Oasis is nearly done with the pergola. They feel they have roughly 4 more hours to go.

Labels: Boulder, Colorado, Erie, pergola

This is what happens when I don't post for a week due to house guest: the 5k garden explodes. We've had zucchinis, cucumbers (more on this in a later post), corn, and now tomatoes. All of the plants have fruit, but the little runt that could, did.

These are Red Robins, a petite 8 inch plant that I picked up from Paulino's Garden Center.

Labels: Colorado, Erie, garden, Red Robin, tomato

I'm very excited about this post!

Back Story: My evil older brothers would feed me horse radish sandwiches when I was little. Funny thing was, I liked them.

Fast forward to today: A coworker gave me a plant for the beds. I just need to find a home for it.

Labels: Boulder, Colorado, Erie, garden, horse radish

We'll soon be draped in shade. Thursday, the contractor from Oasis Decks cored the patio and dug the hole for the piers. Open hole inspection was today and the concrete is setting up as we speak.

Labels: pergola

I had enough. The raccoons had destroyed most of the corn, so I gathered what i could salvage for a snack.

Labels: corn, critter, garden, racoon

Found these guys on the sappy stems of this flower. they appeared to be having a hay day chowing down on smaller white bugs. I'm not an entomologist. Anyone know of a bug man?

Labels: bugs, flower, garden

The yard surrounding the house we bought was in pretty poor shape a few years ago. Pocked with dry spots, an irrigation system that needed attention, and weeds. Most annoyingly is purslane. With it's itty bitty seeds and ability to live in nearly every condition.

We spent the better part of a weekend pulling and filling the equivalent of 95 gallons of this cruel plant. I spent hours online trying to find an environmentally-friendly solution. I even called a Boulder County organic lawn service and asked them. They told me 'we'll get right back to you', but i didn't hear a thing.

I have found one product that kills purslane: Ortho® Weed-B-Gon MAX® Weed Killer For Lawns Concentrate. Having looked all over online, I came across a few research papers pointing to the active ingredient Dicamba.

Up next: Ortho has done it again, with Ortho® Grass-B-Gon® Garden Grass Killer. My lawn's Bermuda will soon become extinct.

UPDATE: Yes, a few of you are bright and tell me that these creatures can be eaten in a salad. Fine. Come and get yours. I'm not one to enjoy the bliss that is chemically treated gardens, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Labels: chemical, lawn, weeds

At first i thought "COON!" but the soft scent wafting through the breached bed told me it was skunk.

Must mean the corn's ready. Too bad it got most of the mature ears.



UPDATE: Consensus tells me this is a raccoon. Experts have advised everything from strychnine-laced cantaloupe, offered hav-a-heart traps (where I'd take them I have no idea, and traditional firing squad techniques. I think I'm going to go the route of feed the needy and electrify my fence for next year.

Labels: Boulder, Colorado, corn, critter, Erie, garden, racoon, skunk

Had a bit of a storm tonight. Three-quarter inch of rain, some pea sized hail and gusty winds. Probably took 30 minutes to blow over

Labels: garden, hail, rain

Labels: Boulder, Colorado, Erie, garden, Heirloom, plants

Some folks think they are independent after yesterday. Here's a site to inspire you to become more so. off-grid provides great literature on the virtues of wind, solar and bio energy.

Labels: biodiesel, energy, solar, wind