopefully it will rub off on me one day...

LP

Prairie House Unveiled

We're only half done, but I can't wait one more minute to share... 

Before...

And After....

Note all the high points are unpainted. Fear of heights in our house, perhaps? 

This poor poor door has been painted so many times.  Soon to be replaced with a Crestview.

Colours: 

Body/Trim: Cloverdale Paint - Colour match to Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron (Flat for body, Satin for trim)

Door: Pratt & Lambert - eeek!! Can't find the paint chip.  I'll update when I find it.

Still a couple weeks of painting left, including the garage.  And since I'm so indecisive with doors, add a few more weeks for countless colour trials. I'm not totally sure what to do with the soffits in the interim.  White is whack so we're pondering removing the aluminum to reveal the original plywood soffits. Or just paint?  

We're completely in love with the final results.  

I'll post some pictures of future plans for the porch.  

LP

UPDATE: Door colour - Pratt & Lambert Delightful Aqua 22-7

The New Patio

Re: the pause in postings - I was going to lie and say that we've both been busy working on the house.  Which we have.  But it's not the complete truth.  Frustrated with the vortex that is Facebook, I took a week off.  The weather was crappy/cold/buggy so I was trapped inside. Instead of tackling any one of the 22,653 indoor projects, I thought I'd take a moment and look at my dormant Pinterest account....  Aaaaaannnnnnd here I am one blurry month later with some gorgeous room 'boards' and absolutely no blog posts. So I'll make it up to everyone with some 'Before and After's. 


This year's landscape project included the addition of a second patio, a raised gardening bed and a firepit on the terrace closer to the garage (the concept of which was feverishly conceived on a flight from Grand Prairie).  We have new neighbours who are positively lovely (the wife, who is Lebanese, brings over Lebanese dishes at least a few times a week - so. spoiled.), but they have three girls who love our kids and our backyard.  So we have six sets of eyes peering at us on the patio through the cracks in the in fence at all times. Plus, as it turns out, the lower patio is a pretty bad ass tricycle roadway. 


We spent loads of time last and this year just observing how the girls were using the backyard. And we quickly discovered that play is focused on the hill, the lower patio and the sandbox.  So this vast area of grass by the garage was not being utilized really by anyone.  


Like our other  project last summer, most everything was built using upcycled materials (Kijiji and used building material stores, leftovers from last year's project) and almost primarily hand dug/laid/built by Jay. I took care of the landscaping.  We brought the stepped design elements of the patio and sandbox into this design, stepping the garden, the firepit and the patio away from each other.  Jay also built a narrow garden box right at the fence for some tall grasses. My dad helped build the compost in the back corner. 

BEFORE: Raised gardening area at the far right. Random kid in snowboots in May - centre. 

Planting of the new trees. Man am I ever glad we elected to have them planted for us.  We would have had to roll that mo fo in there. Mayday on bobcar, Double Flowering Plum in the foreground. 

Digging out and laying the patio stones. I think Jay paid about $150 for all of the patio stones (second hand).  He framed out the firepit as well (where he's sitting).

Sweeping the sand in the cracks.  I think I'm in a lawnchair on Pinterest here. 

AFTER: The patio has the same stepped design as the lower patio. The fire drum is actually an old rusty tire rim. I love rusted elements.  

Taken after we completed the narrow beds behind the patio. Karl Foresters line the back and we planted some rhubarb closer to the garden boxes. The black rectangular thing is an old door we painted with chalkboard paint for the girls.  And we also got a slide for the hill that has been a huge hit. (we both love play integrated into the landscape) The kids patio set is hiding what will be Phase III next year - concrete steps to the garage. 

Shot of the half painted garage and my very happy tomatoes (I'm Italian - tons of pride in my tomato plants).   New compost that my dad and Jay built is in the back corner which those stupid magpies think is a smorgasbord. When we covered it with chicken wire, they started eating my garden. Argh.  

So major 2012 Exterior Project #1 is complete. Now just a simple paint job left for this summer.  Or.. not so simple...  

Prepping for painting - day 55.  Ever wondered where fly babies live?  Under aluminum shutters.  There were hundreds.  Ewwww.

