Gallia Est Omnis Divisa in Partes Tres

All Gaul is divided into three parts, and so is my backyard.

There's the lower level where the dogs hang out. Then there is the hill full of day lilies which I should keep weeded better. The top level once was bare dirt, but I finally got grass to grow there this year. Hence the problem.

The only way to get the lawnmower to the top level was to pull it up the hill through the greenery. I did this several times causing mortal damage to the lilies.

Getting ready to mow yesterday, my eye settled on a section of the back fence which looked to be about four-feet wide. I went to the hardware store and came back with $8 worth of hinges and screws. In about 30 minutes I had a third gate in the back of the fence (top right in photo), not too far from the back of the garage where I store the lawnmower.

I'm gatefull for the solution.

The "living" fence

My recent post (5/7/09) about my fence made from hackberry trees raised several questions from readers. I've answered the emails individually, but will repeat the answers here:

* Posts and stringers were put together with 3-inch deck screws.
* Only "curing" I did was to paint the tops of the posts with black paint to reduce damage from rain.
* Posts are set 18 inches deep in concrete.
* Fresh cut hackberry trees were used. Believe me, we have plenty more. I noticed today that one of the posts (see photo) continues to put out green shoots even though it's been cut for at least three weeks.
* Where did I get the idea for a hackberry fence? I have no clue.

On a spring day . . .

. . . you are liable to see:

* A wild turkey gliding down the hill, five feet above the ground and disappearing into the woods.
* A large black bird dining on a speckled newt in the middle of the driveway.
* A small snake looking for some warmth under the refrigerator in the garage.
* A family of field mice living in the Bush Hog that had been stored for the winter.

Don't mulch your heat pump!

One of our three heat pumps went out last week. We had it replaced at about the same cost as our first house.

While the technician was installing the unit he began to carry on about how people think they are doing the right thing by planting greenery around their units and then mulching. The tech said that is the worst thing for an outside HVAC unit because the mulch and dirt particles clog up the coils and can ruin the condenser. He said the best covering around a unit is gravel.

Today I "mulched" our heat pumps with gravel.

Mother's Day planters

Along about Mother's Day is the time Betty usually fills two wall planters we purchased in Savannah, GA., in 2002. The planters had chipping paint when we bought them at an antique store, but most of the pale green paint is gone now, replaced by rust. (HINT: Don't dare offer to repaint!)

In Evansville we had the planters on either side of the front door alcove. In Deerfield they reside on either side of the garage door and seem to get about the right amount of sun.

We use coconut fiber to hold the dirt for the plants. If you dry it out before you put it away for the winter, the fiber will last for several years.

A bit of woodsy prestidigitation

Walking through the woods after several days of heavy wind and rain always brings surprises. Trees uprooted. Limbs dangling precariously. Vines twisted like the chains of a playground swing.

This morning I was taken aback as I saw a dead limb seemingly suspended in mid air. It took a moment to figure out that it was hanging by an almost invisible honeysuckle vine attached high up in another tree.

Such is the magic of the woods.

An afternoon for morning glory

Last year I started our morning glory vines in a cold frame and then transferred them to their appropriate spots. They did well. This afternoon I just dropped a few seeds in the ground (after soaking overnight) and wished them good luck. The accompanying photo is one of last year's vines.

The morning glory vine is a solid bet to cover fences, bird-feeder posts and almost anything upright for the summer. The vines will grow up to 10-feet tall if they have something to support them. They are annuals, of course, so I'll be hauling off several hundred pounds of vines this fall.

We always use the "Heavenly Blue" variety because it matches the trim of our house.