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[Enchantra]

Well to dark right now to take a picture.
However I got the other side of the entry gardens done.  It's all rocked in and xeriscaped.
I also hurt like no tomorrow.  Time for ibuprofen.
I prepped the fish for dinner, now Peter is making sushi for dinner, which means I don't have to cook!  Woohoo!   

[MrsWTownsend]

Doing your yard is good exercise.

[Enchantra]

Doing your yard is good exercise.

Damn straight!
I ache from the good workout yesterday!

So here are the pictures from doing what I did yesterday, continuing with Xeriscaping and edibles and medicinals.
Entry is now for the most part, other than some minor details, DONE.

[Itsandbits]

looking good After the plants flesh out and get some stature, it will look like you meant to do it that way LOL

[Enchantra]

Lloyd, gardening in the desert is a whole different ball of wax.  To even be able to plant anything in this area we had to till it, remove the bazillion rocks, remove the leftover tile scraps and other detritus the builders left behind in the dirt, and then add in four large bales of compost and three bags of organic potting soil and till all that in.  Then I sculpted the soil, planted the plants, laid down the underlayment in the areas where I wanted it, and then laid the stone. 

Anyways, time to go make dinner.  Hubby will be hungry when he gets home...

[Itsandbits]

just joking Amanda; I wasn't belittleing the look or the work you put in. I know how much work it is, you guys are doing a good job making your piece of "paradise"

[Enchantra]

I knew you were joking Lloyd.   

The paradise will be better as soon as I can get the wall in place and done.  We're having contractor issues, and hopefully that will be resolved soon.  We had a contractor all picked out for the wall and back patio.  He seemed excited to have the work.  I notified him he had the job.  A few weeks passed and nothing from him.  Contacted him and he made some excuse about trying to get lot drawings for our place from the builder with the drainage drawn up so he could submit for the permit from the county.  Three weeks ago after a lot of phone messages I finally heard from him.  He wanted to do a contract signing.  I dropped him an email letting him know the times we were available along with our neighbors who are also having a wall put in.  He never responded.  A week ago today I called him and left a message asking him what was going on.  I have not heard back.  I used to work for a contractor back east - you don't pull this kind of crap with customers because this is how you lose customers.  He was notified back in SEPTEMBER that he had the job.  It's now December.  Screw him.

Apparently our neighbor was tired of the crap too. He got someone else in and that person is starting work soon and our neighbor gave his contractor my contact information and it sounds like this guy is going to guarantee his work for longer than the other guy was, and come in more reasonable on price.  I'm hoping to hear from the guy tomorrow.  Our neighbor has friends at the County level that can get a permit through in a matter of days instead of the normal one month or more waiting period.  If we can get this fence/wall started when we get back from Vancouver it will be great.

The real kicker here is the wall guy we had initially chosen to do the work was the one recommended by the builder because it is the same company that does all the walls around the properties when they put in whole subdivisions down here.  You would think this guy would be all over a job that would get a $22,000 check handed to him!  It's not small change and we're fencing in an acre.  Anyways he is history.  You don't want to at least return our calls, screw you.  We'll give the money to someone willing to do the work and polite enough to give us the common courtesy of a return phonecall.

[MrsWTownsend]

I've been wondering how you are going to keep re-fortifying the dirt with the cover thingy on it, but then I remembered the fish soup/ cow poop concoction...  I guess that will be horse poop fish soup now.  :)

[Enchantra]

Yes Gina, there will be lots of fish emulsion being used and also granulated organic fertilizer.  Most of these plants when I planted them I put a palm full of ironite in the hole as well, especially the bouganvilla, which has a higher iron requirement for growth.

[Bentiron]

Bougainvillea seem to do better in poor soil, if the soil is too "good" they tend to produce a lot of nice green growth which the cutter bees love but don't produce much of the vibrant bracts that we love for their color. When I lived in town and had enriched my soil to grow all kinds of stuff I planted some Bougainvillea and all I got was green growth.
 

[Enchantra]

I would say my garden soil in the front is half native soil and half compost.  We shall see how it affects things.  The bouganvilla is variegated and the leaves emerge deep pink and slowly turn to white and green.  Even without flowers it's pretty.

[Bentiron]

I have had this one that I have been trying to kill for years, it was here when I bought the house, and finally I just had it dug up. I was so tired of getting scratched up when I walked by. Anyway, when it was out of the ground the roots hadn't broken out of the original planting hole. It would wilt to nothing in the summer but boy would that thing bloom like crazy. I took and planted this decrepit thing at my neighbors house in some nice soil and all she got was mountains of green vibrant growth, she had it taken out by her landscaper. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to be nice to some plants.

[Enchantra]

So I have updates!
This past week we had missionaries from our neighbor's Church out to help me lay some rock.  We are finally progressing someplace...

[Itsandbits]

So I have updates!
This past week we had missionaries from our neighbor's Church out to help me lay some rock.  We are finally progressing someplace...

Dang!!! I keep telling them I'm not interested when they show up at my door; great idea Amanda!!!!!

[MrsWTownsend]

It looks nice!