K-Seas

Irish Curse?

I compared cucumbers with my neighbor over the weekend. 

My cucumber (above)

Neighbor's cucumber

Just sayin'

The Garden Room

It's been about three years in the making but it's about to be completed..and named.  When we first got quotes to build a screened-in porch (going forward named the "Garden Room") off our back deck we were astounded by the costs.  We had quotes of 20-25k to build what we wanted.  As much as we wanted this sanctuary from the mosquitoes 20k was just too much money.  So we went with plan "B".  The do it yourself plan, or in my case the do it with help plan.  With the help of our friend and handyman Rick, we were able to get the basic structure up over the summer of 2006.  We worked on it almost every weekend that summer and it was usable by September.  Unfortunately I  didn't get to enjoy the summer week-ends that I treasure so much that whole summer.  Was it worth it?  I still don't know.  Last year it was quite the paint project but we still went into 2008 with an "open ceiling" concept as well as a "we don't know what to do with the floor" concept. Well yesterday we took the final steps toward completion.  With the help of Papa G and my Mom a bead board ceiling was installed.  Today Papa G comes back for the trim work.  After that we paint the ceiling, trim and floor AND VOILA..The Garden Room.  The best part is when it's all said in done we will have done it for about 1/5th the cost spread over a few years. 

The entrance off the kitchen

The new bead board ceiling.

The view to the Garden.  Hence the name "Garden Room"

Click here for more pictures.

Thank you to all who have helped!

Green Days

Things sure are green these days (Celtics championship included).  The weather has been great for growing in general.  For the past couple of weeks it been pretty humid and a day does not go by without some decent rainfall.  Thankfully there haven't been days that were complete washouts so we can still enjoy some outdoor activity.  On the bright side of this stretch of weather is it really makes the yard look great and it helps the garden grow.  Another side benefit is not having to water the garden and the new grass we have planted everyday, a task that seems to attract mosquito and black flies the size of Pteranodons.

The Ornamental Grass has enjoyed the weather. 

The Tomatoes are ahead of where they were last year at this time.

This is an accidental pumpkin. At the end of the growing year we cover the garden with seaweed and other organic materials from the yard (leaves,grass etc.)for the winter.  This past November I threw a rotting pumpkin on there. In May we rototilled all that had been thrown onto the garden during the winter into the soil(including the pumpkin).  Lo and behold little pumpkins spouted up all over the garden.  We picked out most of them but left a few to grow.

Here is Will watching over the garden from the "Garden Room".