Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Gardening Project Update

My gardening project isn't going quite as smoothly as I had planned.  Here's what's been happening:

I planned this project around the fact that the landscape timbers I was using were only $1.97 each.  I bought 30 on Sunday and went back to get 30 more yesterday only to discover they're now $3.97 each.  Ugh!!  Apparently they were on a super-duper Easter weekend special and the price went back to normal.

I had a friendly chat with the customer service department at Lowe's and guess what: they gave me the $1.97 price!!  Since this special was unadvertised and I didn't know it was a limited offering, they were kind enough to help me get the rest of my timbers at the special price.  This is one thing I have discovered about Lowe's - their customer service is truly outstanding!  They have matched every competitor coupon I've given them with a smile, and they always have a few plants on clearance when I go (my favorite word!).  Love 'em.

My darling husband works so hard for our family.  He's at work for 13 hours every day (including travel time of course), 5-6 days each and every week.  Not only is he exhausted when he comes home, but it's usually getting dark by then too.  I had this ingenious idea to have the whole garden built by this weekend, but since he won't let me near the major power tools (Darn it!), my project has been at a standstill since yesterday.  I hammered in all the giant 12" spikes after drilling the holes:


I lined each post up to the yarn line, and carefully measured each post as I went along nailing these to the ground.  This was a tedious task for sure, as these super-heavy posts shift with each hit of the hammer!   Not to mention my arm is out of commission for the next few days - can you say "take-out for dinner"?  :o)

Now that all the measurements are made and all the boards that don't need to be cut are hammered in, I'm just waiting for hubby to cut all the other boards to length!  Here's the general layout:

Starting from the "front" of this picture you can see how the beds will line up.  Each bed will be a total of 52" from board to board (inside width of 42"), and the walkway between each bed is 27".  Since I have a yarn line (I think most people use a chalk line, but who needs chalk when you have clearance yarn, h-e-l-l-o??), it's going to make the cutting process super easy.  All we have to do is position the board and use the yarn line to draw a cutting line!

I'm pretty excited to get this all started.  Since we won't be able to really get moving until this coming weekend, I've decided to get a head start and plant my seeds in peat pots and containers so I can easily transplant them when the beds are finished. 


I'm one of those crazy people that gets an idea in her head and just goes for it!  It's full steam ahead for awhile and then sadly I taper off.  I've recently begun breaking up these big pojects into smaller bite-sized pieces to ensure I won't tire of them before they're finished.  It's worked very well for my painting projects (only a few more rooms to go and the WHOLE house is painted!), organization projects, and cleaning projects, so hopefully the same will hold true for this one.

Wish me luck, and stay tuned for a new update in a few days!

HAPPY GARDENING
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3 comments:

  1. I agree with you about Lowe's. They have been very helpful to me too.

    Also, you exhibit many Mormon wife characteristics--large family, lifting your husband up, self-less, garden and probably on anti-depressants or soon will be (this is not a criticism but a reality).

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  2. Lowe's has been a God-send for this project - I'll post more about this in my next update (coming this afternoon)!

    I'm not a Mormon, but have certainly been raised to exhibit certain characteristics. Our large family wasn't planned, but let's just say God had other plans for us! Surgery isn't foolproof...:o)

    I can certainly admit my husbands flaws as well as my own. I think in todays world of selfishness and all-about-me attitudes, it's important to show that there are still men out there willing to devote their lives to their families. As far as being self-less myself, I think I've come to realize that our children need all we can give them throughout their growing up years, and I make time to nurture myself as I can.

    My garden is a new endeavor. I joke that I have a brown thumb, but I really am hoping to make this a success. My husband and I have made many financial mistakes over the years and have been making a solid effort to find creative ways to save money and build wealth. With a family our size I've been able to shave our grocery bill to around $200-300 per month, so the plan is to shave it even more with a garden full of fresh fruits and veggies! I don't know how realistic our plan is, but isn't necessity the mother of all inventions? :o)

    I hope I don't express to my readers any unhappiness, as my life is very satisfying right now. I end each day tired but fulfilled, so I hope this shows in my writing. Depression is REAL - I've lost someone very close to me due to depression and its side effects. I am personally very happy with my life and my family, but that's not to say I don't have "off" days like most of us. If the need ever arises I know there's help out there, and I believe modern medicine has happily transformed the outlook for many. I not only hope, but plan, to have a long and happy life - and I wish the same to ALL of you!

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  3. I dont think you come off as depressed at all, and I also think that any drug that "changes" your brain is dangerous. And you say husband, not husbands. With so many blended families these days 5 is not unusual at all, or mormon. I also think how you take your off days is great, for you and your family. That is your anti depressent.

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