Clearly, this little piggy DID NOT make it to the market.
So, I guess we’ve got oak and walnut trees…. That is a walnut, right? Fingers crossed it’s a black walnut because I could use it to dye wool. I haven’t exactly found the walnut tree yet, but obviously we’ve got at least one because I keep finding the golf ball sized nuts all over the place.
Another house another yard chock-full of day-lilies. Good times. Day-lilies, they are totally a thing here in the Northeast, and I just don’t get it. Oh well, have shovel will travel. 😉
At the back of the property {the house sits on little over a quarter of an acre} there is a shaded section beneath the yew trees {about 5-6 feet deep} where the sun doesn’t shine and grass can’t grow beneath them. I’ve decided that rather than looking at a sad patch of dirt, I am going to build up the area and plant some shade loving perennials all along the back of the property.
If the dumb day-lilies make it, they make it. If they don’t {fingers crossed} then hey, they’ll break down into some nice mulch. I’d like to think the odds are in my favorite of the plants just breaking down into mulch since I’m just throwing them back there {and not actually digging a hole for them}. But they’re day-lilies… so I’m sure they’ll survive, no matter what.
Moving day-lilies and a gigantic compost heap of who knows what…. that’s what I’ll be doing from now until the ground freezes.
Towards the back of the compost heap {berm?} we found a composting structure surrounded by blackberry vines, periwinkle gone wild and other brush. The big goal is to move the contents of the heap to the back of the property so we can level off the {compost heap} area.
Then, once spring rolls around we’ll plant grass in the area for cleaner looking backyard layout.
The backyard does have a nice little brick patio area which I plan to triplicate and add raised vegetable garden beds to in the spring. I’ve seen some really cool ideas on Pinterest and it looks like a pretty easy backyard project to take on.
I don’t know that I’ll keep the pea gravel border, but to have some nice 18″- 24″ raised beds within a brick border {I’ll remove the bricks where the boards will be so the soil is touching the ground} will really kick the backyard up a notch.
Small, clean and fancy shmancy. That’s what I’m going for.
But with freezing temps just around the corner, the race is on to get everything planted before the ground freezes and all outdoor gardening projects come to a halt until spring.
As much as I’m looking forward to hanging out inside all winter and working on rug hooking projects, I have also been looking forward to working in the yard each day since we’ve been here.
The good news is all the bulbs have been planted. 400 tulips and 500 muscari. And I’ve got the sore back to prove it. I suppose only time will tell if I live on a street full of bulb stealing squirrels or not. 😉
But with 900 bulbs planted… I think the odds are pretty good we’ll have flowers come spring.
Fall. I just LOVE it!!!
Have a wonderful Thursday everyone, stay awesome.
~Mavis
P.S. I was at the Home Depot yesterday and noticed they had all their trees and shrubs 50% off. I’m not sure if this is a regional thing, or not, but it might be worth a phone call.
indio says
Lucky you. I can’t or won’t grow tulips anymore. Between the deer, rabbits and squirrels I’m lucky if I have 2 out of the 500 I planted years ago. Even putting them in an underground wire didn’t help because they were nibbled on when they came up. Daffodils, muscari and hyacinths are the only bulbs they don’t eat. Maybe if my yard was fully enclosed to keep the pests out, it would work.
Joyce says
Mavis, sounds like you are having a ball!
Be aware that black walnut trees produce a chemical(?) called juglone which prevents some plants from growing around their roots, and area in their drip circle. I have a lot of black walnut trees in my yard/woods , most are bare underneath because I cannot get anything to grow.
Good luck in your new “playground”
Joyce in Indiana
Pam H says
I was just about to comment on the same thing. 🙂 I was so excited to have a mature black walnut tree in our new yard… until I realized that it was killing the 10×20 garden that I planted 50 feet away. Tomatoes especially will not grow around a black walnut. They look great until it’s time to bear fruit then they wilt away. Not only that, but before I knew about the toxicity of the juglone, I had hubby till all the fallen leaves into the garden bed. 🙁 Your best bet is the raised beds, but with a barrier between the ground and the dirt in the bed. And even that is still challenging depending on leaves and squirrels hiding nuts in the beds.
There are a lot of resources online to help you learn what can be planted around a black walnut and what can’t tolerate it. I’m sure if anyone can make it work, it’s you Mavis!!! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
E in Upstate NY says
Also around your “compost heap” are volunteer maple trees. A good pair of plyers are you best friend for pulling out maple saplings. Experience talking here. They also save your hands from all that wrapping to get leverage to pull the volunteers.
dj_1973 says
That may be a hickory tree – check the leaves against a tree key. But they also have the juglone that prevents other plants from growing in their root zone.
Teri says
You’ve gone from a hatred of rhodies to one of daylilies!! Love seeing your gardening progress and you seem so happy now!
