Sunday, August 26, 2007

Bathroom Project

A few rows remaining for the Subway tile, and a couple of details, then the tile work is done. The color in the top photo is the closest to reality. That 'couple of details' - such as the window, will take a lot of tile cutting, so not quite done, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. No grout on these wall yet, obviously, since the tile work isn't finished.
The sink and shower wall is getting grouted first so that I can have the plumbers come in and hook up the faucets. The other walls can be done afterwards. I will feel muich better when the sink is installed.

Initially, I thought the tile was too uneven, both the tiles and my application, but with the grout in place I'm feeling better about it. These tiles are supposed to have a 'hand made' look, so are have uneven and wavy edges, which makes them difficult to line up. The nice part is that the final product LOOKS hand made, and the play of color variation in the tiled wall makes it more interesting compared to 'perfect' tiles.

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veggies


At this time I've barely had time to keep them watered. Still, with large amounts of organic matter added to the soil over the past several years, and a compost mulch, they are producing pretty well. Lots of tomatoes now, plus zucchinis, cucumbers, some cayenne and hungarian peppers. Also, I've been eating about 1/2 pound of grapes daily for the past week, and they are just starting to ripen. First was Interlaken, quickly followed by Venus and Price. Price has the largest grapes, with a 'grapey' flavor, and I don't mind the seeds. Interlaken is the sweetest, but being seedless they are smaller than Price. Venus is interesting - I can't decide how much I like them, but they are not fully sweet yet and they are bigger than Interlaken. Canadice hasn't started to ripen yet. Looking forward to them.
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Sunday, August 19, 2007

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Honey Babe Peaches, Agapanthus.Tomato patch

It's difficult to see tomatoes in this photo. The apple tree is Liberty. The grass is dormant, otherwise known as neglected.
Agapanthus manages to get by despite neglect.


Four peaches this year on Honey Babe. Curse of the peach leaf curl. Still, the tree recovered nicely, and the peaches were VERY sweet, peachy, and juicy.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Tiny Tim has essentially no flavor. Not worth the effort, even though it's early and grows nicely in containers.
Principe is good. Not as sweet as sweet 100, but meaty, tender, and good tomato flavor.
Lemon Boy, My favorite, almost ripe.

Grapes


The first variety to sweeten this year is Interlaken. VERY 'grapey' flavor, much better than those grocery store grapes!

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Update

No photos today.

Weekend in Quincy IL. Things look stable there.

Interesting - growing up there, everyone had a backyard garden. I didn't see any this time.

Back in vancouver, lots of beans on Ning's Chinese Bean vines. There have been several batches to eat.

Grapes are "almost" there. Sour but starting to sweeten up.

Roses are blooming nicely.

Another bud on the Epiphyllum.

There have been 3 breba figs plus one main crop fig on the petite negri. None yet on the others.
Too much going on otherwise. I hope that I can weed and prune a little this weekend.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Another Lily. Garden log.

Here is another lily. I didn't have a chance yet to photograph the Casa Blanca in the back yard - clearly one of the finest. Huge white flowers, highly fragrant. This one has it's charms. No-name however.
Summer pruned the aprium. Last week I summer pruned Ning's short cherry trees. In each case, I removes all but 6" to 1ft of new growth on all branches. In many cases (especially the cherries) I removed more than 2 feet of new growth. I hope that I didnt remove next year's crop - I dont think so, the flowers seem to come from the first few inches of new stem.
Also pruned the new grown on trunk and lower branches of large flowering cherry. These short branches I have been pruning back to spurs each summer. They nbloom nicely, and look like pompoms stuck onto the sides of the old tree.
First 3 tomatoes today. One tiny tim, 2 sweet 100. The sweet 100s are definitely better tasting.
So far, about 5 cucumbers. Another one today.
Two crops of Ning's beans so far. First crop 2 weeks ago, second last weekend.
Tomorrow or wednesday: BREBA FIGS from petite negri. There are only 3. They are at the hang-mans noose stage, but no tears of the condemn or robes of the penitent. Better enjoy them. A few dozen maion crop, on the trees combined. Something to look forward to this fall.
Hummingbirds have been amazing this year. At least 4 different birds, maybe more. They like the crocosmia the best, the feeder second. They couldn't figure out the brugmansia.
ALl of the prunings have been chopped up for mulch, and are mosly on a side border. It's keeping it nice and clean, in a woodsy way. Posted by Picasa

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Frog

This little frog jumped onto the wall this morning. I've seen them before, but this was the first time to get a good photo. 
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Sunday, July 22, 2007

Destined for World Domination?

Looks like I'd rather be out turning the compost.




You Are Not Destined to Rule the World



You are destined for something else...

Like inventing a new type of cupcake.

You just don't have the stomach for brutality.

But watch out - because many people do!