It’s been hot out here – really hot in the 100s, so our gardening is done at 6:00 am until the air temp is 80 or until my water bottle runs out of ice water.
Some days I drink iced tea instead, but that would be a different post …
We’ve been in our home for a year now and are working on fixing things up the way we like them. There’s been a lot of work on irrigation systems and getting raised beds built and filled with dirt. In the last two days I’ve moved about 8 wheelbarrows full of dirt. Didn’t take any pictures of me doing that. Trust me, hot sweaty me isn’t a picture you want to see.
There are a lot more projects under way but here are three we’ve completed. It should be noted that Heather is the head gardener and anything that looks good is likely her work. If it looks heavy to lift or a big hole was dug, that is likely my work. I’m also reasonably skilled at making tea – both hot and iced.
Strawberries:
There was a large strawberry patch out in front when we moved it and Heather’s been dividing those and planting them around the garden. The planter things above were Heather’s find at a local nursery.
There is an arbor on the back patio and we thought a wisteria growing over that would look nice.
Okay, it might be a couple of seasons before it grows enough to provide shade.
Lastly, we’ve been wanting a water feature and we bought some half wine barrels. I went online and found a small fountain pump and presto a simple water feature. Likely we’ll do something bigger when we find just the right thing.
That’s it for this week. If we haven’t completely melted by then, more pictures next week.
If you need me, I’ll be out in the garden, digging a hole.
Andrew's View of the Week 
Love the strawberry tier❤️🍓🍓 Why so hard on digging the hole? What kind of soil do you have? Thank you for sharing your garden 🌱🌻
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We don’t really have soil. This house is built on a rocky hillside in the desert. The ground here is rock, some sand and clay. It’s highly compacted – shovels just bounce off it. You have to use an iron bar to break things up.
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😲😲 Oh my😲 Good job and bless you for your determination. Gardeners never give up once they see a plant vision 🌱🌱😁🌻🌺
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I dig that Strawberry planter. Aloha from Hawai’i!
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We found it at our local gardening center – I’ve never seen one like that before. It’s doing great.
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Sorry about the heat! And a full year? Already? I’m impressed by your guys’ gardening. That strawberry planter is cool. We’ve had a wisteria for years, and alllllllmooooost got some flowers from it last year. I blame the soil.
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Yup, a full year – hard to believe. And it’s desert, kind of except the heat.
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Sounds like you’re getting the heat wave we had a few days ago. 42C/107F is FAR beyond what we’re used to here. Thankfully we’re down to a comfortable 30C now, which is still unseasonably hot for us. Glad to hear you’re staying hydrated and cool(ish).
Oh, and a word of advice about wisteria: It’s beautiful, but watch out for your foundations, walls, and especially sewer/water pipes. It’s very aggressive (read ‘potentially destructive’). Some sites recommend burying a six-foot steel panel between it and your foundation. No kiddin’…
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Hopefully it will start cooling up there soon. We’ve planted the wisteria far from the house and likely the heat will kill it long before it gets that big.
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I love being able to see your work. For me, gardening is therapy, and if it means getting up early to beat the heat, I get it. 🙂 Love your projects, and look forward to seeing more examples as things progress.
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I’ll have more next week.
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Looking good! I like those strawberry planters and the wisteria will be beautiful someday.
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I have high hopes for the wisteria.
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I like seeing your gardening pictures. It’s like I’m gardening myself from the comfort of my office.
It’s hard to believe you’ve been there a year, Andrew.
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You make interesting reading even out of digging holes, Andrew–a rare gift! I use the heat and humidity as an excuse to postpone the yard work. My day lilies are in serious need of pruning, but now we’re in a rain cycle, so I still can’t get out there. Do you hear the sadness in my voice? Me neither.
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I try to make everything interesting. 😉
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Hi, Andrew. I love seeing your photos. What a beautiful place you have. It really is nice to make a place your own, isn’t it? Keep the pictures coming. They are a joy to see. 🙂
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It’s great to have a place we can do that with. I’ll keep posting.
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Well done! Doing heavy work in such temperatures is not an easy matter, even if you stop at 80°.
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It is a challenge. I make sure I have plenty of water and limit myself to just 2-3 hours at most.
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You’ve got to be the busiest person I know! All those wonderful projects. You belong in Home & Garden (is it still being published?).
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We like to keep busy! Yes, Better Homes and Gardens is still being published. I’ll give ’em a call. 😉
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Those water hyacinth are declared noxious weeds over here. But they are so pretty we have sneaked a couple onto our ponds, but monitor them carefully They make excellent compost too.
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We’re in the desert here and almost a mile from the nearest body of water so we don’t worry too much about them. Likely, I’ll kill them long before they can escape this yard, but I do know places here in the states where they are basically outlawed.
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There must be something inspirational happening this year. I have lived here for 22 years – my husband was born in this this house. He has done more yard projects this year than he has in the past 62 years. 😐
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Yes, things did change a lot this last year. I retired, so now have plenty of time for projects.
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I retired last year too but my husband still works. He just loves to be working in the yard on his days off. He says the work he is doing right now is so physically demanding that any work around the yard seems easy. 😂
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Don’t dig too deep Andrew, it could get even hotter.
Hugs
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I’ll limit how far down I go!
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I could donate acres of water hyacinths from the lake to you. They float in over the dams during the height of the rainy season.
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Bring em to Reno they charge 1.39 each hear.
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I think I’d have problems getting them over the border!
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Most likely! 😉
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A year already! Wild!
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Crazy!
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That too!
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