Ivy League

Good morning friends, How was everyone's weekend?

Mine was fantastic! It was glorious energizing sunshine the entire time and we got so much done around here.

As I've said a million times this is our first home, we are still learning as we go.
This weekend, for instance, We learned that you should not wait 2 1/2 years before trimming the ivy that grows on your back fence.

Here it is friday morning. 

It is so beautifully green and I truly love it but it is also nearly 12 feet high on a 6 foot fence! We live on a hillside and have a wonderful view of the river valley below us, or at least I think we do, it has been years since we've actually seen it!

 I was able to trim about 10 feet of fence line before the my electric hedge trimmers refused to cut the 2" and larger ivy vines. This is where I called my husband and asked him to bring his chainsaw home from work.

Here is the same fence Saturday morning, back to it's original 6' height. 

After being showered with angry spiders and snail guts for longer than I'd care to be  we finally had our view back. Did you know that overgrown ivy is apparently quite the ecosystem? I have never had so many species of spiders climb out of my sweatshirt sleeves or my hair in my life!

(Okay, I promise I'll stop with the spiders now, i'm still a little heebied jeebied!)

 Now I know the fence looks really ugly now but in a month the entire thing will be green and covered in leaves again. Plus I won't have to worry about losing one of the children in there anymore.

The other thing I learned this weekend is that if your husband somehow gets a piece of chewed gum all over the inside of your washer and dryer(!!!!) he is sufficiently guilt stricken at the sight of you scrubbing it out to build you the raised garden beds you have been begging for. 

"See honey raised beds would be really nice here, plus it will be safer for the kids" I said batting my eyes and pretending my shoulder hurt from scrubbing the dryer.

Now, I know my yard is really ugly but in my defense it has been raining for 3 months straight, and I have been hiding inside

 a pile of cedar fence boards later...

And you I have 2 almost finished new planter boxes. 

In our very small yard all we have room for is a small garden. For us this is the best use of space plus the plants will be able to get warmer than usual during our cool summers.

We still need to add the trim boards along the top and fill them with dirt, but alas, we ran out of daylight.

I'm not sure if I plan to stain or oil them as they are boxes to grow our vegetables in and there is really no point in planting organic plants in organic soil if you are planning on letting a chemical stain seep through into your plants. well see...

So what lessons did you learn this weekend? Are you eagerly planting you garden in anticipation of the years first tomato? Did your spouse do something stupid and then build you something great to make up for it? 

Peace and piles of spider infested ivy!