Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Confessions from the soul

Hi. My name is Cindy.      I'm a bookaholic.

I love every chrisp page as I turn each one. I linger over every book jacket. The typefaces and cover art thrill me.

I ve always known I've had a problem. Sometimes as a child, when reading, I would ignore all others around me. Even when they were offering food! It started with Nancy Drew... Just a little story now and then. Soon, I graduated to Where the Red Fern Grows  and then  To Kill a Mockinbird .

Now it is just Hard core. I sneak into the bathroom 6 times a day just to read a paragraph or two! People are thinking something is wrong with me. And they are right!

I knew I had a problem when I resorted to reading the book of the day at long stop lights while driving. I love everything about books. I cant decide if my favorite is Go Dog Go or the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo

Somebody please help me. Is there a cure for the love of libris? Do I want to be cured?

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The secret life of cactus

I really love most plants. There are a few exceptions, but that will remain for another post. And I do love cactus. They are quite remarkable plants, little water storage units really. Their spines are there to shade the cactus and protect them from water loving desert dwellers.

I have the privlidge of helping some of my clients care for their gardens. One home today has lots of cactus. Unfortunately, the drip tubing was chewed in half by a sneaky little rabbit and I had to repair it. I had to lay on my stomach and dig under the cactus to get to the tubing to repair it.  I am now (still) literally covered with the fine little spines of the cactus. Sigh... I am loving the cactus today  but not so much!

Friday, July 16, 2010

The Real Secret to Creating a Low-Maintenance Landscape

Low-Maintenance. Nobody ever asks for a landscape that takes a lot of time to maintain. So when someone says that they want a low maintenance landscape, I’m thinking… well, yeah. Very few people in this world do not care how long or how much it takes to care for their landscape. If they don’t, then they can, and do usually afford to have someone do it for them.

That’s not most of us. The real key to getting a low maintenance (or Easy-Care as I call it) landscape is all in the planning. At that stage, you will know how much time and money you want to invest in the care of your new landscape. Right then, BOOM! is where most landscapes are successful or not.

You gotta understand plants to landscape properly. One plant might work just great for your neighbor, but be soooo not right for you. Or not right for THAT place in your yard. ONLY if you know your client, plants, climate, and location can you select the right landscaping. And if you have the wrong plants in the wrong places matched with the wrong maintenance skills or budget, you, my friend have just wasted your money on landscaping. It’s as simple as that!

Picture a cute little evergreen bought at the nursery 2 feet high by 1 ft wide. Plant 20 of those suckers 1 foot away from the front sidewalk in a row every 5 feet. Cute when planted. However, did I mention that those little cuties are arborvitae? Now when you know that, you know that they will reach 10 feet wide and 15 feet tall within 10 years, they don’t look so cute. When you know that they could ultimately reach 30 feet wide and 45 feet tall. They are downright monsters. Think of trying to make them stay small and all the effort that will go into that for the first few years and the time an expense that it will take to take them out when they get too big. That is the big secret… Plant only what works for the space both now and ultimately

I just want to hide inside..

The heat is opressive. I make my living outdoors every day, but I'm not a fan of the heat. As the saying goes..you can only take so much off.  The humidity was terrible yesterday, and we had to turn on the air conditioner for the first time this year.  The water cooler wasnt doing it. We had a tremendous thunder shower last evening. In just over half an hour we got nearly an inch of rain! I was content to watch from inside. The plants at least got some advantage.

I really need to dig up and divide my iris. I have too many and plan to ditch some and gift some. Now is the time, but I have too much to do this weekend. I am bustling about making sure everything gets plenty of water here, checking the sprinklers and drip for "issues". I only found a few problems of clogged heads and some emitters that had gone cattywampus and had to be adjusted.

I am getting ready to head to the Home Improvement Expo at the Victorville fairgrounds this weekend.There were so many businesses there setting up today. It looks like it will be a big hit to have a July show. I saw several vendors that I have not seen at the show before. Looks like an intersting weekend.

I WAS looking forward to relaxing this weekend with a good book my hubby bought me. He said I havent read anything fun lately and got me The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo. I have just barely started it. It will have to wait til next week as the Home Show will take center stage this weekend. Come by and see me.