I chuckled at the thought that every effort begets more effort! So true. I include that everything takes way more time than you ever think it will. I think both get worse as you get older because you care about doing it right. When you were a kid you just wanted to get it done!
We fell in love with the If You Give series with the very first book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985). Fascinating trivia: the illustrator, Felicia Bond, is the sister of a former neighbor and good friend in Austin.
That is fascinating trivia! Thanks for sharing! I have such respect for illustrators: they have skills that have never been close to anything I can do. And agreed: we love those books too!
I can almost smell those delicious next-year-muffins! Keep at it! And thank for teaching me such a great new word in 'gabion'. I might call my next cat that 😂
I love the gabion plan. In addition to the whole repurposing thing, the unique design and raised bed concept makes it interesting and logical. We've got a few raised beds which were chock full of veggies and put excess soil in larger plant buckets for individual tomatoes and tomatillos. And we still have a wheel barrow full of soil which is covered with a tarp to prevent it from getting saturated. It may stay that way through the winter, becoming part of the snow piled up as I create paths in the backyard for the dogs.
Thanks Crowell! It was my brain-flash as we were trying to figure out what to do with all that rubble. I love raised beds for neatness, convenience and managing slugs, and miss the ones we installed in our previous house. I like that your various veggie receptacles provide snow paths for dogs too!
I didn't know what a "gabion" was and had to look it up. I'm sure yours will look like those in the picture and probably even better. They'll be full and rich with colors, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The other advantage to the gabions is that you won't need to stoop over or get on your knees for any task. That fact will surely overcome some of those days when you're not quite feeling motivated.
Sounds like you'll never have to water your garden hehehehe.
I don't think I leave projects half-done. Once I start, I finish (might have to get a second opinion on that) but sometimes it's the starting that's the problem. As for the tools, those we have are in a plastic file box in the closet. No shovels, picks, saws, or axes around here.
I may have mentioned once that it took me three years living in the UK after California before I realised I didn't have to worry about watering during the summer. Life-long habits take awhile to break. Thank you for your faith that our gabions will look colourful!
I do envy your "lock up and leave" lifestyle sometimes. But I don't know what I'd do without my morning wander around the garden (either from the window or for real when it is not too wet). And Pete LOVES his tools. So I think we'll always have some kind of patch to potter in wherever we live. Thanks for your comments!
Any sort of talk about gardening and I'm all in. I LOVE your proposed gabions and how wonderful to get plants that have already survived the island climate. I so look forward to seeing the end result. We're in the process of getting rid of triffid-like agapanthus and re-landscaping the three freed-up beds around the house. This all came about because we could no long get near the timber exterior of the house to paint it and I couldn't get near the windows for washing... one thing leads to another, as you so rightly point out!
I drool at the thought of berries and can smell the muffins from here. As to childrens' books. Gosh, so many. Every book we have in the city and on the coast for the grandson is a saved book from his Dad's and aunt's childhood. But like his Dad, he gravitates to any to do with machinery. He's nothing if not consistent. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Yes, you and I are kindred spirits with love of gardening. I enjoyed your photos of the in-process plant removal work jus to wash windows and paint. (I'm not a big fan of agapanthus either.)
And oh yes, the children's books! Love so many of them too. I have started asking for recommendations when I go to the bookstore sometimes just to keep up with so many clever new ones. Otherwise I just gravitate to the old standards. Thanks for your lovely comments!
This was wonderful Sabrina! Of course John knew about gabions (civil engineering triumphs again!) as he had built some in a previous job many years ago, but it was a new term to me. And he had not heard of gabions on a smaller scale and thinks they’re a brilliant idea! Can’t wait to see them in their completed state when that happens….those muffins are an incentive for sure!
And the If You Give series was hugely popular in our house too! There are SO many wonderful children’s books out there, and I have an entire curated collection of them stashed here for possible future reading with grandchildren. One of my favorite authors is Cynthia Rylant, especially her Mr. Putter and Tabby series. She has wonderful illustrators she works with, as well as doing some of her own artwork in certain books. Amazing talent out there!
Thanks Martha! Happy to hear John likes the idea of smaller scale gabions; I'll be interested to hear his thoughts next time you visit. There are a bunch around the island used as sea defences in low-lying areas.
And I am envious of your children's book collection. I have a few stashed away that will hopefully see the light of day at some point, if only for me! Thanks for the recommendation to look at Cynthia Rylant.
I chuckled at the thought that every effort begets more effort! So true. I include that everything takes way more time than you ever think it will. I think both get worse as you get older because you care about doing it right. When you were a kid you just wanted to get it done!
