Brownstoner Garden Day 2
Here’s how far our garden contractors got yesterday. It’s looking like we may have to keep the iron posts in on the lot line–they are proving to be impossible to remove. The contractors say they can build a wood post around each one. Previously: Removing the Chain Link [Brownstoner]
Here’s how far our garden contractors got yesterday. It’s looking like we may have to keep the iron posts in on the lot line–they are proving to be impossible to remove. The contractors say they can build a wood post around each one.
Previously: Removing the Chain Link [Brownstoner]
No offense taken, lc. Care to share some photos?
I for one am greatly enjoying the gardening posts and hope that they continue regardless of the second-guessing.
And even as an enthusiastic gardener, I wouldn’t undertake a total garden reno by myself with an infant in the house. Now that both my kids are old enough to not need constant supervision, it’s fun to involve them, but it sounds like the Brownstoner household has a few years to go til then.
Maybe there could be a part of the site for people to post pics of their own gardens, and what they did? Since Brownstone Brooklyn back gardens are so completely hidden (and some blocks practically have oases), I bet I’m not the only one who’s curious…
First of all, 3:22. where did we call anyone a hypocrite, liar or loser? Nowhere. All we did was respond to the criticisms of someone second-guessing our motivations. Second of all, were you also spending 5 or 6 hours a weekend blogging? Maybe you like sticking your wife with the kids more than we do. Maybe you’re looking for an excuse not to hang out with your kids. Who knows. Who cares. Those are your decisions. We have our own reasons why we’re doing it this way. And by the way, we’re not contracting out the planting or flower selection. We’re merely having a fence and a wall built and the existing bluestone re-laid. Geez. Take your sanctimoniousness elsewhere.
Tell me, why should Brownstoner continue to document this renovation if every new brownstoner renovation entry gets a blast of nasty comments? I am thrilled to see this garden renovation documented. I will get many ideas for my own garden. That is what this is about. Please stop with the nasty or judgmental comments. How they choose to do the job is their business. We are all along for the (free) ride.
Mr B,
Your plan is your business; however, I have 2 young kids and a fultime job and did a (mostly) DIY job on our garden myself. We hired pros to break up and haul the concrete. What I did myself was:
* turn over the entire garden with a spade, digging up big rocks and concrete chunks, and assorted broken-glass detritus
* ordered just over 3 tons of topsoil and composted manure to work in to the soil, again by hand
* marked off planting beds — using big attracctive rocks dug up while turning the soil over — and “built” raised beds using stacked up slabs of stone and concrete dug up (waste not, want not)
* ordered and planted perennials
* planted fescue seed in the fall for lawn area
How? In my spare time, mainly weekends, week by week over the summer we were renovating the house (while living in it). It was exhausting, sweaty work. Also very satisfying. We were hiring people to do every other aspect of our reno for us. The garden was something I could have the satisfaction of doing with my own hands, while saving some $$ — and knowing that, if I made a mistake, a perennial bed is much easier to fix than a screwed up bathroom.
No I didn’t get an instant garden overnight — but by the next spring, we had a full lawn, pernnials filling out the planting beds, and room to grow a few veggies and (mostly) herbs. A couple years later, the plants have filled in and the area looks (imho) really good considering I had no real experience. We add to it every year. A garden is a work in progress where you get the satisfaction of being intimately involved with your living environment.
Again, not that you are doing anything wrong by hiring the job out, but I do take exception to your implying that anyone in your situation who says DIY is a liar, a hypocrite or a loser with too much time on his hands. If you decide to do any gardening yourself, I’d be glad to offer advice on the particular challenges of Broklyn backyard gardening. Good luck!
(PS — I’m not the earlier poster in this thread.)
We’re guessing there are about 100 man-hours required for this…it’s not just a matter of laying a little sod and picking some cute flowers. Let’s say there is, on a good weekend day, one waking hour when both kids are asleep at the same time. That would mean we could complete the job in two years, if it never snowed or the ground never froze. Sounds like a great plan, 8:48! Judging from your spelling, you, on the other hand, probably have a lot of free time on your hands.
Good god! A) mrs. brownstoner just SAID that the contractors HAD offered up those ideas, and B) thank you shahn anderson for pointing out the obvious. I have two children under 4 and it’s all I can do to brush my own teeth, let alone theirs – just curious, how do the holier-than-thou above posters propose doing a garden reno that seems full of debris (possibly some broken glass) with little kids crawling around? that’s right, i thought so.
With their two young kids and Mr. B’s various jobs, I can’t believe they have time to even think about a garden. DYS is for people with time. Gardens are for people to enjoy with their time.
8:19, if I told you I would have to shoot myself.
Also, I agree with 8:48.