Front Lawn Ivy Removal Initiative, Summer Garden Project #2

The next work we did was at the end of the front walkway which meets the curb of our sidewalk where there was an overgrowth of ivy. The picture really shows the distinct contrast between the crowded bushes on the left of the house and the right side of the house which is a result of the Summer Garden Project #1. 

To continue this minimalist garden theme, we wanted to remove the eye sore from the front of the house. The ivy took over a large portion of the front lawn, covers the steps onto our walkway and was an overall distraction to the aesthetics of how we want the garden to look like. 

Where are the steps to our house?

A closer look at the enemy…

The other side of the walkway.

This has to be least enjoyable garden project thus far. Ivy is a resilient plant which has an extensive underground root system. Here is a link to a little bit more information about Ivy (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg358).

Some success! This is what the Ivy looks like under the leaves after pulling it out of the ground.

My tears of joy quickly becomes tears of sorrow when I realize all that hard work only resulted in less than a square foot of ivy removal. When removing ivy, ensure that you use the big black contractor bag or other durable disposal bags. Ivy can grow almost anyway, by placing it in the traditional brown lawn bags may allow the ivy to rip through the bag and expose the ivy to untainted part of the lawn.

It took the woman of the household about 4 hours to pull this amount of ivy from our lawn. The man of the household took about 30 minutes to pull out the other half of the ivy to include removing the extensive root network that goes in about a foot into the ground. 

No ivy or is there?

Pulling the ivy is not the only thing that must be done. Dealing with the strange bugs, dead and rotted ivy pieces, leaves from years past and hidden garbage are just some of the joys of this project. The root removal requires a little bit more ingenuity and a reason to make a trip to Home Depot!

This helped cut hours of back breaking work into about 2 minutes of fun with the Honda F220AN 130 RPM gas operated tiller! (http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/modeldetail.aspx?page=modeldetail&section=P2TL&modelname=F220AN&modelid=F220AN) This $900 tool cost only about $45 for an all-day rental.

Before the fun can begin, we need to outline the work area to till in order to aerate the soil and remove the deeply embedded ivy roots. I used a power cord as this can be easily adjusted to outline curves and frame the area to be worked on. 

  
 Another reason we used the orange power cord is because we had a can of orange spray-paint to outline the work area. 

Don't forget to remove the wire before tilling...

Time to have some fun. By far, the best part of the project. Just remember to stay within the lines.

Now that the fun is over, now it’s time to go back to work. We cut into the ground about 3 inches around the border of the area. The depth was based upon the stone we were going to lay around the area. We evened out the soil and planted the first plant just to center our planned layout. Then we laid out weed guard, which is a black cloth-type material that you lay over the soil to prevent weed from growing out through the mulch but is permeable to water allowing water to get through to the root system of the plants. I used brick to hold down the weed guard as a tucked the cloth into the corners between the soil and the walkway.

This is where the learning curve came into play. The first garden area, we followed the directions and suggestions made by garden books, forums and blogs. We laid out the weed guard, marked with our orange spray-paint where the plants were to be placed, cut through the weed-guard and dig up the ground in order to plant the perennials and annuals. You will see how difficult that task can be when you feel the material that the weed-guard is comprised of and trying to do the previously mentioned steps. It was painfully annoying to cut a small hole, working with a hand trowel through the relatively small hole to dig up the dirt and place the plants in the area. 

For the second half of the project, we opted to excavate the holes prior to laying the weed-guard down. Once the guard-guard was done, it was pretty easy to feel for the holes in order to cut the respective slits in the weed-guard in order to plant. 

As for the aesthetic work on the garden, we used a granite-esque looking stone that was 4 inch by 8 inch. It is perfect for outdoor projects for creating walkway, garden patio or decorative borders, as we have opted for. I placed the stones against the cut in the ground and used a rubber mallet to straighten and level the stones. Using loose dirt, I poured it between the cut and the stone to straighten the stones and ensure it remained flush against the cut. 

Once the border was completely laid out, I covered the area with regular mulch.

Closer view of the right patch.

Closer view of the left patch.

Panoramic view of Summer Garden Project #1 and #2. Summer Garden Project #3 will be to tackle the last of the older bushes seen in the left side of the house.

Before even thinking about Summer Garden Project #3, I’m just going to stand here in the middle of the street and enjoy the fact that Summer Garden Project #2 is completed!

