For those of you wondering if I’ve fallen off the face of the earth, no I haven’t. But some of you may recall my fall backwards over some piles of deck lumber nearly five weeks ago. Well, the injury to my left foot has continued to keep me out of the garden. So I haven’t posted much.

Those of you whose blogs I normally read, please try and understand how sad it’s been not feeling well enough to get outside and work in my sanctuary. So I haven’t been visiting many gardening blogs either. It is just hard to be faced with seeing such beauty when I can’t participate. Yeah, I guess that’s being a bad sport…

However, upon seeing a specialist yesterday, I now have a steel boot that goes up to my knee on my foot, which enables me to get around with less pain. I will have this on for three weeks, and then they will reevaluate.

Because I am virtually indoors most of the time, I am continuing to blog on my decorating/craft blog, http://cozylittlehouse.blogspot.com, because at least I can enjoy still taking photos while inside. So I may not post much on this blog until fall, when, hopefully, I will have the full use of my foot back. I was told it is a difficult injury to heal. But at least I’m not hobbling around leaning on a cane anymore. There is that!

So, to answer those who’ve emailed to ask about me, I do appreciate your kind concern. It meant a lot to me that you cared. Sorry I have been remiss in my gardening endeavors.

I have a tree of some sort in this container that my neighbor gave to me. I don’t think it is a tree that normally grows in a yard. But one in a pot. In the house or not, I don’t know.

Does anyone recognize this tree?

Sago Palm fronds in the early morning sunlight above.

Robert has brought in some lattice to build something to hide all these meters on my neighbor’s wall and on mine across the way. Being on the corner, I have both stuck to my wall. He’s thinking of covering the brick except for the part of the meters the company readers have to get into. Maybe I could grow vines or have shelves on it. This is what I’m thinking will be my “designated” living room area of the deck. This is the side just outside the east French doors.

This is it looking from the south angle. See how he finished out the area around my shrubs? I am liking that.

Yes, I know. I still have cable wires dangling from the roof. Hopefully this will get hidden soon.

This is the side facing the north. This would be my “designated” kitchen area. Maybe a gas grill, a table and chairs, etc.

My yard is still a complete mess. Things are all jammed up together.

He is busy the next few days on another job. But he thinks next week he will probably stain the deck. Let’s hope we manage to kill the tree roots with the Round Up he’s used!

We have another project for him inside the house. Then he will get to the gazebo plans before too long.

mmm

Here is what Robert is working on now. Isn’t this adornment around the tree pretty? It will give the trees room to grow and a place for me to plant. Yes, Charlie Ross is sneaking a peak.

I’m as surprised as anyone. I just let him build and see what’s going to happen next.

Of course now that we’re coming down the stretch, we’re pondering adding to the project…

See this area where the deck ends near the tools? Maybe extend the deck to build a gazebo?

A gazebo shaped in what I think is an octagon that Robert put around the trees? This is his thinking.

Oh yes, the tree we’ve been feverishly trying to kill. To eradicate the many shoots that have sprung up all over the yard…

I figured out what it was. Remember it was just in front of that building equipment. It was/is a black locust, and apparently hard to kill.

BIOLOGY & SPREAD
Black locust reproduces vigorously by root suckering and stump sprouting to form groves (or clones) of trees interconnected by a common fibrous root system.  Physical damage to roots and stems increases suckering and sprouting, making control difficult.  Black locust clones easily spread in quality and restorable natural areas. Although black locust produces abundant seeds, they seldom germinate.

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
Mowing and burning are only effective in reducing the further spread of young shoots from a clone or parent tree.  To kill a clone, cutting alone is ineffective.  Herbicides applied to the stems or cut stumps spread into the root system and provide better control.  From mid-June to August hand sprayer application of 6.25% glyphosate solution (15:1 water:glyphosate) to stumps cut near the ground has been used by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Region V State Parks Resource Management Office.  Resprouting and suckering from dense clones may require follow up treatment after a few years*. 

*Because plants that appear to have been killed can resprout even several years after treatment with herbicide, annual monitoring should be conducted and follow-up treatments made as needed.

Anyone have experience with this horrid, despicable tree?

Well, here’s the basic shape of the deck. Not quite finished. Not stained. But your get the idea. There’s Abi with sand from the electrical saw on her whiskers. And Clyde in the background. Poor Clyde has been being taunted of late by a group of mockingbirds. They better not hurt my handsome boy!