MEM says
I just do not understand your hatred of daylilies. Its getting tiresome. We in the Northeast love them because they are extremely hardy as well as lovely and easy to divide. They aren’t all yellow and orange – most of mine are in the pink family. Daylilies certainly aren’t “dumb” – they can adapt to any environment. I’m sure someone on a local Facebook group would have loved to have what you threw on the compost heap.
debbie in alaska says
I was starting to feel the need to defend the poor daylilies too. 🙂
Kim says
Me too, I love yellow and orange daylilies and it kind of makes me sad to see them destroyed. But it’s Mavis’s yard. Different strokes for different folks!
sdsb1968 says
Ha! I keep thinking the same thing and then I laugh at myself – why do I care if she hates daylilies – live and let live but I keep having to repeat that myself! LOL! I have much bigger things to worry about besides daylilies and Mavis – maybe it’s because I live somewhere that it is very hard to grow anything!
Sue P says
Seriously? Commenting on her choice if plants? Let her hate what she wants to! It’s her blog and her yard! Lol!! I hate rhodies as much as she hates daylillies! And I live in the Pacific Northwest and I have pulled those suckers out of the yard as soon as we bought our house 30 years ago! Mavis, you keep doing you girl!!
Lisa says
Totally agree!
Betsy Hildebrand says
I know! If they are designer varieties, they could be valuable to some people. Maybe offer them up on your local free site or garden swap group instead of trashing them. Mystery daylilies will probably go like hotcakes!
Tracy says
Well, I’m in the northeast too, and I hate daylilies. All of em. Every single one. Especially tiger lilies. From their scrappy, messy foliage to their flowers that only lasts day…bah! And I don’t think anyone likes them. I think some grumpy old man planted one lousy day lily 100 years ago and they’ve just spread all through New England. Be gone! Gah!!
😉
Deb says
Hi Mavis, I don’t think you have a walnut tree. I live in Maine and that definitely looks like it could be a Chestnut Tree. Looking forward to seeing more pictures of your new property! Happy Gardening!
Kim says
I thinks chestnut too. I have one in my back yard. Northeast MA
HollyG says
I always thought chestnut pods were hairy. Huh – who knew?
Pat says
I agree. I don’t know about Maine but the ones in WV have prickly outer shells that you sure don’t want to step on with bare feet or pick up without gloves!
Brenda says
I’m so happy to see the picture of you with the dirty knees. I love to work outside, but I’m always a mess. I never know how people can pull weeds or do anything outside and stay pinterest-perfect for the photos! Glad to see someone else with dirty knees. (although the rest of you looks much neater than I manage to stay, lol)
Have fun!
Marie Beers says
I live in the south, Alabama, and every house in my neighborhood has day lilies and boxwood in the beds in front of the house. Reason, they are cheap and hardy for the builder to put in without having to worry about watering them til the house is sold. Sprinklers are a “upgrade”. I’m not that crazy about them myself, but I don’t have to worry about watering them much even with our 90 + degree heat in the summer. I’ve lived here for 2 years now and none have died.
Mrs. C. says
Last year, I planted 1800 bulbs. The squirrels left alone my tulips and muscari , and ate all but 2 of the 300 crocus. Good times!
Mavis Butterfield says
Oh my goodness! I almost bought crocus. I’m so glad I didn’t.
Gigi says
With the box woods and arborvitae, you should add Wilt-Pruf to you fall chores. It will stop them from getting winter burn and turning brown. Especially on the south side of property.
Lindi Turnipseed says
just curious Mavis….WHY do you hate day lilies so much????
Linda says
The squirrels always leave me black walnut leavings on my porch and patio. Walnut trees are a pain. I’ve yet to have a bulb grow something always gets them. Happy Planting looks like fun. I want to work in my garden but I am not going to till it is cold as we’ve seen 6 snakes this yr- 6 too many- I am terrified. I’ve never seen them any other yr we’ve lived here.
Danni says
We have had two hard freezes in the SW Washington. Already killed off the squash and even my nastrashims. Seems early to me.
Mama Cook says
Danni! It was early! You can usually count on Nov 1st for the first hard frost!!! We lost a huge batch of tomatoes, but were able to save the squash! If your vines died, but the fruit is not mushy, I would try hardening them off any way! Couldn’t hurt!
Mary says
Have you considered putting lilies of the valley in your deep dark space under the yews? They smell heavenly, seem to love the shade, spread themselves, and aren’t appetising to garden visitors (toxic to people and pets as well, in case Lucy likes sampling the garden). There was a beautiful bed of them on the north side of a house I lived in in Illinois.
Amy says
YES, those are black walnuts, not chestnuts, unless there is a different species there from where I live in Virginia.
Jill says
Looks exactly like our black walnuts…
Pam says
That sure looks like a black walnut to me (the bigger green one). The tree should be pretty close to where you are finding them on the ground. Make sure you have on gloves with no holes in them or you’ll have stained hands for awhile. Also I’ve heard you need to be careful what you plant near a walnut. Something about the soil around them is not conducive to growing plants.
Jill says
Yes, black walnut trees are toxic to many other plants and will kill the one’s that are suceptible. The poison can extend as much as 80 ft from the trunk.
Mary says
Put moth balls in with tulip bulbs and moles,squirels leave them alone