photo credit: Stephen Howard

If you live Warren County PA or Chautauqua County NY there will be on location classes available in April for straw bale gardening, container gardening and raised bed gardening. You will need to sign up for these classes so that I know how many will be in attendance.

Your can sign up through “contact us”. the Gardener’s Rake is a sister site to our backyard oasis so you can also sign up there.

The Gardener’s Rake is also having a “Free Seed Contest” For more information and rules visit The Gardener’s Rake.

Join in on the fun! Spring is almost here. Just ask the local community Ground Hogs, Dunkirk Dave and Punxy Phil.

From Millan.Net

With my wet cold summer and four floods on the property – everything need redone. Front, side and backyard. And the most important part of my landscaping design is to protect the yard from run-off to stop any further flood damage.

The storms we had this year destroyed the drains on the opposite side of the road and if it rains very hard or long I have mini rockslides and water running into the road and through the yard.

I also have three clogged streams that need to be cleaned out so that the streams will drain properly into the creak and not spread out over the lawn areas.

So where do I begin?

1. I called the conservation department to see how I can set up runoff ponds to catch any heavy rain. I have no idea when the road company will fix the ditches and drains but why depend on other people to fix a problem. If I fix my lower property by making it run-off safe and by putting in dry creeks and run-off ponds to catch and re-direct water I don’t have to depend on others and wait in line for assistance. This part of my project will take months
2. I also called the utility companies to check where I can dig on the property without hitting cables or pipelines. This is particularly important with the gas line. I know where the new line is but there is an old line and I need that marked before I can dig any pond or put in a streambed. The gas company will be by later this week to mark any lines.
3. I will have family do most for the backhoe work, which will save me money but the ponds and dry creeks will have to be put dug and installed in stages.
4. The most important work to be done with the backhoe is to put in a new driveway and fix the rock retaining wall in front of the property. Right now there is no driveway left and the pile of rocks look dreadful

Note: When you plan to do backhoe work you need to have any papers filed if they are required in your area, check for utility lines and pipes and know heavy equipment safety. This link to Home and Garden Online has a great article on how to use heavy equipment: How to Operate mini heavy equipment at home

So for right now my first major project is to redo the front yard, which was totally washed out. The driveway has to be put in and the rock wall smoothed and landscaped. This area will be landscaped to redirect water, just in case I have a problem again. I don’t want or need water in the house.

My side front yard was also a perennial garden and it was washed out earlier this summer. I left it a mess so that I could find the perennials that were beaten down in a runoff flood. Now it’s time to clean up the area and replant it.

My first small project: assemble my plants and ground cover and lay out my new garden design.

I will also be making as much compost as I can. I will need this for my new perennial garden area and for the rock pile. Check out my sister site, The Gardener’s Rake for an article on how to make compost in two weeks.

And tomorrows project: How to set up a moveable garden