Rose Cottage Ltd

I know one or two people who spend time each Spring just staring at their own backyard. They ponder doing this and that, but nothing ever seems to change. Are they lazy? No. Lacking creativity? Not really. It’s just that it is hard to see something over and over and then try to see it as anything else.

I take full advantage of design ideas online and in any book I can reasonably get my hands on. I can look at a $25,000 professionally-designed outdoor space and maybe pull 2 or 3 components of that design that make sense for my yard. Why reinvent the wheel? Here are a few outdoor design books to get you thinking.

Landscaping for Privacy brims with creative ideas for minimizing or even eliminating the nuisances that intrude on your personal outdoor space. Scores of real-world examples show you how to keep the outside world at bay by strategically placing buffers (such as berms or groups of small trees), barriers (such as fences), and screens (arbors or hedges, for example) around your property. And the helpful plant lists tell you precisely which varieties to choose in order to enhance your sense of seclusion.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the lack of privacy whenever you step outside your home, this inspiring book will steer you toward an achievable solution.

Outdoor rooms are an attractive option for gaining a little extra living space and providing a useful multi-purpose area for family fun, friendly get-togethers, and playtime. With Outdoor Spaces, Country Living shows how to design the right open-air rooms for your needs, with page after page of ideas for setting up a relaxing haven, an upbeat entertaining spot, or even a romantic retreat.

From quick and easy fix-ups—such as placing a chair and table in a shady corner—to elaborate layouts involving furniture, plants, and lighting, there’s something here for every size backyard and budget. Smart tips offer ways to cut down on maintenance, choose a garden style that enhances the house, establish focal points, handle awkwardly shaped yards, add walkways and arbors, and select eye-catching plants.

In more than 250 stunning photographs of forty homes, Perfect Porches illustrates how varied these iconic American spaces can be. A wealth of structural appointments are presented, such as the extended eaves of a rain porch along the Gulf Coast, the shimmering copper flooring of a converted Amish cattle barn in Bluegrass country, and Outback-inspired painted thresholds in California’s wine region. Unexpected ornaments, including Moroccan pendant lamps, a vintage watering can collection, or a majolica menagerie can transform even the most modest porch into an oasis. This book also reveals a host of practical ways to bring privacy to urban porches, chic accents to old-fashioned verandas, and coziness to modern environments.

In French Country Living, Caroline Clifton-Mogg celebrates the distinctive decorative style inspired over centuries by the French countryside, and shows how to translate its elements into your home, whether rustic or urban. • More than 30,000 copies sold in hardcover. • Beautiful photography by Christopher Drake.

And one of my personal favorites…

Another always-popular volume in Sunset’s line of outdoor building books, Landscaping with Stone is a fundamental resource for realizing the potential of virtually any garden. That’s because stone is resilient, organic, and colorful—its versatility is legendary. This essential book helps gardeners make the most of stone, with design ideas and step-by-step how-to instructions for everything from paths to walls to waterfalls.

Features:

* Photo galleries feature updated approaches to enhance gardens with stone, from traditional to contemporary

* Detailed step-by-step instructions for projects including paths, walls, and water features

* Helpful lists identify appropriate plants for specific situations, such as when creating gravel or stepping-stone paths

* “Trade Secrets” and “Design Tips” give professional hints on using stones most effectively to enhance your garden

When I first started the Rose Cottage Ltd web site in 2006 I wanted to share some of my thoughts about country/rural living. My efforts were not to say that living country versus living city was better – just that living outside city or even suburban areas could be a great choice for some.

This past weekend I got a shot of one of the downsides of really rural living so for those trying to make a decision to move permanently to the country – here goes.

When I bought my 7 acres about 50 miles outside Raleigh, North Carolina I knew that one edge of the property bordered a fenced and pastured field. There were no animals to be seen in the pasture for awhile after I moved in but in the last 7 years I’ve had the pleasant company of an aging horse – who really WAS put out to pasture!

