May Workbench

[Charles H.]

Decoys took a back seat for a while, my neighbor was putting in a pool and asked it I wanted any fill. Having some pretty out of level sections of yard I said I'd take all of it. Got about 30 tons of very nice topsoil, very little stone and clay. Paid the excavator $100 cash to spread it out. Raked out the sod and small stones and leveled it out for a few days. Figured I might as well do some planting I'd been putting off, added some Arborvitaes, blackberries, a Carmine Jewel bush cherry, and a Redhaven peach tree. Still have to put down fabric and mulch, but the grass is coming in nicely. Also got the garden turned over, planted and straw down.




Finally I got back to decoys and started on a couple tip up feeders for my in progress blackduck spread. I was repurposing some earlier mistakes so the Tail isn't quite right, I figure if the ducks get close enough to notice it should be too late. I can reverse it on the second one. Spread stands at 3 low heads, two high heads, two sleepers, two skimmers and two tip ups.

 

[William Reinicke]

Decoys took a back seat for a while, my neighbor was putting in a pool and asked it I wanted any fill. Having some pretty out of level sections of yard I said I'd take all of it. Got about 30 tons of very nice topsoil, very little stone and clay. Paid the excavator $100 cash to spread it out. Raked out the sod and small stones and leveled it out for a few days. Figured I might as well do some planting I'd been putting off, added some Arborvitaes, blackberries, a Carmine Jewel bush cherry, and a Redhaven peach tree. Still have to put down fabric and mulch, but the grass is coming in nicely. Also got the garden turned over, planted and straw down.

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Finally I got back to decoys and started on a couple tip up feeders for my in progress blackduck spread. I was repurposing some earlier mistakes so the Tail isn't quite right, I figure if the ducks get close enough to notice it should be too late. I can reverse it on the second one. Spread stands at 3 low heads, two high heads, two sleepers, two skimmers and two tip ups.
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Trees….. they’re no fun! I too have lost some shop time this year. My other half woke up one day and said we needed to add some greenery. Im of the type where I’ll get it done, but I don’t want to maintain a tree. So I installed 200 feet of drip system, put it all on a timer, laid the main line where she wanted trees. I guess when she saw how much I laid, she figured it had to be all planted. So 16 new trees this year and 5 shrub brush things.
-12 different types of evergreens to grow and create privacy,
-2 Oklahoma redbuds
-Japanese maple
-white cherry willow
-I think there’s more….
And then the shrubs/bush stuff. I know there’s a Spanish broom, some lavender type things and other flowery bushes that keep producing white flowers that smell good. Put in a trumpet vine and a honey suckle to over take a fence line on the property. It’s gonna be a good smelling lot, but i told her….. this is 100% your deal, not mine. Not one has died yet, so my drip system is doing its job lol.

 

[RM Anderson]

Yes, the hardest part of planting trees is keeping them alive. When we first moved to the country the mortality rate on our new trees was almost 50%. If deer didn't kill a young tree the first or second winter the sun scald would. Fortunately my wife and I are equally stubborn and have picked up a few tricks over the years and don't lose near as many as we used to. RM

 

[Charles H.]

Yes, the hardest part of planting trees is keeping them alive. When we first moved to the country the mortality rate on our new trees was almost 50%. If deer didn't kill a young tree the first or second winter the sun scald would. Fortunately my wife and I are equally stubborn and have picked up a few tricks over the years and don't lose near as many as we used to. RM

I've been really lucky the last month has alternated 2-3 days of rain to 2-3 days of sunshine. I haven't had to water them at all, just have to keep my lab from marking all of them. He thinks I planted all of them just for him to pee on!

 

[SJ Fairbank]

He thinks I planted all of them just for him to pee on!

HaHa, every male dog we've ever had thought that. They are characters. If you want to see a quizzical look and have fun, "water" the trees before he can. Next time you air him, he'll run like hell to be first. Gets the airing duties over faster. Then again, your yard might not afford the necessary privacy.