Dune is a Good Read. I Was Not Expecting That.

I haven’t done much new this week. I got my greenhouse kit in and installed. It cost $180 and took about four hours to set up. We watched a YouTube video for it and then my son, Isaac, and I put it together. I then topped it off with some black mulch and a small little walking path. I love how it turned out! I still need to get some of the framing tied down and the excess material flapping in the wind needs addressed, but for now, I am content. Here’s the pics of the process!

The structure is 10′ x 7’x7′. I bought 6 bags of mulch to cover the inside, only needed 4.

I also took all of the chicken wire down on my side yard, raised garden bed area. I took it down and redid the stakes, giving my self more room to maneuver inside the area, and also neatening it up some. I pruned everything that needed pruning in there, and I also applied an Epsom Salt and water mist to all of the leaves of my fruiting and flowering plants. I have noticed they all have seemed to be perking up since the misting. I am going to do them all again next week. I am putting some thoughts to starting a fall garden, I think lettuces, carrots, and beets might be all I’m going to start.

Here’s my latest pic of the raised garden beds and container farm area:

All of the trellises, bent and busted, are about to be replaced with a sturdy black fencing, should neaten the place up a bit. I’m trying to do this all on a budget and trellises get pricey when you start needing them in the double digits.

My small patches of grass that I have been cultivating turned out so well that my husband asked me to take over getting the front yard lawn to grow, lol. So I did start a small section of that this week as well. I won’t lie to you, the front yard lawn will never be a priority of mine, it feels like wasted space to me. All I see when I look at is “hey man that could get 10 raised garden beds or a mini orchard in there”, lol.

I spoke to my sister this week. It was a nice talk, it was scheduled 4 days out, of course, but that’s pretty normal. My only thing was, she always ends the phone calls at the 45-60 minute mark. Always. We won’t talk for months. We finally get to chat and she sets me on like a timer. It is the most frustrating thing. I don’t think its just me she treats this way, but I wish she would stop it with me. I was having a good time and I hate that abrupt feeling of “oh shit, you gotta go, like right in the middle of this super pleasant phone call, to go do something for one of the three people that you live with all the time, oh okay.” I can’t deny, I feel resentful and it taints the entire conversation. I wish I had the nerve to say something to her about it, but what are you gonna do, we live in an age of accepting the ridiculous and moving on.

Oh well, the interesting thing about the conversation was that she is talking about them all moving to Washington, which is cool because both of my sons want to move there, so it would be nice to have the family that I love the most all close to one another. I’d love to move there as well, some day.

So, for the upcoming November Jamaica trip, we have decided to move it to January and I am really happy about that. I have been enjoying spending my disposable income on garden stuff, so unfortunately I haven’t saved anything for a trip, so that is a nice change.

I started reading Dune. I am shocked, shocked I say, that I never previously gave this book a chance. It is so heavily awarded and so right in the middle of everything I love about the genre. Oh well, you can teach an old dog new tricks, I am hooked and plan to read all seven (main storyline) books.

Life is going well. I have completed 85% of my summer garden goals. All that is left is purchasing a patio swinging bench, a storage side table for the pillows and blankets, the fire pit and accessories, and prepping the wild flower patch for seed planting in the late fall.

I know we are not supposed to covet THINGS, but I am…I have wanted a day bed type swing for years! The only thing that stopped me was I never had a yard worthy of a $300 expense, but now, I do! I am ordering it tomorrow…just envision with me for a sec, you have a pile of outdoor pillows (all lovingly made by you) under your head, a light blanket over your body, as you lounge on your belly and gently swing while reading your current book, with a citronella candle burning next to your snack and a cup of tea, all close by. Like….just a dream, right??

Here is the swing, pictured both up and down:

Here is a link to that: Patio Swing

My husband is buying me a fire pit for my birthday, will also be ordering that tomorrow. Here’s a pic of that:

the firepit cost about $150. Link to that: Firepit

I saved the final two things, the swing and the fire pit for last, because I wanted to have to earn them. I have done just that. I set clear goals for my garden, and I have met all of them.

It’s finally time to enjoy all of this hard work a bit.

These last two pics are before and after (I love those so much) shots. The top is the three Petunia’s I planted, with an Angel Wing Begonia that died the next day due to a late season snow storm, and three Marigold’s that also died in the snow.

The bottom is the same three Petunia’s in all their glory, THRIVING, sister!!