Renovating a Planting Bed, Summer Garden Projects #1

First, lets get revved up for these projects by looking at the two photos below:

They are before and after shots of the first of two major garden projects we completed this summer.  Aside from looking pretty, updating a garden area has major benefits for a home owner:

1. You can remove old mulch and apply new garden soil in planting beds.

2. You can uncrowd plants in over populated beds.

3.  If you do not like pruning (and who does?) you can replace plants that are too large and fast-growing with smaller and slower-growing species.  However, although this means easier upkeep in the long run, this will require a little bit of research and thought on your part.

4. If weeds are a problem, you can install weed-guard in your plant beds.

Here is some motivation for replacing the old planting bed:

What is not wrong with this picture?  The planting bed is very over crowded, with too many plants in a small area.  There are a lot of different types of plants, too many for my taste.  Some of plants have become deformed from lack of care and damaged from the elements.  Finally, there is a large buildup of dead leaves and other junk (garbage as well) mixed in with the mulch and it is not easy to remove because of the crowded plants.

Before you redo a garden area, there are some basics you should educate yourself about.  You should research what your zone is (mine is zone 6), and what type of plants are best for your zone (they will be the easiest to have thrive in your yard, with minimal upkeep).  You should match the plants you are picking to how much sunlight the area gets (full sun, part sun, or shade is very important). Finally, the plants final mature size should fit into the space (that way it will require minimal pruning).  Of course, if you love a certain strange plant, that is not for your zone, and grows too big for the space....  you could still try to grow it, but you will need to put consistent effort in up keeping that plant...  and it will easily die if you do not stay consistent.  So, be smart, and find plants that are nice to look at, but also are easy to care for.

Link to: Garden Planning Basics

The first thing we did was remove the old plants.  This required digging around each of the bushes, and getting underneath the bush's root ball.  Once you get this up, you have successfully removed most of the roots.  After that, break up the bush into pieces, and either put it in a mulch pile, or put it in the gardening brown bags you can pick up at Home Depot.  Next, mix some fresh soil into the planting bed, before planting your new bushes.

Bye bye my bushes!

                                                               One bush after another!

                                                                                                              Sorry little bush!

The second thing I did in planning my new beds was basic research:

- How do I balance winter color with spring color i.e. evergreens with spring flowering deciduous bushes?

- What color flowers, leaves and bark complement each other?

- Will the size of each plant fit in it's new location when fully grown?

- Will the plant grow well in the amount of light and zone I am in?

To solve these questions I decided on a few standards that I will follow for all my gardens around my house.  I wanted a nice balance of red, green and yellow plants.  

The red plants are the dwarf Japanese maple (will grow to a max of eight feet, perfect!), and barberry bushes (3' x3'). The maple will lose it's leaves in the winter, but maintains a beautiful bark color and shape. 

                                                                     Japanese Maple

The barberry will keep their leaves in winter unless it stays below zero for an extended period.  

The yellow bushes are Euonymus (2' x 2'), aka winter creepers, they are a yellow variety and will keep their color all winter.  

                                                         Euonymus Gold, Winter Creeper

The centerpiece bush is a green leafed Azalea that will bloom pinkish red flowers in the spring.  It will lose leaves in the winter, but the bark has a nice look as well.

                                                                           Azalea

All these plants will grow great in zone 6, require water once a week, and are great in full sun.  Before purchasing the plants, measure your garden bed, and figure out how many plants will fit into the bed area.  Do not over fill the garden!  When you first purchase the plants, they are immature.  They WILL grow, remember the main rule of gardening, things take time!

                                                               The plants we picked out

When planting a container bush, turn the container onto it's side and crush it.  Turn the container and crush it a bit on each side till the dirt loosens and you can get the plant out.  Next, while soil and dirt are getting everywhere, take the roots and try to separate them so they are not in such a tight ball.  The roots grew like that to survive in the container, but it will harm the shrubs growth if you plant it like that.  Place it in a hole twice the size of the roots, and fill in with dirt.  Do not bury it too deep, the soil line should come up just above the root ball.  Fill in around the plants with plenty of mulch and keep it well watered after planting.  Do not feed the plant immediately after transplanting unless the instructions for the plant specifically say so.  Some shrubs need time to adjust to the new soil and sun conditions.  Plant feed forces it to want to grow quickly, which may end up causing harm if it has not finished adjusting.

Here is a link to more information about taking care of shrubs and trees.  I agree with all the guidelines they have:

Link to: Tree and Shrub Care

Finally, with all the work complete, you have a fresh new garden!

Backyard Ivy Removal Project

As you may have noticed, we have quite a bit of Ivy around our property. Slowly but surely, we are getting rid of them all. The last major hurdle is the Ivy in the backyard.

