Aiming for the lawn free landscape
Oct. 5th, 2011 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
halifaxearthtech(Posted at Sep. 13th, 2011 06:55 pm)
The neighbors have gently reminded me that it's time to tidy up the landscaping around the house. That is an evolving situation with which I am lucky to have Aaron help me out. I was in need of motivation to make the property presentable anyway. If I am to be serious about consulting then the place should be an example of what I am capable of.
Meantime I spent five hours today whipping the backyard into shape. Five hours is a fair amount of labour, I try not to do more than that or 6 in a workday. 8 hours a day and it had better be pretty fucking important. More than that I consider to be inhumane.
I finished the Berkley pile and got enough horse manure to make it 2m cubed. It should finish in two weeks. I've got the thermometer in place waiting.
I chopped out the nettle and planted a little bit back into a buried pot, to keep the roots under control. I am very impressed with the nettle, it is obviously designed to inhabit such poor soil as is in my backyard and create a woody mat of roots underground while fixing carbon as fast as it possibly can. Clearly a good candidate for remediation. I wish I lived in a place where it could continue to do its thing but I am now on a quest for "tidy".
Where the raised beds will be I've covered with landscaping fabric on top of the weeds, which I chopped down to the roots. I've discovered the sickle also needs to be peened. After peening it and using the whetstone that came with the scythe you could shave with it. The lumber for the raised beds will be paid for with the proceeds from the sale of the shed this weekend. This money will also go toward mulch for the front and if there's anything left over after that, shrubs. Hazel and blueberry, most likely.
I edged and mowed and am looking for something to replace the remaining grass that is in the pathway by the side of the house for good. I've settled on brick chips but not sure when that will take place. Chopping out lawn is hard work.
The front will probably take another three hours. I am mulching some properties this week as well as my regularly scheduled shifts so that should bring in some badly needed income. Next week I've discovered someone is interested in having me consult and (permaculture) design for a large rural property in New Brunswick, an exciting opportunity
The neighbors have gently reminded me that it's time to tidy up the landscaping around the house. That is an evolving situation with which I am lucky to have Aaron help me out. I was in need of motivation to make the property presentable anyway. If I am to be serious about consulting then the place should be an example of what I am capable of.
Meantime I spent five hours today whipping the backyard into shape. Five hours is a fair amount of labour, I try not to do more than that or 6 in a workday. 8 hours a day and it had better be pretty fucking important. More than that I consider to be inhumane.
I finished the Berkley pile and got enough horse manure to make it 2m cubed. It should finish in two weeks. I've got the thermometer in place waiting.
I chopped out the nettle and planted a little bit back into a buried pot, to keep the roots under control. I am very impressed with the nettle, it is obviously designed to inhabit such poor soil as is in my backyard and create a woody mat of roots underground while fixing carbon as fast as it possibly can. Clearly a good candidate for remediation. I wish I lived in a place where it could continue to do its thing but I am now on a quest for "tidy".
Where the raised beds will be I've covered with landscaping fabric on top of the weeds, which I chopped down to the roots. I've discovered the sickle also needs to be peened. After peening it and using the whetstone that came with the scythe you could shave with it. The lumber for the raised beds will be paid for with the proceeds from the sale of the shed this weekend. This money will also go toward mulch for the front and if there's anything left over after that, shrubs. Hazel and blueberry, most likely.
I edged and mowed and am looking for something to replace the remaining grass that is in the pathway by the side of the house for good. I've settled on brick chips but not sure when that will take place. Chopping out lawn is hard work.
The front will probably take another three hours. I am mulching some properties this week as well as my regularly scheduled shifts so that should bring in some badly needed income. Next week I've discovered someone is interested in having me consult and (permaculture) design for a large rural property in New Brunswick, an exciting opportunity
