MAJOR FLOOR REPAIR

HELLO FROM THE GARDEN HOME. I had to undergo major FLOOR SURGERY yesterday and I think I did a pretty fair job for my first real major construction job I ever really did except for building my deck out back. I will be brief but wanted to update any followers watching for the completed floor project(s). Have a great, cool, fall day and remember your gardening affirmation: "GARDENING: ONE YARD AT A TIME!"

REQUEST FOR SITES FOR HYPERTUFA MAKING

http://www.timpyworks.com/pamphlets/hypertufa-101/101.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcRJ2XbPA3I

I hope this helps anyone who is interested in hypertufa and the great fun I had this past weekend. Please feel free to contact me with any other comments. Have a great day from your Garden Daddy!

WHAT A SURPRISE TODAY....BUT NOT A GOOD ONE!

Hello again from the garden home. I got a not so good surprise today as I uncovered the last carpet area to have the laminate installed. I found a large hole and a lot of old damage/old rot that had come from the old damage that had been in the bathroom BEFORE I bought this house. I was not expecting this but something was to be expected, as things were just going too smoothly on the install for this to NOT show up. But that is what happens on a rehab of an old house and this one will just be all the more special to me as most of everything that has been done and rehabbed here has been by me, myself & I and I am very proud of that. Except for the new door replacement that is. So I am feeling rather proud of the fact I am learning as I go and now I just need to take a class on plumbing to get my comfort level up and start on that job. Any one want to take on an apprentice for a while in exchange for "FREE HELP"? I would learn as I go and be an assistant. Maybe I can locate someone who needs some extra hands in exchange for teaching....maybe I can come up with that exchange in our LANA group here in the neighborhood!

See photo below and remember after this post for sure, I will not be with you for several days this week till this room which houses the garden home office as well as guest room will undergo its floor renovation. Good bye for now from your GARDEN DADDY!

HYPERTUFA WORKSHOP

HELLO from the garden home! I want to share some photos and notes regarding the "hypertufa" workshop (pronounced "hyper-toofa") I attended yesterday, Saturday. Hypertufa is the art of making artificial stone using various compounds of peat moss, cement, sand, volcanic rock, etc. Since volcanic material is hard to come by we use coarse perlite, available from your local garden centers in bulk or smaller bags usually from your DIY "Big Box" stores. Our recipe yesterday was: 2-parts Portland Cement, 3-parts peat moss & 3-parts "perlite" (makes it lighter). There are other recipes but this is the one that was used yesterday and it seemed to work well. I will know today when I un-mold my form.

I chose a Styrofoam cooler for my initial form. Many of my MG interns chose bowls, cat litter boxes, cardboard boxes, and many other shapes. The ideas are only limited to ones imagination. Our workshop leader and his wife had a lovely garden home and one of the items featured there were some hypertufa "gnome homes" or garden art. This were just precious and gave me so many ideas. They had even made their own flower bed outline bricks using old plastic newspaper bags for the forms. This was really easier than the leaf molds. More like playing in mud pies mixture. Just premix the dry ingredients, add enough water to make it moist, not soaking or muddy - more on the dry side - then add to your form. For spheres, cut a hole in a soccer or basketball and stuff the mixture inside. When set just cut away the ball material and you have a sphere. You can make pedestals as well as leaf forms and really anything that sparks your imagination. Enjoy these pictures and let your mind run wild with this new project. And remember your daily gardening affirmation: GARDENING: ONE YARD AT A TIME!"

TN MASTER GARDENER CLASSES IN FULL GEAR

Hello from this garden home. I apologize for not visiting with you on both the last day of summer and the first day of fall this week. My work, Master Gardener classes, volunteering hours for certification, the home interior rehab I am doing and other conditions out of my control have taken its hold here at the garden home this week. And a slight health scare with little Max, the guardian of the garden home, has limited my visits with you this past week. And again, after today, I will be "in absentia" for a few days as the interior floor rehab moves to my office area and subsequent locations in the home. But hopefully without too much delay, I should be back with you by the middle of next week. I have to tear down 2 more rooms in the house to get the new floors installed this weekend and finished hopefully on Monday or so. It has been a lot of work for me but the end result is going to be well worth it.
As for the Tennessee Certified Master Gardener intern program, classes move ahead with weekly gatherings. Last Thursday our class was on "landscape design" and this week was on "small engines" - maintenance, service, oils, anti-freeze, winterizing & storage. Tomorrow, Saturday, I am attending a workshop on making "hypertufa" (pronounced "HYPER - TOOFA") which is the art of making forms, shapes, artificial rocks, containers, spheres, etc. out of a mixture of peat moss, sand and concrete to make artificial rock-type planters. These are lightweight containers that are winter hardy and will not crack like concrete. They are often used in the ancient art of "bonsai" due to their light weight and ease of acquiring and making different shapes. I hope this addition to my gardening talents along with the concrete castings I have been making will come in handy here in the garden home for both myself and my family. I enjoy these type of projects and look forward to making some things next spring and working on some ideas I have to create some unusual garden art.
When my Master Gardener intern program is finished (is gardening EVER finished???) I anticipate this Master Gardener will come away with many new interest that will keep me busy for many years and provide an avenue for lots of new friends, which I am acquiring even now. It seems everyone in our group has some specialty of interest and we are all becoming each others mentor already. This should be a life long highlight for me I am sure!
On Wednesday this week, I helped out at WTREC to harvest the pumpkins for the 84-variety research project this year. It was interesting to learn that there are so many varieties and all that is involved in not only growing, etc. of pumpkins but what goes on in agricultural research programs with regard to size, shelf life, production volume, etc. in our food and food related products.
I will leave you today and for several days till my office area rehab is finished with this Fall gardening affirmation in mind:
"PUMPKINS, LEAVES, BIRDS HEADING SOUTH...LEAVES, LEAVES, LEAVES...AND COOL NIGHTS, EARLY EVENING SHADOWS. THESE ARE FALL TO ME. AUTUMN COMES TOO SOON HERE AND NOW WE ARE IN IT...& LEAVES, LEAVES, LEAVES....COLORS OF RED, GOLD, YELLOW.....& MORE PUMPKINS OF ORANGE!" by TMM

NEW FLOORING GOING IN

Upon investigation into carpet cleaning, etc. for the upcoming LANA Holiday Home Tour it became ever so clear that something drastic had to be done to these carpeted areas in the garden home. After much thought, paperwork, figures and weighing everything involved I made an executive decision to install new "PERGO" (tm) red oak laminate flooring. I finished my master bedroom this morning and have moved on to the hallway. I know this is a huge undertaking this late in the game but the need was there and I know the major investment I am making will pay off in the end. Not only will this change the entire look inside but will make the value of my home go up...up...up! In the end game it is only money (ha-ha, right) and the added value outweighs the initial cost. Master bedroom is finished and it is wonderful!

NEW DOOR FROM ACROSS THE STREET

At the request of one follower, here is a photo from standing in the yard across the street and looking back at the garden home and the view you see to the new door entry. VERY NICE!