Pleased...
Jun. 5th, 2011 04:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_planThe septic contractors were good as their word and arrived bright and early yesterday (just as I was on my way out to 'Mom's Day Off').
James was very pleased with how they worked. Their attitude, care and professionalism was first rate! Despite having to wait on the pumping truck they got everything prepared and ready to roll, then got some lunch early while they were waiting. No time wasted. Unfortunately with the ceiling of the tank caved in they couldn't pump out the rocks that were in it. So the answer was to pump out the sewage, leave the rocks, dig a hole right beside the new one and rebury it, filling it in with rock and dirt (no more collapses!)
They had to move the pile of topsoil I had in the driveway for the flower beds, so they very kindly moved it all to the big empty hole at the back where the tree stumps came out (which was exactly where I wanted it). Couldn't talk em into digging the rest of the swamp drainage trench for us, but we're really gonna have to get the mini excavator again anyway to finish smoothing out the BIG hole, but all in all not bad.
They took GREAT care not to damage the flower bed out front, which was quite amazing, it was so close to the hole I figured it was a goner. Not a single flower disturbed! And despite all the digging they did a very neat job of cleaning up after themselves and smoothed the soil out very well. Yeah I've still gotta put a little topsoil down there to cover some rock, and seed it with grass seed... but it's actually quite neat, considering how much we'd had it torn up from the excavator last fall.
When I think about the disaster that the septic tank caving in was, I'm really very pleased and relieved at the eventual outcome.
For the local folks - if you've got an issue, I can't recommend Wade's Excavating and Septic Services in Flatrock highly enough. These guys were just great.
AND as a bonus, James managed to get the laser working again (we won't talk about how BIG a scare having THAT not work was! Fortunately it was a very short lived scare) and did them a sample glass. They then bought an order of 20 on the spot! Ya know we could really make a go of the whole laser, dye sublimation printing thing if either one of us had a clue about marketing or sales (but that's a whole other post ...)
More musings on gardening. Pretty much the majority of my landscaping budget had been spent and I wasn't really planning on doing a lot more to the gardens this year, but MUN Botanical Gardens were having their annual flower and cuttings sale. It was for a good cause and I hadn't seen the Botanical Gardens yet, I slipped a few dollars in my pocket and off I went. I probably spent another $50, and I still don't really have a lot of an idea what I'm doing. I've got a general overall idea what I want to accomplish; so I got some more ground cover plants; a couple kinds of phlox, needed some ferns for the great gaping hole by the forest, some other interesting bits and pieces. But the real value of the trip was the inspiration! They have some amazing shade gardens. The biggest pain for me has always been how much shade I have to deal with here, nothing is completely a 'sunny' spot, and I've always been kind of unimpressed with the plants recommended for shade gardens. What I discovered was "Wow a hosta I actually LIKE!" and that I can have bright colour in a shade garden. Lots to inspire me, but I was also rushing. I did get some lovely photos of the gardens before my camera batteries died. So I think another more paced trip is in order, especially as more of their summer stuff starts filling in, with full camera batteries and a notebook in hand.
OMG! I want 100's of these roses!
Their rhododendrons are to die for, beautiful varieties. This is the sort of mix of colours and shapes and textures I imagined when I first talked about doing a rhododendron garden where the great gaping hole is.
From MUN I headed over to D*'s place, a local newf person I met recently, with a mutual gardening interest. The peonies I took out of the driveway to replant under the front windows had come back up in the driveway (as well as the front bed). So I took it out again and dropped it off at her place. We had a lovely chat about plants and gardens and dogs and cats and retiling bathrooms, and I brought home some lovely tomatoes and basil. Yum! more foccacia bread!
Also dropped by J*'s place. Hey, I was in town and had the day to myself - make the most of it. J*'s a very very knowledgeable newf person, that I met through D*, but I also *love*love*LOVE* her gardens. She's largely accomplished the wild, grown in, natural look I love so much. There are a few minor differences in our gardening styles, for instance I love the idea of mixing food and medicinal plants into one's plan, and that vegetables and medicinals can also have a place in an ornamental garden. Much in the style of the potager gardens in last month's Canadian Gardening magazine article. Of course S* has been my inspiration on that one for the last twenty years. (20 years??? OMG. Ok not fainting now.) J* was extremely generous in donating cuttings and snippings and little bits of things, to the cause of educating Vicky. I'll never remember what everything is, but J* is very good at documenting stuff in photos - hopefully I'll just have to track the names of things down that way. I will remember better doing the research myself anyway. I also brought home the loan of a couple of really NICE books. Another thing in common - a love of nice reference books.
I am coming to some conclusions. Yeah, alright it's a bit of barn doors and horses considering I've mostly finished with the beds for this year - but not too late to make a good go of it. I need to keep a notebook. I'm great at formulating a plan when I know my subject, but this is a trial and error subject for me. The only way I'm going to learn it is by trying stuff, figuring out what works for me, what doesn't and the only way I'm going to remember or learn any of it is by keeping notes. I'm going to have to get a large scrapbook like I was using to do the house stuff to keep track of the gardens, the plants, the plans, what works what doesn't, photos, notes, what works, what doesn't, clippings, ideas and ....
OH MY! I'm a dunce.
I'd already started doing that! Before my life got nuts and the job took over everything I'd actually started a large scrapbook and honestly I didn't even remember until this second. I'm going to have to go dig that puppy out. Sure all the bulbs I'd so carefully noted in it have been pulled out and dumped elsewhere, but, at least I *have* a book!