Paint died peacefully of old age, laying out on a sunny bank in this pasture, 2 years ago this December. I still miss him.

Since then, the pasture has been occupied by groups of cows – sometimes of the female variety and sometimes bulls – big ones. They cause no problem to me, on this side of the fence. They sometimes meander down to see what I’m doing out in the yard but I feel we all peacefully co-exist in our environments.

The unfortunate part of this story is that this 14-acre pasture is a grazing ground for the cows which means it needs to have good grass for them to munch which means it gets fertilized a couple times a year. This is not a pleasant time for our little country community.

Before the local poultry house closed, my neighbor used to get chicken “leavings” from them which he then spread across a huge portion of this pasture as fertilizer. If you’ve never experienced this aroma – good for you. It is pretty nasty. The smell would hang around my property – which is downhill from his property in the normal breeze direction – for a week.

This year and in fact this past Saturday, the neighbor spread some sort of standard fertilizer product across the field. I’ve had a borderline headache ever since. And there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.

The 4-legged neighbors enjoying the day…

I’m not happy about this fertilizer or the headache. Think of walking through the outside portion of Lowe’s Home Improvement on a warm day – where the stacks of mulch and fertilizer are kept – you may get some idea of what aroma is hanging in the air here right now.

But, he is entitled to fertilize the field – as long as he applies the stuff no closer than 20 feet of the property line. The fact that the wind moves what he’s spraying is not something considered. I’m not happy about that either since it means my property, and my 4-acre lake, get “air-fertilized” whether I like it or not.

While this seems pretty bad right now, I still have to compare it to my last trip to a large city. The noise, the banks of cars more-or-less idling 4 rows deep on cramped city streets and constantly belching exhaust…

I had more than a borderline headache there.

So, knowing that this fertilizing process takes place only twice a year max, I’ll take a couple sinus tablets and wait for the aroma to settle. And still be glad I live in the country.

NOTE: I believe his spreading of this fertilizer would have a much worse impact had I moved out here in hopes of running a certified Organic Farming business. The USDA has some pretty tight requirements for organic farming and for products to be labeled “Organic” – which they should.

If you are contemplating certified organic farming and are looking for rural property, make sure you check out neighboring properties first – particularly farms or pastures. Just FYI…

There is only one remaining gosling from the four born on the lake May 19th, 2011. Rather than the family going away for six weeks or so as they usually do – and then just showing up again, they’ve stayed on or around the lake this time. I’m amazed at how fast this little thing is growing:

June 19, 2011

June 24, 2011

He (or she) is starting to look a little more goose-like:

Still a lot of hazards and hazardous prey that can befall a small animal – in the water and out. I’ll hope this one makes it…

Have a great weekend!

I’m less enthused about Summer months than I used to be. I don’t care what the current thoughts are about global warming or not, the air we are breathing is worse than it used to be – high temperatures just make it even worse.

The Piedmont area of North Carolina has already had August weather in May. Way too many days have been in the 90s or upper 90s – at least 15 degrees above normal. We’re also starting this season 2011 the way we did in 2007 which was a drought year. Not good for the lake – or the fish.

I wrote an article on the web site about fish kills and what causes them. I will not be surprised if, despite my efforts, there is another die-off this Summer. I’ve already taken about 3, 5-gallon buckets worth of water meal from the lake’s surface and yesterday, spent a fair amount of time removing large algae blooms. I haven’t seen much string algae on the lake since 2007 so this is not good news. This infiltration of algae and water meal steals or traps oxygen from the lake’s water. Eventually the fish will not be able to breathe and will begin to float towards the surface. In their weakened condition, unable to stay submerged, they will appear floating flat on the surface and then die.

We had a brief respite from the heat most of this week – which was actually just getting back to normal temperatures for this time of year. By Monday coming, we’re back to a high of 97 degrees and the rain we were expecting yesterday never arrived.