LP

Shades of Summer

Too bad it's like 8 degrees and raining because our trees were finally delivered and planted this week.

Mayday in the backyard - this sucka is about 12 feet. 

Cute little Scotch Pine

Of course with anything new that crosses the prairie property line comes oodles of new plans to integrate it into the landscape.  And luckily, as I am a skilled procrastinator, we have a deadline to complete these elaborate plans. We have invited our street to a Canada Day party in the backyard (July 1st for you non-Canadians). And we're aiming to be done by then. Phase II, officially dubbed, involves adding a new patio away from the house and protected between the garage and the fence for the patio furniture, and creating a fire pit/ sun lounge area.  Hubby will be incorporating the tree into the patio. We (read: hubby) will be trading for some additional 1950s patio stones for this upper patio from our neighbour in exchange for us building them a new patio wall.  We plan to add a long garden along the fence for some tall prairie grasses.  The lower deck by the house will be used for an outdoor table* / chalk roadway for all the neighbourhood kids' trikes and bikes (it's so cute).

We'll also be extending the front garden to incorporate the Scotch pine. So it's pretty much a big fat summer of digging.  Now I just need it to stop raining...  

LP

*Outdoor patio furniture is so ridiculously overpriced that I've decided we're either making a table from the old fence pickets in the garage or buying some fromage indoor dining set from Kijiji.  Remember the floral vinyl seats from the 60s and 70s? Perfect for outdoor, right? 

Trees (for Earth Day)

Trees.  We finally bought some yesterday!  We cut ALL of them down out of the yard last year as they were either scraggly or useless bushes with ugly foliage. Half our backyard was taken up by overgrown Cotoneaster.

Note we actually had removed a row of these suckers on the far right.  The whole yard was filled with them. 

These ubiquitous bushes in Calgary are just stunning for about 5 minutes in the fall when the leaves turn a fiery red.  The rest of the year, they are patchy green, poky and nearly impossible to remove.  The story behind them is that they helped save countless farms during the Depression here on the Prairies, with years of severe drought conditions.  Those farms with Cotoneasters (which are drought resistant) were apparently protected from dust bowl conditions.

As I mentioned in the last post, we are in the 'brown' gardening stage here in Calgary. Garden centres are only just starting to open and stock summer plants.  I have been dying to go to Countryside Landscapes & Gardens in Dewinton, about 30 minutes south of downtown since we saw them at the Home Show back in February. This one seemed right up our alley - modern design, no kitschy garden ornaments, and they sell terrariums!

Find the kids in the Potentilla

They opened last week so we made the trek out there yesterday and spent most of the day browsing through their beautiful store.  The kids played in a neat little playhouse, leaving us some kid-free time (rare) to browse at our leisure.  We had decided on an Amur Maple for the backyard.  The criteria are that the tree had to be climbable/shady/fairly quick growth/no annoying sticky leaves or useless berries. The Amur Maple seemed to have a beautiful canopy and those little helicopters, which are hours of fun for parents and kids. 

Amur Maple in Fall

We found one in the tree nursery and it was actually pretty scraggly (there's nary a leaf on any of the trees right now, which actually makes it easier find the shape we want).  One of the sales staff told us that they always look slightly scraggly and only when they mature (like above) do they start to look good.  So we ended up with something I had never heard of: a mature 15 foot Mayday (Bird Cherry).  The lines of the tree are lovely and it has beautiful fragrant white flower clusters in the spring with small black chokecherries in the summer (can I eat these? Or are they useless berries?).

Spring flowers on Mayday

Ours is the one with the pink tag (I should really learn how to add an arrow)

We also found a tree we had been stalking in garden stores across Calgary for over a year now. These little Scotch Pines were raised and pruned in the Countryside nursery and are about half the price of others we've seen in the city.  We're planting him somewhere in the front yard.

Hiding under the 'hats'

I also bought a Double-Flowering plum, which I have coveted for years.  I took Ikebana courses for a couple of years and it was a staple in the class.  

Apparently this bush needs lots of sun and is most successful when it's on its own. Hmmm.  May have to make another kidney-bean garden for this guy on the front lawn. 

The trees will be delivered and planted in a couple of weeks.  Very exciting!  

