We bought and installed the mailbox post. This was so cool - I thought we were going to have to dig a hole and pour concrete and the whole mess, but Greg got this post-holding spike - it goes 2' into the ground, and holds the mailbox post with no digging or concreting. It's way sturdier than I thought it would be, so that was awesome.
We decided on a traditional mailbox-on-a-post because I want to do away with the mail slot in the dining room door - in fact, I want to replace that door entirely, and don't plan for the new one to have a mail slot. So it was either this, or one mounted on the side of the house, but I'm not keen on those and opted for this instead.
We didn't get the actual mailbox yet, because they didn't have any we liked at Home Despot, where we picked up the post. As usual, I want something unique. We'll work on that.
I also got the planting bed more or less done. I hauled out about another 6 wheelbarrow loads of dirt (on top of the ones taken out last weekend) - sheesh, where was this tiny space holding all that dirt? Anyway, then I dumped back in two wheelbarrow loads of the 'black gold' compost soil from the back. Greg wasn't kidding about that being black gold - the stuff is the consistency of half-baked fudge brownies, and when I dug it into the bed, it just instantly improved the condition of the existing soil. It probably would have done well with another couple loads, but I was exhausted, and needed to go make dinner.
This still needs turned and dug some more, to break it up a little more and give it an even better consistency. But I figured I'd let it 'rest' for a week before doing the final digging. I only have one thing to plant so far anyway, an azalea that was a housewarming gift from Greg's mom and stepdad.
I'd like to get the rest of the stuff to plant it up for this year - 2 more azaleas, and some annuals for the front for now. I'm not sure what all I'm going to be planting here of a permanent nature (other than the azaleas), but that's my starting point. Oh, I want some either purple coneflowers, black-eyed susans, or something similar for in front of the mail box post. And I was thinking about putting up a trellis with some sort of vine right behind it - in part to sort of camouflage the rainwater container that will be sitting back there..
I also need to get the tote I'm going to use for that, and get that set up, with soaker hose.
Well. A little at a time. This is all taking way longer than I would have liked, I often feel like I'm getting nothing done, and things are taking forever. But, I have to remind myself - we've only lived here for three months, and the living room, spare room, and bedroom are all almost done. Ish. Well on their way, anyway. And I've taken this dining room garden leaps and bounds from total imagination to reality.
So it's not so bad. It'll get there.
No comments:
Post a Comment