chop 'em while they're down

We had a few big snow storms that damaged the evil bamboo in our yard. It wasn't exactly chopped down, but it was on the ground from the weight of the snow and very easy to chop. Since we couldn't get around the back, Fernando decided to hack at the fallen pieces. After the snow cleared and the recent rain storms, we were left with this disaster:

Where's Jamie Durie when you need him?


Did I ever mention the bird's nest of a mess that was growing on our arbor? I couldn't wait to clear this off - it was mostly dead growth and matted leaves weighing down heavily on the lattice.

We hired Winston to clean it all up this week. I'm not sure how he handled this job by himself, but as you can see the results are incredible:

We now have a blank slate. I'm thinking Clematis for the arbor.

He also chopped down the remainder of the bamboo!

It ended up here on the curb:

I wonder if this will have any effect on the ridiculous amount of mosquitoes we get in the summer? He's going to try to get the roots up next. I'm still skeptical that this can even be done. Good luck Winston.

The first signs of Spring:

I can't wait to start planting some more flowers and a few veggies again. And grass. We REALLY need grass.

snow day: outside and inside

Morning shoveling:

Backyard:

Bamboo bending:

The only time chain link fencing looks ok:

Curtis High School is quiet:

Ferocious Toby:

Snuggly Toby:

Surprised Oscar:

Mellow Oscar:

i guess we could always slice it up and make some more benches?

I could use many excuses here as to why it's been so long since I've posted - we've been sick with the flu (swine flu?,) I've been taking a jewelry class over at FIT, last weekend we did the flea market so we could clear out some of the attic... etc. Really, there hasn't been much to blog about lately.
I had started a post all about the beach. But now it's Fall and totally irrelevant. Maybe I'll save it and put it up one day when we're freezing this winter. Yesterday we had our storm windows put up so that we hopefully won't freeze to death again this winter. We wanted to get the trim all painted before we popped in the windows but it looks like the trim work isn't happening this year. We'll most likely do it next Spring.

The person we hired used this incredibly long ladder and actually said that he was scared of heights!

I like the four paned windows much better than the two paned windows that are on the house - the third floor storm windows are just two paned.

So far we've noticed less noise from the street and less wind howling through the house. On Wednesday, when we had 50 mile an hour winds in NY, this happened:

If you guessed that that's a fallen tree from our yard that fell over into the neighboring house's yard, you are correct. We are very happy to report that the tree did no damage to our house, the neighboring house and (unfortunately) the icky chain link fence around our property. The only thing it did in our favor was take out some of the bamboo. Anyone need some firewood?

I keep saying "neighboring house" because currently, no one lives there. It is for sale and has been for a while. If you would like to be my neighbor - now's the perfect time. The price has been drastically reduced and the seller is selling for much lower than he paid. The house is huge, at 3 stories and it's around 15 or 20 feet longer than ours. I've never been inside. The seller had tried to flip the house when the market was good but his team of workers ditched him, he ran out of money and had to sell the house. Up until recently, the realtor with the listing had a non working phone number on the sign and when you called the office you only got a full voicemail box. People stop by all of the time and ask us about it because they can't get hold of the realtor. They finally added a working contact number so I hope it will sell soon. I feel really bad for that house.

So, do you want to see what I found recently? Yes FOUND! Would you throw this away?

I know these photos are a little dark but they were taken at night. It's a signed studio piece by Roy Sheldon.

It was a curb find. Someone put it on the curb! I almost hit the curb when I pulled over to grab it. It does not fit where I wanted a hallway bench but I'm using it here for now, until I find something that fits by the door. Then it will travel upstairs to our bedroom (no, you won't see it on the curb again anytime soon.)

befores and currents

I know I've been absent for a while now but I figured I wouldn't bore everyone with more of my gardening adventures. Actually, it's more like hacking away at our little jungle than gardening. Our privet hedge is a bit of a lost cause at the moment. We can't reach the top even with a ladder. It just bloomed so we can't chop at it for at least another month. It needs some renovation and a proper cut - it has a few bald spots and it's too top heavy.
Fernando going for the gold in Olympic gardening:

We have done a few things around the house but alas I have no photos at the moment. You'll just have to settle for more photos of stuff growing. Like my beans that went from this:

To this:

Yes - actual beans are growing on those stalks! I even ate the largest one and it was pretty tasty!

My Mom dug a few ferns up from a friend's yard for me. I had a harrowing experience when I picked them up involving a giant spider that had been hiding in the ferns running around the car while I was driving home from my mother's house. After eyeing the spider on the back seat (and Fernando missed swatting it, sending it running into the seat creases,) I actually drove back to my Mom's, took the ferns out of the car and drove home in a state of panic with Fernando manning a rolled up Elle Decor at the ready. When she brought them over for me the following weekend they were all shriveled up and brown. We planted them anyway, hoping that they would come back and luckily they've started to green up nicely. I also received a peony for my birthday that we planted in the center. I'm hoping it grows larger and hides some of that old pipe. It hasn't flowered yet and I'm thinking I'll have to do something to make it bloom next year. Research.

We hung two of the MYNTA planters from IKEA between the lattice on the sides of the front porch. I planted some lobelia inside but it's not doing too well. I'll probably switch it out for something else in a few weeks.

I started a little patch of garden up the side of the house. Currently there are a few sunflowers (more to come) and zucchini plants and one Moon and Stars watermelon plant. If these take off we'll have to walk up that path very carefully. I'm not that good with plant placement. I bought a few strawberry plants to add to this patch too as soon as it stops raining.

My window boxes went from this:

To this:

Close-up before:

Close-up current:

Even more blooms opened up today - I guess all of that rain is paying off. There is still so much to do in the front I'm hoping we get a few sunny days to work on it. I want to remove a huge yew growing in the center of the front yard. It's so random, large and mishapen - we certainly don't need it. Maybe add a brick path going up to the side of the house and some perrenial plantings around the path... more soon.

do something pretty while you can...

It didn't rain on Saturday.
My Dad came by and hung these two window planters up for us.

I couldn't wait to see them with something in them so I packed them with some annuals - mostly pinks and alyssum.

I hope they fill in and get really lush. My favorites were these dark purple salvia:

I also popped the string beans I started from seed into the ground near the basement hatch.

Fernando did more toiling in the backyard, digging up bamboo and removing a huge rock pile by the fence. I should have taken a before and after photo of the rock pile. Here are the highlights: the before was ugly and the after is much, much better.

Our bamboo is doing really well (too well) and popping up all over the yard. I tripped over an overturned cobblestone from our patio on Saturday - there was a new bamboo shoot underneath trying to get out! Upon taking a closer look I realized there were four new shoots trying to get through the patio. We have huge runners running throughout the entire yard; this was a 5 foot length:

We have an accumulation of bamboo stakes and some pretty purple flowers blooming under one of the trees. Any idea what these are called?

There is a huge bunch of wisteria in full bloom too!

Fernando dug these up from the ground under the rock pile:

He came running around the front (I was planting the window boxes) when he found the first one. A few minutes later he came back with the other!

We think they might have originally sat on top of an elaborate iron fence but are not sure. I love them. I think they might end up on one of the fireplace mantels in the near future.