Feel free to admire my new front-yard fence! It's natural cedar and replaces a chain-link fence covered with English ivy (memories of which are fading fast.) Here's the before and after, with a link to waaaay before.
Urban Gardening on the Web
- USDA reports that farmers' markets are up 13 percent over 2008! Here's the story.
- Excellent new resource: Growing School and Youth Gardens in NY City. [pdf]
Sustainable Gardening on the Web
- Prune now? Don't do it! yells Rodale. But they know what they're talking about.
- Also in pruning news, research explains how pruning encourages plants to thrive - in Science Daily.
- I interviewed the botanist inventor of FreezePruf - read about it here.
- What I'm really doing in my garden in October still applies in November (I'm in Zone 7).
- Ed Begley's Preferred Fencing? It's recycled plastic. I wonder what he'd say about cedar (see photo above).
- Turns out "smart
irrigation controllers" aren't so smart after all - they use up to 2.5
times the recommended amount of water, as reported in Nursery Management.
Beautiful fence! The ivy was dreadful--to me ivy just looks like a haven for rodents and mosquitoes.
Advice on the fence: do not paint it. The more opaque/less transparent your wood treatment is, the more obvious it is when it needs re-staining, and you can never do a less opaque stain over it, or change tints--but why would you want to use any tinted stain, if you have cedar?
Posted by: sarahammocks | November 07, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Sara, I've already "painted" it. Actually, it's a semi-transparent weather-proofing wood stain by Behr. It gives it some protection but lets it still look like cedar. I also hate the opaque stuff.
Posted by: susan harris | November 07, 2009 at 11:39 AM
yeah, that's what I meant, Susan! I've used the opaque Cabot stain in "driftwood" and regretted it--even more so after it started to wear and peel. I love the total effect of your house, fence, and plants--very harmonious.
Posted by: sarahammocks | November 07, 2009 at 02:14 PM
Nice job
The TROLL
Posted by: greg draiss | November 07, 2009 at 03:32 PM
While the ivy covered arbor entrance was charming, I loathe, hate with a mad passion English ivy. It doesn't play well with others & those drat roots pop up everywhere like bamboo.
I really like your new front garden fence; keeps out the dogs & still shares your garden with the public.
Posted by: Nina | November 09, 2009 at 08:58 AM
Love the change. Your front looks cleaned up and fresh! The garden outfront is a nice touch!
Posted by: Molly | November 10, 2009 at 10:28 AM