I’m going to be running the fountain 24/7 for awhile and will keep removing as much algae and water meal from the lake as is possible. I’ll take some photos today of the algae. Here is an image of the water meal, up close and personal. I didn’t know what this stuff was at first so this picture may help anyone trying to identify the exact nature of their pond’s green slime:

The dreaded water meal…

While I’m out on the boat for the next week or so in hot weather doing this skimming process, I am going to put my mind back to January when the activity for the week was simply splitting firewood and carrying it in to feed the wood stove. No snakes, no ticks, no mosquitoes, no water meal. Just me and my Makita.

Is it Labor Day yet?

…and a friendly reminder…

Warm weather means more people will be getting outdoors and into some great Summer activities like hiking, swimming, skiing, and fishing. If you’ve not been able to get out much over the past few months – now is your chance to get your body moving and healthy.

BUT, please keep in mind that it is also “snake season.”

This guy (I’m guessing here!), is a Northern Water Snake and resides in my lake in North Carolina – and he has a few other relatives living here as well. This snake is NOT poisonous – but some in the water are so be careful – particularly in lakes, ponds, and in some shallow river areas. The Northern Water Snake certainly resembles a Copperhead – which is poisonous – but you won’t find many Copperheads who like water.

I wrote a post on the web site about some other snake run-ins which might prove of interest to those venturing out to “the wilds” of the country this Summer. I try to keep a sense of humor about snakes since I know for the one I saw, there were five others I didn’t.

No reason for paranoia – just be safe and use common sense – particularly if you are visiting an area that is not familiar to you. If you aren’t sure about what snakes live where – ask someone who does know – before you go…

I’m also going to encourage you yet again to get some of this Neem-based spray – it is also available as a gel. This stuff DOES repel chiggers and it works just as well on ticks. I don’t leave the house without it in warm weather and if I DO happen to forget – the chiggers remind me fast enough.

Be safe – and have fun this Memorial Day Weekend!

Classic Women’s Aran Cardigan

100% merino wool brings a soft, supple feel to this all-weather classic. Expertly stitched to incorporate a variety of traditional patterns. Front pockets. Ireland. Color: Natural. Sizes S, M, L, XL

Classic Women’s Aran Cardigan

As I continue to watch the “House Hunters” and “House Hunters International” on HGTV I am sometimes still surprised at the lack of interest in the “outdoor” portions of a new home visit or, the total dismissal of a great home – simply because it lacks “landscaping.” In some cases, this leaves a great opportunity for the next prospective owner.

Trying to decide, “what to do with the yard” can be filled with so many options and look like so much work that another season may be spent doing nothing. Mow the grass and forget about it. I blame the media a bit for some of this since their “one show” before and after results may intimidate viewers into thinking this has to be an all-or-nothing, big-bucks project. It doesn’t. But it can be…

Who would leave this to vacation elsewhere?

So, sit back in a comfortable lounge chair, get something to drink, and ponder your outdoor environment. Maybe this year, this is all you should do. Here are a few points to consider before spending a dime or picking up a shovel…

Space

No, not the “final frontier,” but how much do you have or how much would you like to restructure or redesign for better use?

A small patio or apartment balcony is “outdoor space.” So is 30 acres, but except in unusual circumstances, not all of that needs structure. No matter how much space you have to work with, how large is your new “room” to be? If your indoor living room is 20 x 20 feet, try marking off a 20 x 20 foot area outside and start designing that. Are you wishing you had a specific grilling and entertaining area outside? How big is your current kitchen? Will that same amount of work space be acceptable for your outdoor grilling and entertaining?

Do you only have an apartment balcony to work with? There are many tabletop fountains available that allow you to add a water feature to your small space. Get yourself a reader’s chair and a good book and let the relaxation begin.

Also study the nature of the space you want to work with. Is it flat or sloped? Are there drainage issues in the area? Sunny or shady? Are there structures that could or should be removed to give you a clean slate to work from?