So true Amy! Although I am a bit guilty of still just wanting to get things done sometimes. Like cleaning :).
We fell in love with the If You Give series with the very first book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985). Fascinating trivia: the illustrator, Felicia Bond, is the sister of a former neighbor and good friend in Austin.
That is fascinating trivia! Thanks for sharing! I have such respect for illustrators: they have skills that have never been close to anything I can do. And agreed: we love those books too!
I can almost smell those delicious next-year-muffins! Keep at it! And thank for teaching me such a great new word in 'gabion'. I might call my next cat that 😂
Gabion does sound like an interesting name for a cat! At least no one will think you are calling to another human 🤣
Yes, gardening is the long game. I appreciate your faith in next year muffins!
I love the gabion plan. In addition to the whole repurposing thing, the unique design and raised bed concept makes it interesting and logical. We've got a few raised beds which were chock full of veggies and put excess soil in larger plant buckets for individual tomatoes and tomatillos. And we still have a wheel barrow full of soil which is covered with a tarp to prevent it from getting saturated. It may stay that way through the winter, becoming part of the snow piled up as I create paths in the backyard for the dogs.
Thanks Crowell! It was my brain-flash as we were trying to figure out what to do with all that rubble. I love raised beds for neatness, convenience and managing slugs, and miss the ones we installed in our previous house. I like that your various veggie receptacles provide snow paths for dogs too!
I didn't know what a "gabion" was and had to look it up. I'm sure yours will look like those in the picture and probably even better. They'll be full and rich with colors, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The other advantage to the gabions is that you won't need to stoop over or get on your knees for any task. That fact will surely overcome some of those days when you're not quite feeling motivated.
Sounds like you'll never have to water your garden hehehehe.
I don't think I leave projects half-done. Once I start, I finish (might have to get a second opinion on that) but sometimes it's the starting that's the problem. As for the tools, those we have are in a plastic file box in the closet. No shovels, picks, saws, or axes around here.
Another lovely post. Thank you.
I may have mentioned once that it took me three years living in the UK after California before I realised I didn't have to worry about watering during the summer. Life-long habits take awhile to break. Thank you for your faith that our gabions will look colourful!
I do envy your "lock up and leave" lifestyle sometimes. But I don't know what I'd do without my morning wander around the garden (either from the window or for real when it is not too wet). And Pete LOVES his tools. So I think we'll always have some kind of patch to potter in wherever we live. Thanks for your comments!
Any sort of talk about gardening and I'm all in. I LOVE your proposed gabions and how wonderful to get plants that have already survived the island climate. I so look forward to seeing the end result. We're in the process of getting rid of triffid-like agapanthus and re-landscaping the three freed-up beds around the house. This all came about because we could no long get near the timber exterior of the house to paint it and I couldn't get near the windows for washing... one thing leads to another, as you so rightly point out!
I drool at the thought of berries and can smell the muffins from here. As to childrens' books. Gosh, so many. Every book we have in the city and on the coast for the grandson is a saved book from his Dad's and aunt's childhood. But like his Dad, he gravitates to any to do with machinery. He's nothing if not consistent. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Super post, Sabrina!
Yes, you and I are kindred spirits with love of gardening. I enjoyed your photos of the in-process plant removal work jus to wash windows and paint. (I'm not a big fan of agapanthus either.)
And oh yes, the children's books! Love so many of them too. I have started asking for recommendations when I go to the bookstore sometimes just to keep up with so many clever new ones. Otherwise I just gravitate to the old standards. Thanks for your lovely comments!
This was wonderful Sabrina! Of course John knew about gabions (civil engineering triumphs again!) as he had built some in a previous job many years ago, but it was a new term to me. And he had not heard of gabions on a smaller scale and thinks they’re a brilliant idea! Can’t wait to see them in their completed state when that happens….those muffins are an incentive for sure!
And the If You Give series was hugely popular in our house too! There are SO many wonderful children’s books out there, and I have an entire curated collection of them stashed here for possible future reading with grandchildren. One of my favorite authors is Cynthia Rylant, especially her Mr. Putter and Tabby series. She has wonderful illustrators she works with, as well as doing some of her own artwork in certain books. Amazing talent out there!
Thanks for this!
Thanks Martha! Happy to hear John likes the idea of smaller scale gabions; I'll be interested to hear his thoughts next time you visit. There are a bunch around the island used as sea defences in low-lying areas.
And I am envious of your children's book collection. I have a few stashed away that will hopefully see the light of day at some point, if only for me! Thanks for the recommendation to look at Cynthia Rylant.
xx