Saturday, May 20, 2017

Rain barrel project... Day 2

Day two started by a quick run to the nursery with the grand peanuts to go get some tomatoes plants.

We put the netting on the trellis then as Jean planted the tomatoes, I started to cut a trench to bury the water hose to my water point so I could mow the grass without having to moved it every time. Both operation were helped with the grand kids and Rudy...humm, took somehow longer than expected :-)

Trellis netting installed, tomatoes plants, cucumbers plants
 and pepper bell plants in, next is staking 

Trench dug for the garden hose

Came across the power line going to the shed.
Glad to see they used the proper cabling

Buried and cleaned up

Their mother came to picked up the kids and after lunch here they all went swimming with grandma on the base. I stayed behind so I could get some work done on the "one day" platform :-)

But first a nap... :-)

Next another trip to the nursery stores, following our discussions about the grand plan, we decided on a partial privacy wall, made of trees and plants... need more ornamental trees... off to the nursery we go with Rudy

7 in total, will no doubt need more but it will do for now...

Our grand plan is just that...grand :-)
Hence why we are doing it in phases, this year being establishing a garden area to produce plants and veggies.

In the coming months I will terrasse the sitting area and that will help define the location of the Fire & Water area. Once these fall into place the remainder becomes easier to locate.

So after all that, we were both tired, it is amazing how much energy the little ones can zap from you :-)
Some of the front flower bed got started, clean up, the privacy wall planted,
the water line buried, solar lights put up and all the veggies planters got protection from the frost...

FROST?? Yes, they forecasted a frost warning for tonite...after three days reaching low 30s.???
WTF??%?$@# OK, so all the beds got their required protection from the frost. Still can't believed it, but, mother nature does what she wants.
Welcome to Canada, if you don't like the weather? Just wait 5 minutes, it will changed :-)

Rudy pointing to a squirrel. I see him Dad let me go...

The 4X4 got its greenhouse cover and the treillis one got 
various sizes cloches to protect the plants

The Veg-Trug get its greenhouse cover

Rudy and I thought that was enough for the day, so time for a cold one 


Oh, and the rain barrel stand project you ask? Oh I thought about it alright, Ralph estimate got me to do a double take, and rethink my bright plans :-)
But then realized that, hum, I think I was correct in my guesstimate, so plan C can proceed... Another day

There is always another day in retirement...

OK, I see that squirrel again Dad, let me go...

Bob, slapping on the Voltaren and sipping a cold one :-)

6 comments:

  1. Hi Bob,

    I am curious how you like your veg trug? My father is 94 and won't garden any more because he can't bend down and he has voracious rabbits around. I have thought about one of these but couldn't pull the trigger.

    I am in southern new england and delayed planting because we were getting nights in the 40's this weekend (that's Fahrenheit). You have a lot of protection but I have found if the roots get cold early, the plant is stunted for the whole season.

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  2. Hi Steve
    Too soon to say about the Veg-Trug but being sold at LV I have great hopes for it. It seems to be a quality product. My only quip so far is how the cover frame attach to the wooden part. They gives you two substantial bracket to screw it in on what looks like the outside on the pic in the instruction (a tad sketchy instructions BTW) but there is no way I can stretch the frame so it lay on the outside. Assembled tight (all tubing pieces fitted as far they go inside the plastic connectors), it sit inside making screwing the bracket impossible... Loosen up to fit on the outside, it falls apart too readily. I have it sitting on the inside with only one side of the brackets screw in, the other end sticking out. Other than that, it is a good sturdily made product, even the covers are much better than the usual clear plastic ones. We got it for that same reason you mentioned, do not want to bend to garden, it sit at 32 in, a bit more sitting on the pavers ı put under. All in all I recommend it. It is also carried by Home Depot, Home Hardware and etc, so you can sometimes find them on sale, mine was $50 off at Home Hardware

    Bob, the budding gardener

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  3. One last thing Steve...
    I heard too that for example if my tomatoes plants feel the frost they would delayed ripping out by 10 days, so i suppose it stunt their growth but only delays it. Being high, it should prevent those pesky rabbits to lunch in it. I have animal netting for the lower 4X4 gardens that I may put on later in the season.
    So far we really look forward to using our Veg-Trug and are thinking of getting the smaller veranda or balcony model to use in our not too distant life in a retirement community, that one would probably be a tad too big for us by then. We plan to move into a city at that point, so probably would be in a condo type apartment, hence the balcony sized model.

    Bob

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  4. Bob your workdays aren't much different then mine. I start one with a plan to do one thing and I do a bazillion others and not the original one. Go figure. Las Vegas oddmakers say the rain barrel will be done thursday.

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  5. LOL Ralph, yes I'm secretly hoping that by Thurs i'll have it put into service...

    Bob, the daydreamer :-)

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  6. Plenty of time. I still think you'll finish it n time.

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