Fence Armor

We love our Fence Armor! & it is really standing up to the wording on the box - Protect your fence posts from damage caused by powered edgers.  Our back fence backs onto a city park.  We all know how the city workers weed whip the perimeter of the city parks.

With the grade changes of the park behind us, we decided to put a couple of fence armor on this fence post.  With only one fence armor to protect the fence post, it didn't look to be enough.  Well we were proven right!  See the pictures below.  This is the damage done to the fence armor on the city park side of the fence post. If we didn't have the fence armor, that damage would have been done to our fence post!

Two Fence Armor  installed onto one fence post.

Both Fence Armor were even when installed.

Fence Armor protected our fence posts

This is the post we decided to add another Fence Armor too.  Most of our fence has only one Fence Armor but this one, because of the grade change has two.  So glad we did!

Here is the review I did in September 2010 when we got the Fence Armor

Got Mulch? Part 2

Once the mulch was dumped onto our driveway, then comes the task of moving it to where you want it.  This took both Saturday afternoon and most of the day Sunday.  What a job!!

Bruce loading up the wheelbarrow with mulch.
Getting close to the end of the pile!

We made a walkway with the mulch along the fence beside the neighbours property.  The grass that was there did very poorly as it is far too wet. Those plants in the corner are bog plants, cannot remember the name of them. 

Walkway made with mulch.
Too wet to grow any grass here.

We back onto a city park--have you seen the state of city parks lately?.  This is our back fence.  This area was infested with weeds and we could not keep ahead of them.  We ripped out the weeds and remaining grass and decided to put in a mulch walkway.

Walkway made here as well.
Fence backs onto a city park.

Another area for the mulch we got, as at this time we were running out of space to put the mulch.  This is an area for mulch storage.  If we need mulch for any other area we can take from here.  These are the bog plants.  They grow wonderfully here as it is extremely wet.

Mulched gardens

Mulch around the hostas at the edge of our patio and beside our neighbours to the east

More mulched gardens

This is just a sampling of the gardens we mulched.  With 4 cubic yards of mulch, we mulched EVERYTHING!!

Yet another mulched garden

Got Mulch?

Got Mulch, oh yeah we got mulch!  A friend rolled up to our place on Saturday around 1 pm with this truck.  Bruce had asked for mulch.  Well we got mulch around 4 cubic yards of the stuff.   

The truck that delivered our mulch.

Backed into our driveway.

Look who got in my way!

This is the amount of mulch we got.
About 4 cubic yards.

This is the logs that got lost in the pile of mulch in our driveway

Now to get this mulch from our driveway into the walkway and gardens.  This took 2 days--Saturday and Sunday. 

Planting on May 24th Weekend

May 24th weekend started on Friday for us.  Planting our containers has always been a priority when it comes to the May 24th weekend. 

Bruce potting up the Dracena spike into a larger pot.

We were in Hamilton on Thursday and when in Hamilton it is only a stones throw away to go to Plains Road, Burlington to the Ikea store.  We love Ikea especially the frozen yogurt.  At Ikea we decided to look at outdoor planting pots, we needed a few more pots as some of our older ones were cracked or broken.

Two tall plastic pots planted for the front porch

View of the front porch from further back in the driveway.
Hardy Banana in the brown pot, not leafed out yet.

The plants in this container are Gerbera 'Fireball' & marcardonia.  It is supposed to trail so it should be really nice trailing over this pot.  This pot was on our front porch for quite a few years along with its mate.  It is ceramic & one was accidentally broken and we have not been able to find another one.  It is now placed at the entrance of the side gate.

Gerbera 'Fireball' & marcardonia

This is the view of the pot from our patio

Fernleaf peony in bloom

Tomato Planting, May 2013

On Sunday, May 5, 2013 we decided it was so nice we would plant our tomatoes.  Yes it is far too early as there is chance of frost till May 25th in this area.  We have individual greenhouses for each tomato plant so they are protected from frost and we get a longer growing season.  Since doing this, we have never had a bad year for tomatoes, only great and good!

The tomatoes planted this year are the PC Grafted Tomatoes 'Mighty Mato' The varieties are Grafted Indigo Apple, Grafted Bumblebee Purple, Grafted Brandywine & Grafted Big Beef.  We also planted 2 Golden Honey Bunch cherry tomatoes.  We have another 2 tomatoes to plant but they are going in containers.

We have one tomato that only has the individual greenhouse around the base of the plant.  There is no lid, that's because it is already too big.  If there is a chance of frost we will just have to cover it.  It's only one plant so that's not too bad.  That variety is Grafted Big Beef.

Definitely looking forward to summer and tomato season!!

Tomatoes planted May 5, 2013

Individual Greenhouses

Individual Greenhouses with lids on.

 

Nessie Needed a Hat!

On Sunday, Bruce decided Nessie needed a hat for the summer sun!  She had a Santa hat for the winter so why not a summer one as well.  I came around the corner of the house and found him putting his old Tilley Endurable hat on Nessie--the one that shredded when put in the washer on gentle cycle. (The Tale of the Tilley Endurable Hat)  They asked if he wanted it returned when they shipped him a new one.  Of course he said Yes!

Taken from the corner of the house

He stuffed the hat with plastic bags so the top will keep its shape as her head does not fit in the hat.  He then anchored it down to the frame as well as tying strap under her chin.

Stuffing the hat with plastic bags.

Anchoring the hat to the frame.

Here they both are in their Tilley Endurable Hats.

Bruce & Nessie in their Tilley Endurable Hats

 

Toronto Botanical Gardens

While Bruce was at the President's Choice Insiders Report Garden Edition Media Event, I was walking around the Toronto Botanical Gardens.  It was an absolutely beautiful day and I think that a lot of Toronto had the same idea.  Parking was a nightmare as there was the PC Media event, along with a film crew taking up a lot of the parking lot.  They actually had 2 people directing traffic in the parking lot as parking spaces were at a premium.  We got a parking space in the second row which was really great.  Not too far to walk to load up the car with all the plants we got from the PC event.

Looking up the stream to the waterfall

Love this waterfall

Looking up from the valley

Another view of looking up

Saucer Magnolia

White Magnolia in the background

Magnificent White Magnolia

White Magnolia flower

Very busy day at the TBG

I am not really fussed about Forsythia but this is beautiful.