One problem. The tree stump grinder man has yet to come calling. So we have tiny trees growing through the deck.

I don’t know how I’m going to furnish this deck yet. Probably with a lot of what I already have. Not to that point yet. But every time I go out there, my mind gets busy decorating.

I love how Robert took the wood design in all directions. Gave it quite a personality of its own.

Look, the four o’clocks are blooming up by the front gate arbor!

What is truly lovelier? Pink petals…

Or a man working?

You guys know Robert. He’s hard at work with his whirring saws, creating the deck. Drinking coffee and then Mountain Dew. In the Texas sun that pounds you into ground beef fast.

Causing chips in anyone’s supposed armor…

Funny, how the hair-like parts of a flower… (I know I should know what it’s called. But if I ever did, I’ve surely forgotten)…so closely resemble the stubble on a man’s chin.

Two in the afternoon…

Wheels spinning in his head… Sweat trickling down his brow…

The sky framed.

Hey Robert? Oh, the element of surprise.

The various crepe myrtle trees are blooming in my yard. So pretty against the bright blue sky.

I am so intrigued by spider webs.

I have no idea what this is blooming below. But found it interesting.

Another sedum is blooming.

I think the pets are enjoying the yet to be finished deck more than I am!

Good old faithful, Purslane.

Rusted sculptured wind chimes hanging in a tree…

I think the heat is here to stay. The plants are dry and thirsty by noon, despite the sprinklers having gone off before sun up.

View from my front gate, the neighbor’s hydrangeas. I have to get me at least one of these lovely plants.

The bank construction continues across the street from the west side of my house.

Robert’s feet. Still muddling through the deck transformation. He finished with the drainage pipe upheaval and put new ones in.

Here’s what he calls “yellow wood” which is supposed to stay nice longer. I’ve got to look that up to see what he’s referring to. This is the east side of my dining room French doors.

Coming along nicely. I’ll be so glad when I can clean all this mess up and get to deck decorating!

A few other sights in the yard…

Charlie Ross, have you been nosing around in that dirt?

I probably would have a deck to this neighbor’s wall right now. But we hit a snag. See her drainage pipe coming down her wall? Well, Robert dug down and found that the whole thing was crushed and broken. So that waylaid our plans. Don’t plans always have a way of getting messed up? Now we know why she has water drainage problems.

And below, where Abi is standing, there would be an angled deck. But this is where Robert had to lay new drainage pipe. Do you recall that there was a palm tree here, a crepe myrtle tree, and some shrubbery?

These bricks and flagstone were once pathways.

Remember the wooden areas on the left side where my wicker chairs use to sit? My neighbor Walli now has herself a little backyard deck, thanks to Robert and her husband Ken moving those huge heavy pieces across the alley on a dolly. She has a nice little bench and birdhouse and plants there on her make-shift deck in a shady patch where I ate lunch yesterday. Instant deck.

Oh, that black thing in the center is an old milk can Robert put over a hole with a sprinkler he will have to do away with. Didn’t want me stepping in that deep hole and falling in over the weekend, he said.

See that white PVC pipe underneath the drainage pipe below? That would be the only way I have water to my backyard. Someone who lived here before me put a rubber hose underneath my front sidewalk in the courtyard, and ran it down this woman’s wall. I had PVC pipe put over it, as rodents would eat through the rubber. Boy, “the someone who lived here before me” sure didn’t think this through in my opinion. About a hundred feet from the actual spigot in front, I have a hose attached to the end of this stupid thing. Or I wouldn’t be putting water in my pond, which some person before me also installed. Isn’t it odd the things people will do? I bet many of you have unique stories about what a former resident did to your place…

Here it is in all its glory. Tables and chairs pushed here and there. I think Sanford & Son (if you’re old enough to remember that show) didn’t have anything over me at this point.

Eventually, I will have a finished deck. Things will be back in their proper place. Or a new proper place.

But I did find something pretty in my alley to show you…

I was just about to post this when I had to go outside. The end result of this is that it is now five hours later. And I have spent that time at the ER. I won’t bore you with details. But I had the dogs in my arms and backed up and fell over the deck lumber stacked in the back yard by the gate that I was trying to get closed. Here I am now…

Don’t worry. No fracture. Just a bad twist and sprain. Crutches and this brace should keep me moving. Poor Robert just can’t win, it seems.