Scott Hildenbrand wrote:


He do welding? I'd always wanted to mess around with that but never
started.. I play with wood.. Brother plays with metal.. I've got alot of
left over cedar and poplar from the fence so was going to plane it
smooth and use it.

No, I wanted to sign up for MIG welding, wish he's do something like
that, too busy with his job which is demanding. Anyway, he had them
custom made from a local iron works. They are good. Expensive but not
like places you see on the net. I had 2 porch rails and six step
spanner handrail made by the same people. Now that it is done, people
can see the difference in quality, so it was worth it. I don't feel up
to welding right now after a very demanding summer. Shucky darn, can't
do everything.


Thanks.. We've certainly enjoyed the house since we've moved.. Have
so much to do though.. Ooohh.. Picked up a killer copper sink on eBay
for the bathroom vanity, which is an old furniture piece with an
attached mirror I'm turning into a vanity..

Sounds neat. Nice find, won't tell you all the stuff I bought from
there, got a beautiful old dresser to go with my iron bed I had
refurbished, oh the iron company did the bed for me, too. I love
antiques. Was in a new neighbor's home the other night, newly married,
nicest couple, and she had the most beautiful old church pew I have ever
seen.




True.. That is the fun part... I did try to sprout some dawn redwoods
before from the neighbors but had awful luck with that..

Maybe you need to try the sandpaper trick. 20 rubs, not too harsh but
medium sandpaper. Planted 40, about 27 germinated, so I transplanted.
I started them in McDonald's salad trays w/clear tops with holes punched
in the bottom w/exacto knife. For medium, I used 1/2 quality potting
soil and 1/2 peat, set them in the shade until they germinated. I
always thought transplanting those little seedlings was too risky for
me, but so many of them are marvelously resilient it you handle them
gently, dig under them with a plastic knife end, etc. Amazing some no
losees, some just a couple. Then the redbuds went into plastic cups
w/holes set in sterlite odd containers w/holes in the side, then finally
had to get them in the pepsi bottles.


True, but if it becomes a community project, alot of free help to come
in and care for it..

That's a point, would call the city forresters first. I just may buy 50
daff bulbs and plant them next year, why not?


Hmmmm.. Sounds like a bit of trouble... Though, no offense, I'm not a
fan of roses.. I can admire them however.. Just not in my yard..

Actually care is one of the reasons why I'd always stayed away from
them.. The other is thorns..

No I'm not offended at all. They are a royal pain. Until I found out I
could actually finally HAVE some Austins and discovered the heirloom
ones, I didn't have any for years. I get stuck a lot, goes with the
territory. You get used to it for a labor of love. Now I've made it my
raison d'etre to find as many old roses and root as many as I can. It
started one beautiful day in late May when I spotted some (didn't know
what kind they were then) Harison's (one r) yellow rose. Thorns on
those don't come any worse. My mouth dropped open, I was new into
photography and took beaucoup photos, made friends with the lady, she
gave me 7 suckers, only one has hung on where I transplanted it.

The problem with roses is making them fit seamlessly into the landscape
rounded out with perennials, haven't hit my stride on that yet, may never.



True... So long as you learn, it's all good.. I'd been having a blast
with our lilies, though I had made mistakes with them.

I'm getting really excited about lilies, discovered oldhousegardens,
Brent & Becky's, Gilbert G. Wild in MO, got a bunch of those going, too.
Plant deep, liquid fence is my friend. They are much easier than
roses until it comes time to divide them which I haven't had to do yet.
I may scrap most of the roses in front and switch to more lilies and
iris & odd and sundry.


You can envy me for my space, which is only a bit over an acre, don't
envy too much.. And I'll envy you for your farm..

The farm is a mixed blessing. I wanted to live on it, too citified and
and no man (not whining about that) but out there alone, I'd be a
problem to the neighbors who might feel obligated to look after me which
I wouldn't like, but I am NOT self sufficient much as I would have liked
to be. My kids wanted no part in it until they got boyfriends, etc.
Yeah, like I wanted the one to be growing pot behind the barn. I don't
think so. So we have other arrangements, working well for now. To make
it what I wanted would simply cost too much money. My sis and I share
half of two farms. They've been rentals for so long they are run down
and all the newer buildlings are utilitarian ugly. We have kept the
houses up though. The farm women used to have lots of flowers. Now
they have to drive tractors and help their husbands.



Rather love lilacs, too, as well as a pile of other things.. Will keep
me busy for years to come. And not a problem, been fun reading and
chatting.

Good. I have other interests, too, and sorry I chatted so much. We can
pick it up after Thanksgiving on another thread perhaps. I've got to
switch gears here anyway for a few days, Friday I have to get my 3 hoses
in and a couple other chores, can't wait to fight with those snakes.

Good luck with your "estate" there. You can make it beautiful. You
know, I read about a gal that got her lilies dividing and blooming in
pots, sold 800 out of the back of her pickup. Don't know how much she
netted, maybe it was $800 she made from them, then she lost the mother
lily and was trying to find a replacement. Must have been an unusual
and pretty one.

That's enough. You needn't answer. We can pick it up again later, but
I enjoyed chatting with you.