The Gardening 2014 Thread - I just spent 2 hours in a garden center.

[furmonster mom]

So jealous.

My year's gardening project did not exactly involve a "garden" per se.

To back up a bit, LAST year, we had an arborist come out to evaluate our front yard tree, an give us a plan for saving it (and our house & water pipes).

Here's what we were looking at...

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• furmonster mom
• Sep 21, 2014

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• furmonster mom
• Sep 21, 2014

As you can see, the roots were lifting, and the grass was looking pathetic from competing for water.  The space is entirely too small for the tree, but we wanted to save it because it is on the SW exposure and shades the house during the hottest hours of the day... which is important when it hits 115+ degrees in the summer. 

So, we were given a course of action:

1.  pull up the grass
2. prune the roots, go down at least 2 feet around the edges of the space.
3. irrigate with bubblers
4. fertilize
5. replace landscaping with bark and/or topical groundcover

We got some of that done last year, wrote a letter to our HoA explaining what we were doing, then winter hit, and it all got put on hold.  Even in the desert, it gets cold, and the ground gets hard. 

So, beginning late February this year, I started in again, digging up roots.... You would not believe what I came across...

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• furmonster mom
• Sep 21, 2014

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• furmonster mom
• Sep 21, 2014

That's just a couple of the several roots I had to chop up.  They were crawling under the sidewalk, and our driveway, and making their merry way to the water mains (if they haven't already).

I worked my a-- tukus off March through May, digging them up by hand, since using a pick and shovel would have endangered the irrigation.  Then took a break when the weather got too hot.

Finished it off early August, and started replacing the landscaping with something I'd wanted to do for years....

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• furmonster mom
• Sep 21, 2014

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• furmonster mom
• Sep 21, 2014

I've wanted to put in that dry river bed since we moved in.  Finally did it... myself and hubby... lugging and placing all those rocks.  Done.

But wait... Just a few days after we got this far, I got a letter in the mail.

Turns out, the entire time I was working on this, my HoA was fining me... to the tune of $1300 !!!

I was not amused.

They can talk to my lawyer.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

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• furmonster mom
• Sep 21, 2014

I've wanted to put in that dry river bed since we moved in.  Finally did it... myself and hubby... lugging and placing all those rocks.  Done.

But wait... Just a few days after we got this far, I got a letter in the mail.

Turns out, the entire time I was working on this, my HoA was fining me... to the tune of $1300 !!!

I was not amused.

They can talk to my lawyer.

Wow!  This is yet another example of why DH and I avoided the HOA neighborhoods around here.  I have heard too many stories like this!! 

Those roots look SO difficult to deal with!  A few years back my FIL had to dig up some that were clogging his sewer line.  The city apparently charged him less for doing the digging himself; then they replaced the compromised section.  We have a septic system here and there are 2 concrete access things in our backyard.  When we had the tanks emptied for the first time they had to dig out roots to get in there.  The guy told me that roots will really travel to find water.  And they travel quickly.  What was there had only been there about 3 or 4 years.  It was pretty much by chance that when it came time for a cleanout; we hired the same people that put the system in.  The gentleman remembered doing it.  

I hope you get things settled with our HOA.  I think the dry riverbed is gorgeous!  

I pulled a handfull of peppers and a few tomatoes tonight.  I have flowers and lots of little peppers on the plants; so I'm hoping things have time to ripen before it gets too cool.  Some thins seem to be growing so slowly!

I am looking to get some potted mums since all mine died after last year.  I was at a farm/restaurant store this weekend and they had the most AMAZING pot of blue/purple mums.  They reminded me of blueberry juice in color.  A little part of me regrets not bringing them home!  But it was an expensive weekend so I'll stick with what I can find local.  I need to look for a mum farm.  

 

[Winchester]

Why was the HOA fining you? I think your yard looks great! That dry riverbed looks so nice. It is because the HOA doesn't approve of what you did? Or that it took you so long to do it? I don't like HOAs; I think they're a PITB. Around here, there are some neighborhood restrictions that don't allow clotheslines....that makes no sense to me at all. Or they only allow the kind of clothesline that you can only put up for the day and then have to remove that night. When we looked for land, we looked for a place with no covenants or HOAs. We don't even have zoning down here, although I am one of the ones pushing for a zoning ordinance.