And speaking of structure…

What structures would you like to see in your yard?

There is a wide open field of possible additions to your outdoor living room, with hundreds of material options to choose from. Walls, patios, walks, pergolas and arbors, fountains, fences…all help define and add interest to your outdoor living space. Once you’ve decided how much space you want to work with, think about usage of the space and how the area should “flow” – maybe from indoors to out or from the first area you design to the next. Low walls and garden paths will help you design the “walls” of your new living area. The use of stone, wood, brick, etc., help you make it your own. Plan on mulching or blocking/covering areas in which you want nothing to grow – you’ll save time later as I mentioned in a prior post.

Plants

This is where you can really customize your new living area outside. Plants are great for privacy, for softening a hardscaped area (brick walls, etc.), for color, and for fragrance. Just remember that in a perfect garden, plants grow. Think about the ultimate purpose for the plant before you purchase. That two-foot Euonymus with the pretty green and yellow leaves can become a monster-shrub blocking out a good hunk of your usable space unless you are willing to keep it trimmed. Plant bee-loving flowers too close to a sitting area and you won’t want to sit there during high Summer. Fortunately, you can find out plant “stats” on almost any plant you can imagine online. Beware going to a nursery without this plant info. You may see a beautiful plant, shrub, or tree that seems to be screaming “Buy Me” – that will be exactly the wrong choice for your space.

I picked out a few things of interest – my online shopping plant “wish lists” if you’d like to get a start on plant research…

Extras

Selecting ornaments for your new outdoor living space can be a LOT of fun! Fountains, stone benches, statuary, pottery and planters…your imagination is all that sets the limits since products are in abundance, and many can be purchased online and delivered to your door. This is an important fact for someone like myself who drives a small car. I don’t have room to carry much in a Mini Cooper unless the item is relatively flat – and there are no “flat” fountains to be had!

But I have managed to purchase 3 fountains for the acre or so of space right around my home. Two are solar, one is not, all are fairly large and were delivered to my driveway – one with free shipping! Cool!

Your lifestyle

Are you formal or informal? Like a bit of clutter or prefer clean lines? Study your current indoor living and that will provide most of the clues you need in designing your outdoor living space as well. I can’t stand clutter. Some backyards I have visited make me actually claustrophobic – while I am OUTSIDE! My outdoor space – with a few ornamental elements and fountains here and there, may seem boring to others who need and want more structure. This is all about personal choice and your personal space being the way you want it.

Time, money, and workload

Time – do we ever have enough of it? Sometimes it doesn’t seem so. If you don’t have a lot of time to build a true outdoor space either limit your expectations accordingly, or have someone else do the work. I have seen more than one person with huge plans who spent a lot of money getting materials and plants, and then never had time to do the job. This is a waste of effort – and money. Although you may be able to just relax and enjoy your outdoor living area in future, it can take a bit of time getting there. In the meantime, a half-completed outdoor project will be sitting there like a silent beacon, annoying you, all season.

Be realistic, from a time standpoint, about your new garden room design.

I see images of outdoor living spaces in magazines and online and I KNOW for sure my garden or managed area will never look like those photos. Although I have had a landscape architect help me plan a backyard re-do in the past, that isn’t happening here. You can, however, have an architect draw up some plans, and work with you to do some of the work, which gains you their expertise while limiting some of the total cost by adding your labor.

Start small versus not starting at all

If you have a large backyard area, take a section of it and just do something. Sometimes it all seems like too much work until you realize how easily you can make an impressive impact to your space. This is how I am managing my current property which is 7 acres with a 4-acre lake right smack in the middle. Each year I have selected a new area to conquer – for lack of a better word – and after 5 years, major improvements and better use of those areas is very evident.

