Getting Rid of Grass

I took the first step towards my goal of removing all -- or at least most -- of the grass from my backyard and replacing it with flower beds and hardscape. Behold, the bird and butterfly garden:







So, I''ve still got a lot to do. But I''m pretty happy with what I managed to get done this year. I''ve got about 2/3 of the planned flowers planted. I''m working on getting the drip irrigation system in. Also need to level the pavers. And get a birdbath. Next year, I''ll finish up with the rest of the flowers and an arbor over the gate.

Problem with Microsoft Search

I ran across this while hacking together the PHP files for the blog. Apparently, the WindowsXP search does not actually search all files when using the "A word or phrase in the file" option. How very... useless.

Here is a workaround:

1. Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
2. Locate and expand the branch for the file type in question (for example: .txt, .adm or .asp).
3. If the PersistentHandler subkey does not exist, create it. Do this by clicking on the file extension key and going to Edit > New > Key. Name the key "PersistentHandler" (without the quotes). Click on the PersistentHandler key. In Regedit''s right pane, double click on the Default value and enter the following: "{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}" (without the quotes). WARNING: If the PersistentHandler sub-key does exist, do not change the default value.
4. Close Regedit and reboot the computer.

Source: Doug''s Windows Tweaks and Tips

Vegetable Gardening 2006

Due to the wonders of lead contamination, I got to completely re-do my garden this year. The new garden consists of two 4'' x 9'' raised beds, 15" deep. The walls are made out of "Veranda" brand composite decking. I started using the "Square Foot Gardening" method this year, so I''ve got a ton of stuff planted. It seems to be working out well, but I''ve already had to prune some stuff back, so we shall see what it looks like by the end of the season.

This year, I planted:

• Tomato ''Black Prince'
• Tomato ''Matt''s Wild Cherry''
• Tomato ''San Marzano''
• Pepper ''Lipstick''
• Pepper ''Tam Jalepeno'
• Pepper ''Carmen''
• Pepper ''Gourmet'' F1
• Pepper ''Yankee Bell''
• Cucumber ''Diva''
• Sweet Corn
• Zuccini
• Eggplant
• Okra
• Spinach
• Cantaloupe (Muskmelon)
• Watermelon
• Red Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Parsley ''Forest Green''
• Parsley ''Titan''
• Cilantro ''Santo''
• Basil ''Genovese Compact''
• Basil, Cinnamon
• Dill ''Superdukat''

Yes, those tomatoes are already over 5'' tall. In June.

Busy Bees

Here's a nice shot my lavender. I'm pretty sure it is Provence Lavender. The bees and butterflies love it.



You can also see some of my newer plants: in the middle right is Purple Pygmy Agastache, to the far right is Lilac Frost Spiderwort, and in the back is my monster Black-Eyed Susan.

Using remodel boxes: 101

The tabs go outside the wall, dummy. This is even more annoying because I've used remodel electrical boxes many times before. I just wasn't paying attention.



On the other side of the hole there, you can see my sandstone basement walls. Let me tell you how much fun it is to stud them out for drywall. Not very.

Blast from the Past: Front Flower Beds

Here is what the front looked like in 2002, shortly after I moved in:



Here is what it looks like today (most of this work was actually done in 2003):



I ripped out the evergreen (which was not a dwarf variety and was growing into and killing the shrubs) and replaced it with a weeping cherry tree. Ripped out the rusty stakes and wire mesh that the PO had used as a fence and put in a basic surround of landscape blocks. These still need to be capped. You can see in the current picture that I'm working on a small bamboo fence, though this has kinda' been put on hold. I ripped out the lilac and replace it with, um, a lilac. In my defense, the old one was pretty ugly. It had been pruned into a misshapen wreck and didn't really bloom much anymore. The jungle looking area along the side of the house is a combination of Forsythia and Black-Eyed Susan. The yellow along the front is Coreopsis. Some other things that I have growing:

(Spring) Grape Hyacinth, Dwarf Iris, Hyacinth, Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips, some kind of white daffodil looking thing that I planted and then didn't save the tag for, Forget-Me-Not
(Summer) Gladiolus, Lavender, Spiderwort, Phlox, Day Lilly, Stargazer Lilly
(Fall) Ribbon Grass

One of the best looking flower right now is the Stargazer Lilly:



I've got a good bit of worked planned for this fall and next spring. The Coreopsis needs to be moved, because it ended up being too tall for a front row plant. Day Lillies (which are currently hidden behind one of the shrubs) need to get moved out to the front so they get more sun. Spiderwort needs to be moved or thrown away (I didn't actually plant the stuff, it just appeared there). And I still have a small section of flower bed in the alley that needs to be completely re-done.

Bad things happen to good people

Today, "Diane" was telling me that she and her husband just bought a boat. "Marv" is going to christen it this weekend by taking out three of his friends. Between the four of them, one is getting married, one is getting divorced, one is buying a house and one is turning 33. I suggested that she send a chaperon, because it sounded like some kind suicide pact to me.

Hopefully, the boat will come through it okay. I'd like to try water skiing again. This time, I am most certainly going to stand up straight and lean back, so that I don't end up with a sore back for two fucking months.