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:)

Monday, April 30, 2012

Breaking the First Ground

It’s official…this is my yard…and soon it will become my gardens. I the state it is in right now, I can say I have seen enough ugly to last me an entire lifetime. I have decided that it is time to start Tootsifying my space!

I chose a location, tossed out the garden hose. The way it landed was the shape the garden bed would be. Kind of a crap shoot…lol. I edge cut all around the hose…and removed the sod and set it off to use at a later date.

Then I started the roto-tiller.

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I am shocked at how hard the ground is ! The tilling seemed to take FOREVER! I am sure glad I didn’t have to dig it all up by hand!

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I fluffed the soil up as best I could…

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Man…did that take a long time…and make a huge mess of things! The tiller throws that soil all over the place!

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There is a lot of clay clumps in this soil. I built this flower bed on top of part of the trench we had to dig for the gas line to the greenhouse…so there was a lot of clay sitting right close to the surface.

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I will amend this soil in the future, but for today I just want to fluff it up.

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Pulling the sod was hard, but that roto- tiller sure took a toll on this Tootsie’s injured shoulders. My arms and hands were very sore when I finished.

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All I have left to do is to put the soil that spilled over the edge of the bed when I tilled it, back into it…and create my edge trenches.

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As usual, I do not plan to use any type of edging, just my trenches that I always have done. They are easy to maintain, and cost nothing but a little elbow grease!

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Almost finished for today!!! Yay!!! All that is left to do is the clean up!

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Sidewalks and the grass (or what will be grass around the new bed all cleaned up. Lets take a look at what we did!

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I think I will add a little something along the back end there where the wood chips are…

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just need to think about what it might be…can’t be too gawdy…I will think of something, not to worry.

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I finished up just in the nick of time. It started to rain…and kept it up for days! I am not sure I am in love with the shape….will have to give it a little bit and see if I warm up to it….if not…there is always the option of making it bigger…and fixing the shape! ha-ha!

While I was digging this bed…I was making a plan for a few other things in this yard…stay tuned…I can’t wait to share!

Thanks for popping in today! I wish you a great week of everything good! I would also like to thank you all for voting for me! If you would like to vote, click on the button on the top right side bar!

Until next time….Happy Gardening!

*)*)*) to the fantastic three! It's not what I have been through in my life that defines who I am, it's how I got through it that has made me the person I am today...

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

20 comments:

Rita said...

Wow! You did quite a bit of work! I know it will look great when you are finished. You need to come to my house and work in my yard!

Carol said...

looks like things are off to a good start-hugs Carol

Clint Baker said...

That is gonna be one great bed!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What a lot of hard work Tootsie, but I know you felt great having that part finished, even though your arm and shoulder were aching big time.

You inspire me girl to keep on working in my own gardens.

Have a great week and I look forward to the next installment.

FlowerLady

Junebug said...

So glad to see you have started. It will be Tootsiefied in no time! happy digging!

Unknown said...

Take care of your arms girl!! Try not to do everything in one day. Looking forward to seeing more..

Jean Campbell said...

Let me echo Darla: If you don't take care of your arms, they won't take care of you in coming years. Pace yourself; this isn't a contest. You are a bigtime winner whatever you plant and only you know what gets left undone. I am speaking from 30 years down the road. There's time left.

deb said...

So how are you feeling today? Can you move your arms?? You sure did alot of work, it looks amazing. I hear ya about the clay soil. Moving into a new track home 17 yrs ago, our back yard was so hard that the tiller just ran across the top! And it was my Dads huge Try Built! Really had to work at getting through it and amending with anything I could get my hands one. Luckily my Dad had all the chicken and cow manure I wanted from the farm. He also had a bunch of vermiculite. I added all our coffee grounds, egg shells, you name it. I was so excited the day I dug and saw worms! Actually alot of WORMS!!! LOL It just happened my brother in law had stopped by and couldn't figure out why I was so excited about dumb worms LOL

Have creating your gardens. Anxious to see more, but take care of youself first. All will come in time.
*hugs*deb

siteseer said...

Okay, I'm pretty sure we all have the same 24 hours in a day.... how the heck do you find that time. Right now I'm just trying to get out and weed one last bed (the biggest of course lol) You did an AWESOME job!!! I'm so proud of you to go out there and do this physical labor all by yourself. You are a STRONG woman!

siteseer said...

I hate when I have something all typed up and then I'm not signed in.... after I sign in I come back and my whole message is gone. I really said some nice stuff like how Proud I am of you and how Strong you are and what an AWESOME job you've done lol. You inspire me

Patty Sumner said...

Excited to see what happens! I am sure you will make it Tootsie beautiful. Blessings!

Jenny said...

It will look so beautiful soon!

This may sound silly to you but I'd love to see a tutorial on your trench edging. It looks a little obvious to me what you do but I'd like to learn how to replicate it. Do you have advice on putting it around an existing bed? Thanks!

africanaussie said...

what a great idea to throw the hose down and see where it lands. You have created a great edge, and it is a lovely shape but if I was you (and I am not!) but i wonder how you will mow the grass between the edge of the bed and the path - can you close that edge in - or put mulch there?

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Love how it's coming along. I enjoy seeing your pictures(-: So much work but the pay off is going to be awesome! I can totally understand the pain of all the work. I keep thinking I am 10 years younger I guess! Oh well things must be done! I keep hoping my body will hold out(-:
Have a good day!

The JR said...

i can't wait to see it all in flowers!

Anonymous said...

Goodness that is alot of hard work! I feel like I have been run over by a semi truck after tilling!

My friend brought me over pumpkin seeds today. We are having a contest to see who has the biggest pumpkin. The seeds come from a pumkin that is over 900 lbs!!!

bee blessed
mary

Unknown said...

I understand hoe the ground work is the work of men, but great ... You've made ​​it look pretty.

La Petite Gallery said...

Looking at how beautiful you are , it's hard to imagine you doing this fantastic work. I loved the idea of throwing the hose. You are so smart, and did a real professional job. I can't weed wack because of my shoulder. Becarefull Sweetie.
You Hubby got a real prize in
a wife.

yvonne

Tootsie said...

hahaha! that is sweet to say girl...but I do need to giggle at the comment about my hubby...I think he has realized that now that he and I are divorced...I think he has noticed how he stepped DOWN when he lost me! I don't play well with liars, cheaters and abusers!

siteseer said...

my allergies are acting up so bad that I'm waiting til this polleny season is over.... I keep checking back here to see what you're doing lol.... I'm living my gardening life through you lol It would be sad, but you're doing GREAT!!