Gardening 103: Maintenance

The yard has come a long way from its initial stages. While we helped define aspects of the design and pick some of the plants, most of the credit goes to Scott for how well the whole thing turned out. Last Year Post Planting: (Photos by Scott) Since he set this up last year, we became responsible for watering the garden and making sure things didn't die. We've been pretty good about the first duty but for some reason not so lucky on the second. As you may remember, the only foliage we saved from the previous garden was the Japanese maple and the Bay Leaf tree but they have since left this world. We were quite taken aback that we lost them because they seemed to do so well after they were transplanted. I guess that is the way of nature.

In their place, we have bought another Japanese Maple, an Emperor type with Red leaves this time, and a Ginkgo Biloba tree. Evidently these Ginkgos can survive an atomic blast, so we figure it should make it in our harsh backyard environment.

I shudder to think what our water bill will be this summer, especially during that hot week. But vigilantly we water the yard every other day and pay special attention to those recently planted in the the last few months.

Fellow Broadcasting grads: here's a practical application of your cable-over-undering skills. Marvin would be so proud.

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Like Scott says, it's all an investment and we need to take care of it. But I'm not any more of a green thumb than I used to be. I still feel like the reluctant gardener cursing the weeds and not wanting to get my hands getting dirty.

The Emperor Has No Clothes

So, how was your weekend? Get some sun, did you? Seattle's getting pretty warm these days. What did we do this weekend? Nothing much. Oh, Ken ran a 5K today.

Naked.

The man was so determined to run a race this weekend that when his Saturday race in Kent got scrapped due to a conflict, he scoured the Internet for a race on Sunday. And what came up? The Bare Buns Fun Run in Issaquah hosted by the local nudist organization up there. I thought he was joking.

In most every race he's run, I have been there to support him and this would be no different. It wasn't until this morning when we were driving to Issaquah that I realized "this is really happening" and a mini-freak out hit me.

Thoughts in this order:

1. We're going to be surrounded by naked people!
2. And they're all running!
3. No paint or bicycles!
4. You've got to act like it's totally normal.
5. Don't look down.
6. Eyes...look in the eyes.

They didn't allow cameras up there so you're just going to have to imagine a camping hideaway in the Issaquah foothills containing a nude oasis with pools, a meeting house, gift shop, volleyball court and stretches of grass where everyone can frolic sans clothing and no one bats an eye. After a little sheepishness, Ken joined in and became one the 150 pairs of buns lined up at the start line, with nothing but his shoes, socks and a smile. Having been one of only 7 people with their clothes still on (not including the Red Cross paramedics who's nervous faces made me think this assignment was sprung on them), I kinda stuck out.

Gradually the shock of being there wore off and when the first runners finished, I imagined the Olympics back in Greece so many centuries ago when all the athletes competed naked and how normal that would have been. It sorta makes sense to celebrate the human body and see it in it's finest moments.

Ken said that the course was difficult because of the initial 800 ft. ascent but being naked did not affect his performance otherwise. There were some interesting characters around and there were more men than women (but more women than I would have expected). Ken finished 35th overall and did his usual collapse in the grass just after finishing. He had to lay on his back for a while to catch his breath and drink water before he could get up. Ken seemed quite pleased with himself that he'd overcome his modesty and embraced the spontaneity of the moment. He keeps me guessing, that's for sure.

We zoomed out of there not long after the race ended as the nudists were getting ready for a long afternoon in the sun. It seemed like we were intruding on a world we didn't quite belong in. About trying new "anti-rut" activities that push our comfort zones--I would say this was a big one.

(Final garden blog later this week)

Gardening 102: The Nuclear Option

From a recommendation from a neighbor, we enlisted the help of Scott Tuzzolino of Gardenmakers NW. He had a flair for native plants and a vision for making the backyard into an 'outdoor living room.' How do you make an outdoor living room? First eliminate all the riff-raff and start with a clean slate. This amounted to ripping out 95% of what was back there. Ken and I often surmise that the previous owners would hurl the stones at us from their crazy rock sculptures if they saw what we did to their herb garden & raspberries. But notice the Bay Leaf Tree and the Japanese Maple did make the cut.

Second rip out the lawn but make use of all the rocks present in the garden already. We wanted the space to be usable for entertaining so we installed in a flagstone patio. The whole area had to be leveled and the gravel/sand packed down with a machine. Third, make sure you have four walls. A cedar fence was installed on the north side to provide some privacy and add visual interest.

Scott says this is called 'hardscaping'. Tomorrow I'll show you the plants part. We asked for low maintenance--the opposite of me. Did we get our wish? You'll see.

(All photos by Scott Tuzzolino)

Gardening 101: The Beginning

Hey as long as we're talking about heat, let's talk about water. Particularly how much of it gets sprinkled on the vegetation surrounding our house, also known as "the gardens." You have to know that Ken and I are not gardeners. While we love the Earth and sometimes like to walk around in The Nature, we are well matched in our ambivalence about gardening. But our house came with a decent-sized yard that was fairly wild when we first got it.

Before #1: Before #2:

Pictures by Scott Tuzzolino of Gardenmakers NW

For two non-gardeners the untamed herb garden and crazy rock formations created as sense of mystery about the yard. Adding value were a beautiful Japanese Maple Tree and a Bay Leaf Tree that my mother b-lined to and admired upon her first visit. But an overgrown raspberry patch bordered the back fence and the neighbor's shrubs/weeds spilled over along a poorly defined property line. We had no idea what to do with the space or even where to start. Ken came to loathe the mowing and it was clear, we needed to consult a professional. And that we did... Tomorrow: details of the transformation.