A third of our backyard was covered in Ivy. It was around the perimeter of the property, primarily against the property line of the neighbors behind us. As you can see, the Ivy was so overgrown that fence separating the two properties is almost nonexistent.

I still cringe when I see these pictures and how much of an eyesore and space it took away from our yard. I do not want to sound like a person that despises Ivy, but there is a reason it is considered to be an invasive plant when outdoors.

If you do not spend the time and effort to control these plants, they will grow out very quickly and overcome any other plant life that may be in the area. I know that I do not have the self discipline to oversee such a high maintenance plant, thus explains my strategic Ivy removal initiative on my property.

Some websites and garden books recommend using a lawn mower or weed wacker to initially breakdown the Ivy, prior to removal. Personally, I would say that is one of the worst ideas when dealing with Ivy. This invasive plant has an innate ability to grow in what seems like any weather condition. If you chop it up with a lawnmower, now you drastically increased the number of the plants and potentially have spread it across not only your property but that of your neighbors.

First thing I did was make my typical pilgrimage on to Home Depot and went to the herbicide section. I went straight down the aisle and looked for any herbicide that had a specific formula for Ivy. Although it seems an oxymoron, but Ortho brands of herbicide seem to be the most "eco-friendly" of all the brands that were on the shelf. I drenched the Ivy with the herbicide and let it sit for a day or two - read the warning labels carefully as each type of herbicide has its own particular directions pertaining to pets, children, effectiveness due to weather, etc. To my surprise the furthest branches and exposed roots were in the process of browning and withering away after my first application of the herbicide. For me, the use of herbicide a few days prior to tackling the Ivy made it easier to uproot the plant as the poison was actively killing the plant.

Have someone help you, take lots of breaks or have a case a beer with you while working. I'm not going to lie, it's back breaking work and you will feel it for a couple of days. I had a pair of sheers to cut the veins that were intertwined within the fence, but the rest of the work was done using my two hands and pulling it right out of the ground. I was surprised that the roots were really not that deep into the ground, maybe 3 inches deep at most. Unlike the Ivy in the Summer Garden Project #2, the root system was very shallow and the majority of the Ivy's root system was laying on top of the soil.

When removing the Ivy, I would recommend disposing it in contractors bags rather than the gardening brown bags or in a compost pile. Like I mentioned before, Ivy is an invasive plant and will quickly thrive in any new environment it is introduced within. Be sure to remove all the root systems when pulling the Ivy. With all the soil that you are turning over, you are actually making it more of an ideal growth environment for the Ivy.

After the Ivy had been uprooted, I reapplied the herbicide as a precautionary measure, just in case I missed a few pieces of root systems. No matter how much work I do on my property, the culprit still lies on the other side of the fence on my neighbors lawn. They do not maintain the Ivy as it is located behind a number of trees so they do not even see the Ivy from their porch - I wouldn't be surprised if they don't even know they have Ivy on the property. Either way, I periodically will go back there and spray the fence area with the herbicide to ensure that no stray Ivy root system wants to traverse onto my side of the fence.

Although the picture is from another garden project, you can see that I have been able to keep the my backyard Ivy free for some time now. We have not decided what to do with that portion of the backyard yet, but it's nice to just have room in the backyard again. We also noticed that once we removed the Ivy, there were far less insects and bugs in the area.

Just to give you an idea of how much trash came out of clearing 50 feet length of Ivy which was about 5 feet wide....

Insulating Pre-Existing Wall Cavities

Our house is about 60 years old.  Back then, individuals did not really insulate their home.  That was because oil was plentiful and cheap and insulating materials were costly, poorly fabricated and uncommon.  People were not concerned about insulation till the energy crisis of the 1970's, when the price for gas increased dramatically.  That is why today we are very conscientious about saving energy and insulating our homes.  The expense to heat a home is huge, and every penny we spend on the best insulation and installing it correctly is worth it.

Here is a link to more information about the energy crisis in the 1970's:
Wiki page on oil crisis
Amusing take on why they did not insulate 

From the wiki link you can see this chart of oil prices:

Notice the spike in 1973 and 1979.

Link to historical oil prices:
Oil Price History Chart

The whole first floor of our house has an outer wall of stone.  Between the stone and the cement board (old-time sheet rock) that makes up the inner walls of our first floor, is air.  No insulation!

I want you to imagine sitting in your house on a blustery cold winter day.  A strong wind pounds against your house.  Not only can you hear the wind, but you can feel the air in your home move with it.  That is what it feels like to not have insulation in your walls.