LP  

House Colour Trial #1 = Fail

What I wanted was a punch-coloured door.  We did a trial test of the house colour and the door this week on the garage.  Turns out more like a punch in the face .  This black/charcoal base is tricky.  It can look subtle and almost like a shadow with the right colour trim/door but totally offensive with the wrong colour.  See below image.

BM Aruba Blue - cover your nose

 Back to Benjamin Moore and this time for some softer colours. 

Our inspiration... 

Hubby wasn't fond of going this light. I love the simplicity of this exterior.  (Ottawa Citizen)

Definitely traditional but the overall effect is cool and inviting.  (Lavender & Lilies)

This mint door is divine. (Go Haus Go)

Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm not a fan of subtle colour.  So a pastel door is a big step for me.  

We agreed on three that didn't look too much like combinations of food, holidays or insects (inspired by bees, After 8 mints, Halloween etc.) - settling on Benjamin Moore's Bird's Egg, Surf Green and Lemon Meringue (the last one is doomed).


Trial is tomorrow.  Sure glad we have a crappy garage door that will likely undergo a number of colour tests.


LP

What Lies Beneath...

One of our biggest fears is what lies beneath the vinyl siding on our house.  I'm always spouting off to my clients about the evils of vinyl siding. And yet.... we have old vinyl siding on our house.  Removing the siding has been a big stress for us and an unplanned expense (if we need new siding) that makes it more conducive to just leave the damn stuff on. 


It was fairly mild yesterday, and maybe hubby just felt the need to rip something apart, so he took off a portion of the siding on an inconspicuous side of the house.  

Apart from a few nail holes, looks as good as 55 year old siding can look!  (It was originally red)

LP

House Colour Trial

Hubby picked up some paint colours today at Benjamin Moore to try on the house.  The first couple were too light, so he went back to pick up a black range.  I've been thinking of the downside of painting a house black or dark black grey:

• trouble finding the house at night
• ear marked as local 'haunted house'
• turn house into the inside of the sun in the summer

Lot's to consider here.  Anyhow, here is the results of our quest for the perfect black/grey + drama door.  Hot damn I'm lucky hubby and I have the same taste in colours/decor/design.

The new black roof and downspouts from our hail damage claim.  Current state: challenged.  That dirt patch on the right is not a grave, it's a garden. I keep telling hubby we need to make it bigger, otherwise it looks like something fishy is going on our house.

Picking out colours at Benjamin Moore.

This is the base colour we settled on for body, trim and sash: BM Wrought iron. And this aqua (BM Aruba Blue) sample is an option for the doors - Gloss finish of course. This blue is my fav.

How about a pink door (BM Peony) - of course this received top votes from the girls.

BM Mandarin Orange.  This one is hubby's favourite.

BM Tangy Orange.  This one is actually not as 'poppy' as I had hoped.  Hubby thinks it would make us look like we're trying too hard to be cool.

Apparently this was my colour inspiration for the doors.  Thanks Lalaloopsy.

LP

The Garden - 2011

I either planted or moved everything in the front and back flower gardens this year.  All Zone 3 perennials with a  smattering of annuals.  The gardens all had that 'first year perennial' look to it.  Like they were all angry that I took them from their friends at the nursery. "I'll show her.  I'm going to just sit her alllll summer and wilt and under perform" I now understand the value of showy annuals.  Here's a sampling of this year's 'harvest' (all zone 3)

The Front Garden: 

The purple section: (Clockwise from left): black petunias, delphinium, Japanese anemone,  bergenia, ?? 

cute little sea holly

The rock garden: Clockwise from bottom left - pink sedum, lambs ear,  yucca, edelweiss (purchased only because I love the song), chicken and egg

Evergreen on right with a sweet hair do

Clockwise from left: Petunias, harebell, echinacea, that same ?? 

Yellow garden in foreground: helenium

Trial veggie garden: 'cumpins' (2 year old's term), and potatoes (the beans, carrots, peas and garlic didn't grow - curses)

Rain barrel for veggie garden

Backyard gardens

Patio pot

Sedum and oat grass by patio

Side garden: Karl forester, blue fescue

Already miss summer? Me too... 


LP