Blank canvas

Discussion in 'Member's Gallery' started by Shawchert, Apr 23, 2022.

  1. Shawchert

    Shawchert In Flower

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    So I just bought my house not too long ago and I went through habitat for humanity (no it's not free, yes I have a mortgage). Anyway my whole yard is technically a blank canvas!! I have a decent sized yard. Not super huge but not terribly small either.

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    So here is the front and back of my property. As you can see there is a small flower garden already started, but I did help figure it out! I was here for the building of the house and getting the landscaping done! Which was super awesome and educational!

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    Here's some of the flowers I have planted recently

    I've got purple and pink tulips, though the pink haven't opened up yet

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    and a delicious looking strawberry from my hanging strawberry plant!

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    Here are a few things, a Japanese Spirea and my Hydrangea that's budding (plus one that I will be planting in May!)

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    I am working on a raised garden for vegetables, which I won't plant until after Memorial day but I should be starting the seeds inside very soon! But getting the bed ready is a job in itself!

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  3. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Oh my ! Congrats on the new house ! It looks great ! You will be busy for years on the landscaping ! ! Just sit down and draw your plans,, then do just one thing at a time ! Will keep you from going nuts ! Just project to project!
     
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  4. S-H

    S-H Hardy Maple

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    For adding more color to your garden, I'd recommend ornamental rainbow chilies! They grew fast, are easy to collect seeds and propagate for next season - Best of all, they will give your house and garden a most exotic look, (which nobody else in the neighborhood will have).

    These can be planted in the group as bordering plants. In pots too, as well as in hanging containers.

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. S-H

    S-H Hardy Maple

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    Another planet which is my personal favorite, is Holiday Cheers chili pepper. Thay are orange colored balls of fruit, not actually chilies but pseudo capsaicin, (fake chilies) - But the plant is very beautiful to look at.

    My Plants - Holiday Cheers.jpg
     
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  6. Anita-92

    Anita-92 New Seed

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    So lovely! I too bought and moved into my own house just recently. And my yard also is a blank slate, (as we are the first occupants). Construction firm i and my husband hired to build our house just gave us the keys when it was completed. They didn't do any garden work, so my yard is nothing but a few wild shrubs growing here and there, no grass either.

    Yours is so much better.
     
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  7. Shawchert

    Shawchert In Flower

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    Oh man I forgot to mention the best of all!! I got a weeping cherry blossom tree and a dwarf pine tree( I forgot which kind but it starts with an a).

    I hope to plant them soon, but I have to wait for the gas company mark their territory first

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  8. Shawchert

    Shawchert In Flower

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    that's awesome. I actually did have to seed my yard. Way back when It was all mud. and more mud! I don't know if I have a picture of that though. not within reach. But you at least can be like " well i want paving stones here and, this there". That way you don't have to tear up sod!
     
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  9. Shawchert

    Shawchert In Flower

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    Those are super pretty, but I wouldn't know where to get them, and let alone know anything about them. I do like them as well as the ones in your other post.
     
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  10. Anita-92

    Anita-92 New Seed

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    Yes, exactly! No one else's mistakes to remove.

    We are free to make our own mistakes! LOL! :smt005
     
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  11. Shawchert

    Shawchert In Flower

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    I got very lucky to get in a program that made my house. This house is brand new, I too am the first to live in it, though thankfully it isn't costing me an arm and a leg lol. I just moved in, in December. There was so much to do just to get my interior done ( and still so much more left to do).

    One step at a time!!!

    Do you plan on having some kind of pattern with your garden/lawn? Trees? Bushes?
     
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  12. Anita-92

    Anita-92 New Seed

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    First thing I want is a small swing and slide for my little monster. I'm really scared of taking her to the nearby park, not until this covid 19 pendamic is completly over (at just under two years old she is too young to be vaccinated).

    Next I was thinking of having a fountain with a little pond, and some fish in it too. With trees on the border for shade, and tropical plants inside. Water plants also.
     
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  13. marlingardener

    marlingardener Happy

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    A play area for your toddler is a good idea. Just make sure the "landing area" under the swing and slide is soft.
    Please hold off on the pond and fountain until your child is older, about eight. A child can drown in two inches of water, and water is fascinating to children, especially if there are fish swimming about. Waiting will give you plenty of time to read up on the plants you may want, and to design your fountain/pond area.
     
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  14. S-H

    S-H Hardy Maple

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    If you build a pond, you will first attract birds. Not always a bad thing, until there is another outbreak of bird flu...

    :frustrated:

    Also, carnivorous and scavenging birds have very filthy beaks. So if the water in your pond is stagnant, they will pollute it with all types of nasty bacteria - You can avoid this by adding some chemicals to the water, (like ordinary detergents). But doing so might accidentally kill off many birds. You might not see them die immediately, but after flying for a few miles they will drop dead somewhere.

    :shrug:

    Another thing a pond will do, is attract insects. Like mosquitoes who will lay their eggs in it, (in the tropics this will drastically increase the risk of malaria, even dengue fever) - I have had malaria in life, so it is something I would only wish upon my absolute worst enemy.

    :setf_050:

    Next this will attract amphibians and reptiles too, like frogs and lizards. Leading to further pollution in the water. So in little time, if you don't change the water of your pond regularly, (very labour intensive). Your pond will soon become a swamp. With algae too, which in summer will give off a most unpleasant smell.

    :headscratch:

    Somewhere in between this, you might actually attract a snake too... Now I don't know much about your environment. But over here in my area, every snake I have ever encountered in life was highly venomous.

    :smt013

    Basic rules to go by whenever planning a garden, is to go with nature. And never be too much out of sync from your environment - Like if your area already has a few natural ponds around. Then you can build one in your own home too - No problem.

    But if your pond will be the only one in the area for miles and miles. Then it will attract all sort of undesirable elements...

    Really hate to become a wet blanket now, but the idea of having a pond out in the open is more trouble then it's worth.

    However indoors, (where you'll have total control over the environment), there is nothing stopping you from building a rockery with a waterfall. And placing tropical plants around it for creating a comfortable atmosphere. You can add fish into this also. As the only limiting factor over here is our imagination. Otherwise this isn't even costly to build.

     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2022
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  15. S-H

    S-H Hardy Maple

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    Just do a quick search for seeds on any online shopping store, like Amazon or AliExpress.
     
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  16. Anita-92

    Anita-92 New Seed

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    @S-H OK, I am sold! :D Now I'm going to build something indoors, much like in the video above. Just tell me where do I sign! :cool: But really thanks for taking the time to explain everythings in detail. About all the pros and cons of having a pond or a fountain outside. :nerdy: It was most educational, which I enjoyed reading. Not many people around who will share so much for free. So thanks again. :smt054 You should write a book about gardening! People like me will find it very useful.

    @marlingardener Thanks. Yes the landing has to be soft. I too was once her ago, so I remember what it was like falling and getting hurt. LOL! But she is a very good swimmer. Even though I cannot allow anyone to meet her (coz of the virus). I still try my best to teach her everything useful. And I never leave her unsupervised anywhere. My parents once made such a mistake, as the trusted someone else with me. That's when something terrible happened. So never are we going to take our eyes off her. As she is our most precious gift.
     
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