Ok, I’ve been lazy…..I know it’s been awhile since my last post….so I will get right to it. We have been experiencing an awful, terrible drought here. There is a complete ban on outdoor watering which is understandable. It has only motivated us to find new and creative ways in direct response to our new reality.
I’d been playing with the idea of hooking up two 55 gallon barrels to the downspout of our gutter as an answer to watering the garden….UNTIL I learned about the existence of a 275 gallon rainwater cistern!!! The GA perennial plant society started selling them for 95.00…well…until demand got kind of crazy and they increased the price to 115.00. It’s still a great price and cheaper than fully loaded 55 gallon rain barrels. Also, keep in mind that if you get one inch of rainfall, an average 1k sft roof will yield 675 gallons!!!! You can purchase them at Ashe-Simpson nursery at 4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30341 770-458-3224.
The best part is that my very kind boss gave me one for Christmas….it helps to put those ideas in their heads at the end of the year….lol. JUST KIDDING!!! Anyways, he bought it and delivered it to my house too. It’s really neat and it allows me to attach a garden hose to the bottom of it. In between reclaiming rainwater from my roof, I am also utilizing an existing 55 galloner as a receptacle for the water that I am gleaming from my shower. Every time that I shower, I take a 5 gallon bucket in with me to catch the excess water that would have otherwise gone down the drain to my septic tank. It fills VERY quickly too….I dump it into the barrel on my way to work everyday. That way, we will be able to water plants that are dry due to the lack of a constant and steady rainfall in our area.
Lately, though we’ve been getting a decent amount of rain and the cold temps help too. I’ve gone through the garden and picked up things that are just not vibing with my English cottage garden theme. I plan to hold a yard sale in the Spring to earn a little extra cash to buy more plants. I was surprised by how many things I had that really didn’t work. Note to self…stay on the course and don’t buy anything that’s not working!!
This past year, a lot of the garden showrooms (from where I work) started selling their statuary for half off. I was able to score a nice concrete bench for 15.00 and a 3 ft. cherub statue for 20.00. I needed a really nice, solid pedestal for two existing statues to give them height….because they really did get lost amongst the plants and trees…and I got two for 20.00 each. I paid a little bit more for a 5 ft. cherub that is holding a wide bowl that you can use as a bird bath or bird feeder (depending on the weather) which cost 50.00. I think that completes my statue needs…unless….
My immediate goal right now is to do a lot of clearing of debris and raking the leaves into a pile to be used later as mulch. I’m not sure if I am going to create new beds. I do want to add more roses this year and I might intersperse them into existing beds. Gotta remember to order them when they are at rock bottom prices in the Spring!! I bought two beautiful trellises last fall and plan to envelope them in fragrant climbing roses. I think that I am going to put them in the bed where I cut down two butterfly bushes. I don’t regret doing that because they were huge and took up too much space. I don’t think that they added enough sparkle to justify keeping them.
From now on, I will need to make smart, deliberate choices that will bring me closer to my cottage garden dream. Veering off the path only results in more work, so I need to stay committed to my original idea. I need to focus on year round color….this fall/winter, the garden looks desolate….almost depressing. I guess I’m impatiently waiting for it all to turn around this Spring.
I’m visiting the gardening forums and reading more garden books, particularly Ortho Rose books and that has been very helpful. I have decided to invest in better tools too. I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve broken wooden handled tools. It’s so frustrating and easy to do when you are working with clay. I’ve been lucky enough to find a fiberglass shovel and a bow rake from Target for 4.98 each! I love them…..I’ll keep the wooden ones as back up or some may end up going to the yard sale.
I got a lot of pruning done…..mostly on the azaleas in front of the house. They grow so darn tall that it is mandatory that I get the hedge trimmer and whack it once a year. Now when it grows back it will be uniform. The stump killer that we poured on that dreaded wisteria actually worked! I almost danced a jig when the stump fell over with one swift kick. Don’t get me wrong, wisterias are beautiful, but deadly against your home’s foundation (thanks previous owner!). I still need to prune a few shrubs just to shape them up a bit….don’t worry….I will be removing entire branches…not the yet to have emerged flower buds.
Plant wise….I’m going to have to access the drought damage and determine which plants need to be replaced or rethought. I got a great deal on heuchera (2.00) and will plant those throughout my three shade gardens. I pray that at least 90% of the plants come back…it would be a major headache otherwise. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the very best.
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