Mooch, I love mums. My sister just gave us a pretty white mum that Rick planted in the front bed next to Rupert, the Gargoyle. Sometimes you can get mums for a good price.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

image.jpg

• MoochNNoodles
• Sep 22, 2014

Here are the mums i fell in love with. So pretty and unusual too!

 

[denice]

I really don't like HOAs.  The initial idea was good.  We have all seen the house that makes the entire neighborhood look bad because of garish colors and too much cheap junk in the yard.  Initially they were a way to deal with a home like that but they have gone too far.  Many of them have picky silly rules in an effort to make all properties uniform like they were all made with the same cookie cutter.

 

[furmonster mom]

The stated reason for the fines was "barren/thin rock".  In other words, there was no landscaping while I was working on it (because we pulled the grass). 

However, I suspect it is more than that.  One of the board members is in charge of the "Architectural Review Committee", which is supposed to approve/deny any changes to the "common area" (that which is within public view).  So, since we wrote a letter, but didn't actually fill out all the paperwork to "ask permission", I have a feeling this person has turned this into a little personal campaign.  Even after we did submit the paperwork (including our neighbors' permissions), they are still dragging their heels over our desire to put down bark instead of rock.

And yes, I've spoken with the board member in question, and she definitely holds to a very narrow definition of what the community should look like.  The problem is, there is no flexibility for changing trends, and without that, the community will begin to look dated.  So, in the long run, it is going to hurt home values, because people are going to come in and know right away that it was built in the mid 90's.  And they are going to know that it is because the HoA was unwilling to allow fresh changes and designs.  And nobody is going to want to pay for that.... Okay, somebody will, but when they realize what they've gotten into... they will turn the home into a rental or sell it.

 

[denice]

I see that you live in the Mohave Desert.  What I have seen the last few years is that natural desert landscaping is the current trend, not only for looks but also to cut down on water usage.

 

[furmonster mom]

That works for desert plants and some clever xeriscaping, but not so much for "imported" plants.

Desert plants thrive in a high mineral, dry soil.  Rock mulch is perfect for them, as the rock deteriorates into a high mineral sandy material. 

Imported plants (such as our tree) require something to keep the ground moist as well as nourish the soil with more organic matter as it deteriorates.  Without an organic mulch, we are forced to constantly fertilize with chemical fertilizers.  Great for landscapers business, but not really great for the long term health of the tree.  The arborist that consulted with us basically said that rock mulch is probably the worst thing this city has done to its imported trees.

Bark will accomplish the same purpose as rock, but with the added benefit that it will nourish the soil.

As for the "style" of desert landscaping, trends change even there.  Right now, excepting for the few dry river bed, the occasional boulder, and a few brave homeowners who've made changes, we are stagnating with the stupid rose/pink rock that the builders put in.  Pink/rose rock is long past it's due date, as trends go.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

 
I really don't like HOAs.  The initial idea was good.  We have all seen the house that makes the entire neighborhood look bad because of garish colors and too much cheap junk in the yard.  Initially they were a way to deal with a home like that but they have gone too far.  Many of them have picky silly rules in an effort to make all properties uniform like they were all made with the same cookie cutter.

Around here; the HOAs have taken the place of government taxes for things like snow plowing and even trash pickup.  The HOA contracts those services.  My mother's neighborhood is one of the few that isn't in a HOA and the have to wait for the town to plow them; whenever they get to it.  Some of these neighborhoods get a very poor job done as it is with whoever they've contracted to.  One guy nearly plowed my friend and her friend into a snowbank because he was flying through and had no regard for the homeowners who were trying to clear between the cars (dumb neighborhood has street parking for most of the cars).