If you have this problem in your own home, you can pick one of two solutions.  First, you can knock down every wall in your house, and put in new insulation and walls.  Second, and more practical, is you find or make a cavity that connects to the empty space, and fill each space between the wooden boards with blown-in insulation.  In some houses, you might have a space between the wall and ceiling in the basement that connects to the first floor.  In that case, you could blow insulation into the cavities from the basement.  Another option is you might have cavities that are above your walls in the floor of crawl spaces or the attic that connect to the inside of your walls.  Then, you could blow in insulation from above.  However, if neither options are available to you, then you will have to do what we will show here. We had to make a hole in every wall of the first floor between the beams and fill it with insulation (some people make holes in their masonry and fill cavities if they cannot reach it from the inside walls, thankfully we did not have to do that!).

Here is a website with a cartoon video of exactly what we did:
Video of Blown-in Insulation

Before Insulating:

First we did extensive online research about blown-in insulation.  We made a hole in some of the walls to make sure there were spacious empty cavities.  We made sure that the insulation would not come through the basement ceiling or the second stories floor. We also realized that the project will go a lot smoother and quicker if we mark all the beams first using a stud finder, drill the holes and cover our furniture before renting the machine.

Second we went to Home Depot and checked that they had the insulation in stock, and that there were machines available to rent.  We checked the diameter of the nozzle of the machine to make sure we would drill the holes the right size (1").  They have a deal that if you buy 20 cubes of loose fill insulation they will give a free one-day rental.  We also tried to approximate how much insulation we will need.

Third, the week prior we drilled the holes and moved furniture and pictures away from the outer wall of the first floor.

Here is a picture of some of the holes we made.  We drilled them close to the ceiling, but not above windows, only below window sills.  We intend to replace the windows eventually, so we will fill those spaces in later.

We filled about 50 cavities, and it took us half a day.  Starting at about 8am, we were done by 3pm. It took a few hours to get into a groove where we did not get clogs in the tubing nozzle or hose.  I will share some tips for making this process go smoothly.

Breaking Up The Insulation:

The machine came with two garbage cans that held the huge hoses.  We used the cans (as other renters probably did as well) to break up the loose insulation into manageable chunks by hand.  You can use a garden scraper, shovel or dust pan to roughly loosen it up. Please do this while wearing a dust mask and eye goggles. Some of our implements are pictured below:

You really do need to break up the insulation by hand if you are using the attached nozzle to blow it into a wall.  If the tubing gets clogged you are likely to make a huge mess and waste a lot of time unclogging it.  Below is a picture of what the insulation looks like broken up into a garbage can.

However, you do not need to go crazy breaking up the insulation perfectly by hand in the garbage cans.  As we found out after working for a few hours, it is best to let the machine do most (not all) of the tilling.  Below is a picture of the machine breaking up the insulation and blowing it through:

Filling Up The Machine: 

There is a sliding gate on the bottom of the machine that controls how much material flows through.  We found out that if you close the gate to about and inch and a half, and let the machine churn a whole bunch of the material for a few minutes, you can then open the gate really wide and let a huge stream of insulation fly through.  This seemed to work better then breaking it up really well by hand or leaving it at a low flow for the whole time.  Below is a picture of machine with the exit hose, the orange gate shows you that it is almost closed. 

I found that the hose at the bottom of the machine would often detach if material clogged up, so I wedged it against the weight of the machine and the first step outside my house, this prevented detachment.  If you are the one controlling the machine you can easily tell when there is a clog or a cavity is full.  The machine makes a whirling sound similar to when a vacuum has something caught in it.  You can also see through the tubing if the material is flowing.  Because of this, we did not need to use walkie-talkies to communicate when to turn it off.

Filling The Walls:

The person who is filling the holes also can do their part to prevent clogs.  If you hold the hose immediately behind the nozzle at the same level, it gives the insulation a stronger push through the nozzle.  The downside is the loss of blood in your arms as you hold them above your head.  See picture below:

Here is a close up shot of the nozzle pushing material into the wall:

Here is what the hole looks like when it is completely filled with material:

When you are all done you can seal the holes with an expanding foam spray, found in the same aisle with the insulation.  When that dries you can shave off the excess, compound and then paint it over.  See photo below:

When I sit at home now, I no longer hear the noises from the street or feel the wind blow through my house!  We were left with 6 bags of insulation (cost about $10 each) which we returned, and Home Depot still let us have the free rental!  The final expense for this project was ~$130 and a half days hard labor for two people.  The savings in utility costs will make it very worthwhile.

Here is final picture of the mess left behind (the reality of doing any work on your house):