Check it out.
The stuff I planted (FROM MUTHA-FLIPPIN’ SEED, YO) is actually growing, amazingly.
I’m as shocked as you are, given my previous talent for killing all living things.
But this hosta. This came with the house. And it’s enormous.
It’s blocking the lilies that also came with the house, and the dahlias I recently planted.
We can’t have that. Especially as I’m not a huge fan of hostas to begin with.
And I have that pile of rocks in the front next to the driveway that needs to be dealt with.
What if … I split the hosta in two and planted it in place of that rock garden? Sounds like a plan. I got up pretty early one hot morning so I could do this before all my pasty white skin burned off.
First I removed all the rocks in the little bed.
I left the ones that were under the stairs so they could prevent the soil I was about to add from sliding under the porch.
In fact, I added back in a few more to make a little wall.
I knew these rocks were local because so many of them were just STUFFED with fossils, and good ones, too. There used to be an ocean above the Ottawa Valley, and so most of the rocks around town are sandstone with all sorts of little critters petrified inside.
Now I filled the hole with soil. It took most of one of those awkward 20kg bags.
Then I wrestled that huge hosta out of the ground in the backyard. There are no photos, because I was covered in mud and sweating like a pig. Turns out I no longer own a shovel, and so had to dig it out with a trowel. And then split it. With a trowel. I felt like a true victor once I had it out of the ground. Once I stuffed it into the bed in the front, I tamped down the soil, fertilized it, and watered it well. The (now plural) hostas took quite a bit of damage during the disinterment and transfer so I want to give them the best chance for survival.
I don’t want to have to take too much care of these babies, so I took some of the prettier fossil-y rocks and placed them around the hostas to protect the soil from water loss and erosion.
Because I had so many rocks leftover, I put some in a border around the edge of the wood, just because it looked more interesting. I still had a ton remaining after this, so they’re currently lining the wall in my garage. I’m sure I’ll come up with something to do with them.
I’m quite pleased with the result. It’s no feat of professional landscaping or anything, but it’s a sure sight better-looking than what was there before!
THIS IS SO BRILLIANT! I keep putting plants in places that seem like a good idea in the beginning and then other things grow all over them, so they need moving, and didn’t know it was so …ok I was going to say easy, but I get that it wasn’t, but at least, possible! Well done you. Excellent use of rocks as well. We had so many in our garden we could make this:
http://anemy.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/mg_6887.jpg?w=1000&h= Maybe we should have just built another room…
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Haha, yeah I do that too. Luckily hostas can be moved pretty much at any time, but if you’re not sure, Google it before you move it to ensure you’re not going to massacre something you’ve grown for so long. I love your garden!
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Way to go with the Hostas! They look wonderful! All your hard work paid off!
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Thanks! The best part is that I did a good enough job that the property manager next door copied me exactly on his steps!
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You’re inspiring me! I need to do some landscapping (and probably gardening) for my parents, and this really helps.
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Thanks, but I’m no expert. I just cross my fingers and hope things don’t die! 🙂
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You and me both. 😉
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😀
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Your garden looks great!
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Thanks! It’s much easier in a place with actual sunlight. No wonder I got so frustrated in St. John’s …
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Great splitting job! They’ll be fine, but don’t like too much sun. And slugs and snails just adore hostas! I think they are pretty 🙂
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Thank you! I had to peel a few slugs I’d these ones, but it was nothing to the way the slugs ate my hostas down to the root in Newfoundland!
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Ewwwwwww! Yeah, the one thing I don’t go organic on is slug killer. But as I posted recently, ours are 4 inches long! Gaaaa!
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Blech! I’m a fan of Slug-Be-Gone myself, but mostly for the name!
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Ha! We aren’t so clever in Ireland, but I don’t care as long as they DIE. I found a sweet-pea seedling that was 6″ tall chewed to the ground today. It’s just… Gone. Grrr!
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Yeah I think Newfoundland and Ireland have a lot in common, weatherwise, and that dampness is just a slug haven.
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Well I’ve heard your accent, and be dammed if it doesn’t sound so very Irish! I can imagine a load of settlers/immigrants glommed onto the similar weather and made it home!
Does moss grow on your car over the winter?
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No, thankfully we have too much snow!
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Ah, that we don’t have. Your slugs have superpowers!
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Hahah, apparently!
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You must have great sunshine and heat in the summer, though?
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In St. John’s? No. There’s about a week of summer and it’s AWESOME. But most of the time it’s cloudy. In Ottawa, we get a looooong hot one …
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We are having our week of summer now – it was 23.5 at 6:30 when I left work! I’m devastated that I don’t have it off 😦
I grew up in Florida and that was just too damn hot. But I’d like a bit more sun that I get in the Whest Of Ireland. Damn Dubliners get more, so unfair!
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Oh man I so hear you.
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St. John’s is always cloudy and cold, but if you go inland even a tiny bit it’s lovely.
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Sounds like Mayo 😦
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Such is life in the Gulf Stream, right?
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Yes! But it’s better to have it than not!
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Very true!
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Well. It got warm as hell here today and suddenly I have the exquisite vision of my mentally ill neighbour in a black thong bikini in front of my house. Talking to me. I’m soooo lucky.
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Please take a picture. I need to see this. The internet needs to see this.
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Hubby did. Several. Wow. I couldn’t make this up.
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AWESOME. So far all my new neighbours are straight-laced, but I’ll let you know what happens when the temperatures get up around 40 degrees …
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Oh, well, I’ve been bitching on FB about listening to his porn habit for a few weeks. And I bet I’m about to be treated to it again. Or not. He might be coming back. With a beer.
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As long as he shares the beer. You’re really selling this whole living-in-Ireland thing.
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OMG what’s your email!!!! Have a pic!
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allythebell@gmail.com SEND IT!
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Sent! I swear you could NOT make this up.
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That is the best. I’ve sent it on to someone else who needed it. Also we should probably be best friends after this exchange. Only friends share neighbour underwear pictures.
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Hahahahhahahahhaha I’m dying.
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My friend suggests you put that up on Reddit. The world needs to see it.
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As you can’t see his face, that is quite doable. Not sure if hubby is on reddit!
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Hahahaha, oh man.
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He came back – is now gone. He’s gone, and fully clothed. But he bought a pub for 10 million euro in cash, he tells me.
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Must be some pub.
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I just went in to lie on the floor and piss myself laughing for a moment. Wow.
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Why does this guy not feature on your blog? Your readership would increase exponentially!
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Oh man, I might. I’m not one for looking for massive followers, I just love the discourse!
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Doooo it! Do it! Do it!
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Amazing!
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Gardening efforts are always satisfying – ripping up stuff from the ground is strangely cathartic. Also just trolled my way through the above convo on captain underpants – that’s some neighbor…
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I’m sure if you ask heretherebespiders she will send you the picture. It’s worth seeing!
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