Greening my thumb

I have been busy working in they yard! I planted my entire vegetable garden, put up a fence, planted herbs and flowers around the fences, planted 2 trees, 4 lilacs, planted and transplanted flowers (making 2 new beds), built a rain barrel and a compost barrel and still could find 8 hours of work to do while out in the yard (if only I had that kinda time everyday). I did all of this while fighting the itchiness of, duh duh duh, poison ivy! Which I also am trying to get out of the yard.

I sprayed our entire fence line with a double mixture of:

1 gallon white distilled vinegar

1 cup salt

a few drops of detergent (any kind of detergent will work)

Put the salt and vinegar in a pot and bring it to a boil until salt dissolves. Let cool add to spray container and add a few drops of detergent. You must spray as much on to the ivy as possible. This solution will not only kill the poison ivy, but also any other vegetation it gets in, including your grass.

Because of the spraying, I have taken some clippings of raspberry vines and am trying to get some roots started so I can plant them in a poison ivy free line of the fence. I was even able to pull a few young vines, roots and all and move them. Now I just hope they take and we get some raspberries. YUM!

Here are some pics of what I have been working on.

Gladiolas and Irish Moss under the kitchen window.

Garden after planting.

2 days later, with a fence! Some little critter entered and ate my broccoli! I saw yesterday it is not lost, they have new growth on them.

I used mostly reused materials to build my fencing, buying just new fence. I got the wood from my neighbor who's work gave it away 2 years ago and has just been sitting in his garage. The supports and re-bar were sitting in a pile behind our garage used for the past owners garden.