Money – always an object

You can probably pick up a nice mosaic stone table and chairs, and maybe a tabletop fountain for a few hundred bucks. Maybe this year you just buy a hammock and spend some time figuring out where to hang it. Or have a nice brick path put in and do a little updating and maintenance of your grassy areas. If you have $100,000 budgeted for your new space, go for it. You may be able to go from “before” to “after” in a few weeks – with everything you wanted in place. (Please send pictures!)

This is your project. You can break it down to as many small objectives as you see fit. Maybe you buy one really nice Adirondack chair and that one chair starts your outdoor living scheming! Now it needs a side table, etc., etc. Let the plan grow a bit if it needs to – there is no time-clock running on this project and you set the dealines for completion.

Find some additional product ideas and recommendations for your outdoor living space. Be creative and have fun!

It is probably a good thing one can’t see everything that lives in a lake or pond. You would probably find that wading or swimming or even fishing, is not always as appealing as you once thought.

Once and awhile you find out the hard way what lurks below the surface…in this case Snapping Turtles – big ones!!

I was enjoying a day around the lake late last Summer. Geese with their 10 week-old goslings were having a nice shower under the fountain and all was well with my world. Suddenly, the 12 or so geese started screeching and all took off for the lake’s edge – save one of the goslings. This poor goose was valiantly trying to make it to shore but appeared to be held nearly immobile by some unseen force from below the water.

While he or she made all effort to reach the shore, I hot-footed it around the lake to see if I could assist. The gosling and I reached the same spot on the shore at the same time and to my total surprise, I saw what appeared to be a very large shell in the water holding one of the legs of the goose extended backwards- keeping him from getting out of the water.

It was one of these:

Well, that’s the way I’d seen it prior to the attack. Not too aggressive…didn’t seem to bother the fish…no harm, no foul. I knew there was at least one large turtle living in the lake. He visited often in the evenings during fish feeding time. That is their food in the water floating around him.

Unfortunately, he also looks like this:

Well, to be without the net would be more to his liking and out of the trap and back in the lake may have improved his disposition. After the attack on the goose I was not willing to find out.

Fortunately, during that attack I was at the right place at the right time and was able to give the turtle a hard enough smack on his shell to make him release the goose – who left with a bloody foot – but without permanent injury.

However, this created a real tough decision regarding lake management. I have a turtle who has potentially lived in this lake for most of the fifteen years the lake has been in existence. The turtle could possibly live another fifteen to twenty years. At the same time, there have been nesting geese on the lake for the past three seasons. This means every May I get to enjoy seeing these:

The problem is I’m afraid the turtle may enjoy them as well.

What to do?

First thing was to research and procure a turtle trap of some sort. This is a turtle that weighs somewhere around 40 pounds and has the same circumference as a 20 gallon trash can. Finding something appropriate and up to the task took a bit of work. It appeared a “Turtle Hoop Net” was going to be the best bet and fortunately for me, Heinsohn’s Country Store had just the thing for around $130.00.

Below is a photo of it stretched out and prior to insertion in the lake:

Getting the net stretched out properly and pegged to the bottom of the lake was a little more difficult. Once that was accomplished I admit to being a bit skeptical that any turtle would ever consider getting himself involved with all that netting. Never doubt a turtle’s desire to get to a piece of chicken bait though. Within 2 days of placing the net in the water – BINGO! – we had our suspect in custody – and boy was he pissed!!

He snapped, he hissed, he rocked back and forth like some miniature bulldozer…he gave me the “evil eye”…the thing looked like some sort of prehistoric demon. He had to go.

Fortunately, my property is fairly close to a 12,500 lake and that was chosen as his new home. Normally, I am against moving an animal from its native environment but I can’t imagine that he will not thrive in his new location. Now that it is nearly hatching time again for the lake’s geese, I am preparing the 2009 (and now 2010), launch of the turtle net.

Two days after catching the first turtle, a second of equal size was captured and driven in comfort to the same larger lake. I like to think they met up again and did a “High 5″ or whatever turtles do…

Who says rural living is boring?