My friend and English garden tour travel partner, Layanee, did just that, posting about my garden here on her lovely blog Ledge and Gardens.

The Woodland Garden and, we hope, future Moss Garden

It’s very interesting to see someone else tell the story of your garden through their eyes with their camera. It was Layanee’s first visit here, although she has seen many photos of my garden over the years on this blog. As we walked around the winter devastation she said more than once, “I haven’t seen this view!”

I particularly appreciated Layanee’s view of what we are currently calling the Woodland Garden. Our hope is that over the years moss will cover this area to create a serene and green woodland setting. On Layanee’s advice, we cleared the underbrush and hauled in and spread about 10 tons of stone dust. (Well, “we” didn’t do it. My 6’4, 180 lb 20-year-old son did it.) The stone dust will keep down the weeds and provide a surface for the moss to grow.

It’s nice to have friends in the horticulture business who can give you free advice!  By the way, you can get your own free advice from Layanee and her radio partner, Sam, by calling into their Sunday morning radio show, “Garden Guys.” You’ll have to find your own strong 20-year-old to do the heavy lifting.

Winter is not the best time to visit my garden, but Layanee kept reassuring me that she could see the “bones.” I do hope that she returns when things are growing and green. Better yet, come visit around July or August when I could use an extra pair of hands weeding it all!

Layanee with my little dogs, Sarah and Sophie

Thank you, Layanee, for a wonderful visit and such a kind thank you note.

Robin

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Filed in: Blogging, Garden Design, Gardening, Gardening Life, Trees

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Article source: http://www.bumblebeeblog.com/2012/01/21/when-friends-come-to-visit/

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The purpose of windows was to let sunlight into a home back when people didn’t have light bulbs. It saved the precious fuels they used for lighting until the nighttime, when it was truly needed. With the creation of cheap electrical light, windows became more decorative, and natural light was put to the wayside.

People forget that we need natural light. Sunlight actually provides important nutrients to the body, and without it, we can become sick. During the Industrial Revolution, when pollution clouds blocked out the sun, people developed a disease called rickets (a vitamin D deficiency that affects metabolism, among other things) because of the lack of sunlight. When babies get jaundice when born, the first treatment is a few hours a day in direct sunlight. I know I had to do that for all three of my children for a few days.

Natural lighting also helps create heat, and for anyone who has seen their electric or gas bill lately, you know how expensive it can be to provide artificially. Sunlight comes through the window and heats the inside of your home for free. It’s nice to know that Mother Nature isn’t charging us per kilowatt hour.

If you have a little do-it-yourself knowledge, then you can put in a skylight and let in more light. During the day, this can be a primary way to light and possibly heat the home on slightly cool days. You can replace small window pairs with a large bay window that can illuminate an entire room.

It’s springtime, so the temperatures are rising and the sun is coming out more and more. Why not open the windows, throw back the curtains and let Mother Nature flow into your home? The benefits are many, and there is no cost to you.

During this time of year, my windows are all open, the sun shines into my home and it just makes me feel better. It lightens my mood and gives me the energy to do what needs to be done. Why not let it do the same for you?

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/52477967@N00/365542069

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Not too long ago, I went through this experience. I was planning on buying a new bed, since my old one was getting worn down and kept giving me back problems. I didn’t think I would have such a difficult time, but it was definitely a struggle to find the right bed for the right price. I went from store to store comparing and making sure I was getting a quality bed for the price I wanted. After finally choosing the bed I wanted, I knew it wouldn’t fit into my two-door car. I was charged a little extra for shipping. Overall, I spent more than I had planned, and the experience of furniture shopping left a bad taste in my mouth. Fortunately, for many of you, Target has a great offer that can save you from what I went through.

Shop at Target.com and you can take an extra $5 off orders of $50 or more on select furniture. Choose from a variety of living room, bedroom, kitchen and office furniture. The best part is that Target will also include free shipping! Just make sure you use coupon code CM5OFF50FUR when checking out. This offer is valid up to Aug. 1, 2011.

With Target, furniture shopping cannot get any easier or any more convenient. No need to drive from store to store and stress about shipping costs!

Be sure to keep checking our Target coupons page to find the latest deals and discounts!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/doubleimagephotography/5141250962

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Many years ago, before I became the guru of home improvement that I am today, I was just some guy with a problem that needed solving, and I didn’t have the money to have it replaced professionally. We didn’t have much snow that winter, but the temperatures were so cold that things were going wrong everywhere.

Pipes were breaking, pipes were freezing and just about every weather-related problem you could imagine was happening… to everyone else. I was lucky to have gone relatively unscathed through the majority of the winter.

At the time, I was living in the country, and the water was provided by an underground aquifer and pumped to the surface via a rather sizeable water pump. The pump sat in a concrete pump pit about 10 or 15 feet into the ground.

One day, the water just stopped flowing. There was nothing coming out of the faucets or toilets. My first thought was that somewhere the pipes froze, but after inspecting all the pipes and finding nothing wrong, I thought about the water pump. I climbed down the pit and found the pump had frozen.

I grabbed a heater and extension cord and prayed that I could warm it up and get it working again. I left the heater down there for several hours and went back, but the pump still didn’t work. I had the money for a new pump, but I didn’t want to pay for labor.

I was single with a crappy job and had barely enough to pay the rent and utilities every month. Buying the pump meant about two weeks of macaroni and cheese dinners, anyway. I went to the hardware store and asked about a pump and how a person installs it. They were helpful and encouraging, but it required wiring to the electrical box and all kids of things that I didn’t know how to do. Of course, that didn’t stop me.

It was rough taking out the old pump by myself. I was able to get everything wired, but my hands were freezing, and it was heavy. I was able to set up a pulley to get it out, but it was rough, and I thought my hands were going to freeze off. I had to take my gloves off to work the wiring and the pump leaked water, so I was wet and freezing.

With the old pump out, I placed the new pump into the pit. It took hours for me to get the pump set up in the right spot. I should have had about two or three people helping me out, but I didn’t even think about it. Snow was falling into the pit, and there was not a part of me that was not frozen and in pain from the cold.

Hooking up the pump to the pipes was simple, but working the wiring wasn’t. My hands were numb and didn’t want to work, and I didn’t understand the electrical diagram. I had to go to and from the hardware store to buy different things, and nothing ever worked. Meanwhile, there was no flowing water in my home, and it was getting colder as the day went on.

Finally, I gave up. I was freezing and sure that I had some low-grade frostbite. I went into my home and called a plumber. The next day, he came out and had the pump running in a few hours and went through to make sure none of the water that had been sitting in my pipes had frozen.

I learned a lot that day. I learned that you should never be cocky about chores you are not sure how to do, and you always need to be willing to ask for help. It was a major hit to my ego, and I called into question my skills at home repair, but I didn’t let it get me down for long. There will always be that one job that was a complete disaster. Today, I can recall this and laugh at how stupid the young me was, but I can tell you that if I should ever find myself in the same situation again, I wouldn’t need the plumber.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/chop1n/4182196753

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The hyacinths are blooming all over. So far I haven’t been able to detect their sweet scent on the wind, but maybe I haven’t been outside enough lately. If it would stop raining for a little while I might remedy that!

More hyacinths are in the birdbath garden. These were transplant divisions from another garden spot in the fall. The hyacinths in this garden may take two or three years to reach the size of the one in the previous picture.

More daffodils! What can beat looking at the bright yellow of daffodils when the clouds have taken away the sun?

And here’s another gratuitous look at some purple crocuses. They sure like showing off!

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