I can see the point of HOAs when you live in a community with a lot of communal areas. +55 comunities have poped up and i can see wanting my yard work done for me at that point (or maybe like 20 years beyond that if that's your thing to do).  But not when you've paid hundreds of thoulsands of dollars for 1/4 of an acre.  I didn't want to open a window and look into my neighbor's house.   I wanted the freedom to chose a chain-link fence over a wooden one at a regulated height and to use whatever color Christmas lights and flowers I so choose. 

  

 
The stated reason for the fines was "barren/thin rock".  In other words, there was no landscaping while I was working on it (because we pulled the grass). 

However, I suspect it is more than that.  One of the board members is in charge of the "Architectural Review Committee", which is supposed to approve/deny any changes to the "common area" (that which is within public view).  So, since we wrote a letter, but didn't actually fill out all the paperwork to "ask permission", I have a feeling this person has turned this into a little personal campaign.  Even after we did submit the paperwork (including our neighbors' permissions), they are still dragging their heels over our desire to put down bark instead of rock.

And yes, I've spoken with the board member in question, and she definitely holds to a very narrow definition of what the community should look like.  The problem is, there is no flexibility for changing trends, and without that, the community will begin to look dated.  So, in the long run, it is going to hurt home values, because people are going to come in and know right away that it was built in the mid 90's.  And they are going to know that it is because the HoA was unwilling to allow fresh changes and designs.  And nobody is going to want to pay for that.... Okay, somebody will, but when they realize what they've gotten into... they will turn the home into a rental or sell it.

That really is a shame.  I remember a few years back right before "going green" became thing thing to do; my friend's mother was told she couldn't have a clothse line of any sort.  She made a point by hanging the family's clothing from her kid's swingset and laying some things on the bushes. 

  They ended up changing the rules so people could be trendy and go green.  But I'll never forget her telling us she'd laid things out on the bushes!! 

 

There is another neighborhood here where they told the homeowners that solar panels were not allowed.  So the ended up installing 2 HUGE wind turbines on their roof!!  This is one of those monopoly house style neighborhoods.  Big houses packed close together.  I'm always seeing wind damage to the siding on the houses too.  The turbines aren't like fan blades; they are in a cylindrical shape and each spin more like a top.  I'm not sure how to describe them.  But what a way to make a point!  People there are also removing trees that should never have been planted in the space they were put.  They have tiny front yards.  

Anyway; I hope you can win the HOA over.  Do you thing sharing any information from the arborist would help your cause?  I assume they have board meetings.  And they really should consider the future of the neighborhood.  It's foolish not to. 

 

[furmonster mom]

 
Around here; the HOAs have taken the place of government taxes for things like snow plowing and even trash pickup.  The HOA contracts those services.  ..

I remember a few years back right before "going green" became thing thing to do; my friend's mother was told she couldn't have a clothse line of any sort.  She made a point by hanging the family's clothing from her kid's swingset and laying some things on the bushes. 

  They ended up changing the rules so people could be trendy and go green.  But I'll never forget her telling us she'd laid things out on the bushes!! 

 

There is another neighborhood here where they told the homeowners that solar panels were not allowed.  So the ended up installing 2 HUGE wind turbines on their roof!!  This is one of those monopoly house style neighborhoods.  Big houses packed close together.  I'm always seeing wind damage to the siding on the houses too.  The turbines aren't like fan blades; they are in a cylindrical shape and each spin more like a top.  I'm not sure how to describe them.  But what a way to make a point!  People there are also removing trees that should never have been planted in the space they were put.  They have tiny front yards.  

Anyway; I hope you can win the HOA over.  Do you thing sharing any information from the arborist would help your cause?  I assume they have board meetings.  And they really should consider the future of the neighborhood.  It's foolish not to. 

Yeah... we have the street sweepers come in on a certain day each week, but people constantly forget to park their cars in the driveway on those days, so it's kinda hit or miss. 

OMG... I can only imagine the storm that would ensue if someone laid their clothes out on the bushes.  LOL

I know exactly the kind of wind turbines you are talking about.  Several years ago, I went on a hike with some friends in the Appalachians.  There are cabins on the ridge that you can stay at, and they all had the wind turbines to generate their electricity.  Made sense... lots of wind on those mountain ridges.

