Evelyn’s Mary Garden Clean Up, Year 2

Hello, Darlings,

I woke at the ungodly hour of 4 AM, and since I wasn’t sinking back down into dream world, I watched a little television until I convinced myself that dream world was far from my reach; so at  6 a.m. I got up and cleaned the bathroom, made coffee and then dressed to tackle the garden. And as you know from my previous posts, I have been working toward getting my Mary Garden in shape for this spring and summer for a while. 

However, now that that ugly mulch is gone, the task was to remove the last of the dead leaves.  To do this I used the following equipment:

1. BLACK+DECKER BEBL7000 3-N-1 VACPACK 12 Amp Leaf Blower,Vacuum, and Mulcher
2. A 26 Inches Agri-Fab 45-0218 Push Lawn Sweeper

 

From this point on I’ll let the rest of videos and photos tell the story of how I am preparing my garden for the second year.

Before:

 

 Working on it;

 

 

 

 

 

After:

 

 

 

 

 

Paved area of backyard:

 What's next:

Until next time,’

 

Chow,

   Darlings

“Wrap that wrap.” The way of turning a bad hair day into a great one with scarves

Hello, Darlings

Today I want to share with you what many have probably already known, which is that African women have for centuries wrapped their hair. Not only have they done it out of tradition, but a good wrapped style looks great on bad hair days.

Well, of late I find myself falling into the latter category of experiencing many bad hair days. However, now I want to change this and treat my hair better. Being a former cosmetologist I really shouldn’t have left my hair becomes so damage. Yes, before I became a nurse, I did hair during the disco era. I can’t tell you the number of mullets I cut before hanging up my shears.  

Sing with me, “Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive”

Nevertheless, like my growing waistline, doing nothing for my hair is just as bad as doing too much. As a result of doing nothing for several years, my hair has become dull, brittle on top with long split ends, and don’t let me start on the gray hairs that are sprouting up without any uniformity all over my head. In short, my hair is just plain unattractive.

Therefore and starting today I will be treating my hair as if it was the hair of a patron. After all, if you don’t give your patron’s hair proper care, you won’t be in the hair business for long.

Anyway, to protect my hair while I put it through a grueling hair care regiment I have decided the wrap it as often as possible until it is back to its former rich looking glory.

“Lady Clairol???”

Now here’s the thing, when trying the wrap hair with scarves, I have ten uncoordinated thumbs. Until tonight no matter how hard I tried I just failed at wrapping. So to solve the seemingly impossible, I did what I always do; I turned to the experts on YouTube.  I must say of the women doing the wrapping tutorials, I found them all very adapt to making some of the most beautiful wrap styles I have ever seen.

Of the videos I have chosen to post here on my website there is one video in particular on wrapping that not only sent me into a peal of laughter, but is so unique and easy to do.

The video is called “Easiest Head Wrap / Turban Tutorial with Leggings //Detailed II No Cut, No Sew, No Pins, No Glue”. Check it out below.

“Amazing right”.

 Well, I was so impressed with this font of creativity that I had to try it myself.

 

“Yes, that’s me, Great-grandma, Evelyn, rocking my leggings in unexpected places”.

Wow, I can’t believe how easy it was to do, and how pleasing it looks. Does this mean that I will be sporting my leggings on top of my head when I go about my shopping and other errands?

‘Hmm,… wellll”, I’m not telling.

Below are other hair wrapping tutorials with scarves of the more traditional looks.

• 4 Quick & EASY Headwrap/Turban Styles (Short Natural Hair & TWA Friendly)
• HOW I WRAP MY SCARF Comment j-attache mon foulard
• How To Style A Scarf Into A Headwrap In No Time!!
• Yes- Another Head Wrap Tutorial 4 Ways To Rock Your Head Wrap Turban
• Stretchy Headwrap Tutorial 15 Subscribe Share For Jersey Knit Head Wraps Turban Tutorials

Until next time,

    Chow, Darlings.

A Page From How My Garden Grows, or Not, Sic

 Hello, Darlings

I spent quite a bit of time in my Mary Garden today, so i thought that i would share a entry from my journal. 

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How My Garden Grows, or Not, Sic

The Life and Cultivation of My Little Garden

On March 04, 2021 – Stanley finished removing the 'first cut mulch' we got from the city last year.  We did not remove the portion of it that had broken down into soil, and although I do not intend to plants anything in the ground, this mulch did built up and enrich soil that was already there.

03/21/2021 – Today I repotted the rose bushes bought earlier this year, and set out the lilies pots that I started in the house on 02/28/2021. Of the thirteen pots I started under the grow centers only half of that number spouted. Perhaps the others will spout now that they are outside.

I also potted some bulbs in the larger pots outside with the hope that they will grow and add additional color and flair to not only the pot of flower that are already there but also act at natural mulch.

 I then planted the gladiolus mix and espresso in pots by themselves. Finally I watered most of the plants, especially the ones I repotted and just planted. I also spray some insecticide on those plants that showed sign of insect attacks.

While the garden looks to be a mass of confusion, now by the time the summer upper 80s and 90s it will be in perfect conditioner.

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I nearly forgot. I finally, completed the raised bed that we made from an old wooden bed frame.  What I did take half of a 4 ft. x 8 ft. vinyl lattice and attached it to the top of the homemade raised bed and placed a 4 ft. x 4 ft. pest control pop up tent over it. This raised bed will serve as a growing area for newly pants seeds. I will post pictures tomorrow.

The tent will serve to prevent the rodents and the short pylon from in with the plants. And, yes, there is a short tail  python nearly by that I spotted in my  'Mary Garden' mast month. I think it was after the big gray rat that like to hang around my house and the house of one of my neighbor. I will put out something to get rid of the rat but the snake might belong to a neighbor.  In any case, after talking with the police department, I discovered that the snake is probably an invasive species and illegal here in Florida.

 This video is of me completing the raise bed with the vinyl lattice. There is not much to see as the other plants are in the way, but you get the general idea, and the pictures shows the popup pest tent in place. Tomorrow I will update this post with close-up pictures. 

DAYVIEW

NIGHT VIEW

Well, that's it for today.

Until next time,

Chow, 

    Darlings.

P.S. The reason for putting the vinyl lattice on top of the raised bed is because I will be using it as a stand for the grow bags that I plants seeds and seedlings in. The height of the bed and the opening in the lattice will help in drainage when watering.

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Update 03/22/2021- As promised, below are pictures are of my mini greenhouse (I created it, so I get to name it), and as mentioned above, it is made from an old wooden bed frame, a vinyl lattice and a pest control pop up tent for protecting plant.

The lattice is a Brazilian Walnut Garden Vinyl Lattice that I purchased from Home Depot and the pop up tent is a Gardener's Supply Company Tall Pest Control Pop up. Its uses and benefits are listed below.

1. Fits snugly over 4' x 4' or 4' x 8' raised beds; they can also be used over Grow Beds and in-ground plants
2. Self-supporting mesh enclosures keep out insects, birds and animal pests like rabbits — even dogs and cats — while letting in light and rain. Fine mesh allows good air circulation while protecting plants from harsh, drying winds.
3. Reduces the need for pesticide sprays
   

FRONT

REAR

INSIDE

There you have it. I made a nice little greenhouse for growing my greens later this year.

Chow, Darlings