Now I think I'll go re-pot some tomatoes and herbs.
James was very pleased with how they worked. Their attitude, care and professionalism was first rate! Despite having to wait on the pumping truck they got everything prepared and ready to roll, then got some lunch early while they were waiting. No time wasted. Unfortunately with the ceiling of the tank caved in they couldn't pump out the rocks that were in it. So the answer was to pump out the sewage, leave the rocks, dig a hole right beside the new one and rebury it, filling it in with rock and dirt (no more collapses!)
They had to move the pile of topsoil I had in the driveway for the flower beds, so they very kindly moved it all to the big empty hole at the back where the tree stumps came out (which was exactly where I wanted it). Couldn't talk em into digging the rest of the swamp drainage trench for us, but we're really gonna have to get the mini excavator again anyway to finish smoothing out the BIG hole, but all in all not bad.
They took GREAT care not to damage the flower bed out front, which was quite amazing, it was so close to the hole I figured it was a goner. Not a single flower disturbed! And despite all the digging they did a very neat job of cleaning up after themselves and smoothed the soil out very well. Yeah I've still gotta put a little topsoil down there to cover some rock, and seed it with grass seed... but it's actually quite neat, considering how much we'd had it torn up from the excavator last fall.
When I think about the disaster that the septic tank caving in was, I'm really very pleased and relieved at the eventual outcome.
For the local folks - if you've got an issue, I can't recommend Wade's Excavating and Septic Services in Flatrock highly enough. These guys were just great.
AND as a bonus, James managed to get the laser working again (we won't talk about how BIG a scare having THAT not work was! Fortunately it was a very short lived scare) and did them a sample glass. They then bought an order of 20 on the spot! Ya know we could really make a go of the whole laser, dye sublimation printing thing if either one of us had a clue about marketing or sales (but that's a whole other post ...)
More musings on gardening. Pretty much the majority of my landscaping budget had been spent and I wasn't really planning on doing a lot more to the gardens this year, but MUN Botanical Gardens were having their annual flower and cuttings sale. It was for a good cause and I hadn't seen the Botanical Gardens yet, I slipped a few dollars in my pocket and off I went. I probably spent another $50, and I still don't really have a lot of an idea what I'm doing. I've got a general overall idea what I want to accomplish; so I got some more ground cover plants; a couple kinds of phlox, needed some ferns for the great gaping hole by the forest, some other interesting bits and pieces. But the real value of the trip was the inspiration! They have some amazing shade gardens. The biggest pain for me has always been how much shade I have to deal with here, nothing is completely a 'sunny' spot, and I've always been kind of unimpressed with the plants recommended for shade gardens. What I discovered was "Wow a hosta I actually LIKE!" and that I can have bright colour in a shade garden. Lots to inspire me, but I was also rushing. I did get some lovely photos of the gardens before my camera batteries died. So I think another more paced trip is in order, especially as more of their summer stuff starts filling in, with full camera batteries and a notebook in hand.
OMG! I want 100's of these roses!
Their rhododendrons are to die for, beautiful varieties. This is the sort of mix of colours and shapes and textures I imagined when I first talked about doing a rhododendron garden where the great gaping hole is.
From MUN I headed over to D*'s place, a local newf person I met recently, with a mutual gardening interest. The peonies I took out of the driveway to replant under the front windows had come back up in the driveway (as well as the front bed). So I took it out again and dropped it off at her place. We had a lovely chat about plants and gardens and dogs and cats and retiling bathrooms, and I brought home some lovely tomatoes and basil. Yum! more foccacia bread!
Also dropped by J*'s place. Hey, I was in town and had the day to myself - make the most of it. J*'s a very very knowledgeable newf person, that I met through D*, but I also *love*love*LOVE* her gardens. She's largely accomplished the wild, grown in, natural look I love so much. There are a few minor differences in our gardening styles, for instance I love the idea of mixing food and medicinal plants into one's plan, and that vegetables and medicinals can also have a place in an ornamental garden. Much in the style of the potager gardens in last month's Canadian Gardening magazine article. Of course S* has been my inspiration on that one for the last twenty years. (20 years??? OMG. Ok not fainting now.) J* was extremely generous in donating cuttings and snippings and little bits of things, to the cause of educating Vicky. I'll never remember what everything is, but J* is very good at documenting stuff in photos - hopefully I'll just have to track the names of things down that way. I will remember better doing the research myself anyway. I also brought home the loan of a couple of really NICE books. Another thing in common - a love of nice reference books.
I am coming to some conclusions. Yeah, alright it's a bit of barn doors and horses considering I've mostly finished with the beds for this year - but not too late to make a good go of it. I need to keep a notebook. I'm great at formulating a plan when I know my subject, but this is a trial and error subject for me. The only way I'm going to learn it is by trying stuff, figuring out what works for me, what doesn't and the only way I'm going to remember or learn any of it is by keeping notes. I'm going to have to get a large scrapbook like I was using to do the house stuff to keep track of the gardens, the plants, the plans, what works what doesn't, photos, notes, what works, what doesn't, clippings, ideas and ....
OH MY! I'm a dunce.
I'd already started doing that! Before my life got nuts and the job took over everything I'd actually started a large scrapbook and honestly I didn't even remember until this second. I'm going to have to go dig that puppy out. Sure all the bulbs I'd so carefully noted in it have been pulled out and dumped elsewhere, but, at least I *have* a book!
Now I think I'll go re-pot some tomatoes and herbs.