I have one receipt from the arborist with very truncated notes.  It was April of '13 when we had the consult, I don't even know if he is still around.  Thing is, I know there are other "professionals" in this area who will say that rock is "fine".  If you press them, they might admit that it's not ideal for certain types of plants & trees, but they will still say "it will do".  And as long as there are people willing to say that, then the HoA/Property Mgmt. will stick with it. 

 

[furmonster mom]

So... I bought some more lantana and a couple jasmines to fill in the other side of the driveway which gets full sun almost all day.

Then I realized, lantanna really do like the full sun best, and the jasmine like partial/shady areas.  I'm doing things a little bass-ackwards.

So I took one of the lantanas from the shadiest point under the tree, and traded it out for the jasmine.  I have another jasmine plant that I think I'll do the same with.

So, on one side of the driveway, I'll end up with alternating yellow and purple lantana, and the same under the tree, except with a couple jasmine thrown in for variation. 

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I had to look up the lantana; they are pretty!!  I think it sounds nice!

 

[Winchester]

I love lantanas. I had bought two Lantana whips years ago from White Flower Farms in CT; they have an excellent flower shop via the catalog. I had the whips for several years....my goal was to train them into trees and they did well for a long time at the glass door in the kitchen of a house we were renting at the time....southern exposure, so lots and lots of light. They would bloom and they were gorgeous. Alas, Hydrox decided that the lantana planters were great for peeing in and I lost both of them. I was heartbroken. I lost a lot of plants because of that cat.

Jasmines are gorgeous! I would dearly love to have a night-blooming jasmine for the scent alone. I don't have a place at home to keep it and I don't have enough light at work for it to bloom.

Your yard is going to be beautiful!

 

[stewball]

Do you grill eggplants?

 

[Winchester]

You can grill anything you want to grill. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. We have grilled stuff that most people wouldn't think of grilling. Some with good results, some not so much. I've never grilled eggplant (simply because we don't care for eggplant all that much), but I do have some recipes that call for grilled eggplant.

 

[furmonster mom]

From what I understand, the trick to eggplant is to salt your pieces to draw out some of their moisture... at least for baking.  Apparently, they have so much moisture, that it makes them mushy when baked.  Drawing the moisture out also "tightens" their structure.

Grilling, however, may be a different story, since it is a rather quick cooking process compared to baking.  But I'd want to make sure my pieces weren't too thick... 'bout 1/4-1/2 inch.  I'd probably just season them with some olive oil and garlic salt, then toss 'em on. 

 

[Winchester]

Yeah, salting the eggplant is really important....I remember watching a Good Eats show where Alton was talking about salting eggplant and then letting it sit for a while to draw all that moisture out. Then I guess you can bread it (or Panko it) and then saute. I supposed I should, at least, try it. But I remember one time when Rick's mom made ratatouille and she took a spoonful of the stuff and made me eat it. I gagged. I felt terrible, but yeah, I gagged. Something about the texture of it all, I guess. 

Maybe some balsamic vinegar to drizzle on the eggplant planks would work, too?

 

[bbdoll22]

Salting the eggplant also helps draw out bitterness. An eggplant will get bitter the longer it sits in the grocery store. The best eggplants I ever had I get at a farmers market, picked that morning.
You also don't have to cook em to death if using for eggplant parm as they will be fried then baked. Just like when making noodles for a baked dish you just cook til al dente.

 

[denice]

My parents always had eggplant in the garden but I never developed a taste for it.  I sometimes watch Gordon Ramsey's shows, I know it's silly but I sometimes watch it.  He always gets eggplant when it's on a troubled restaurant's menu and it's always bitter.  He says that under cooking it causes it to be bitter.  I am sure he's not talking about cooking it to death but I guess a common mistake is under cooking it.

 

[bbdoll22]

denice
You are correct. There's a fine line between over and under cooking it. With practice you get the knack for cooking right.