It's a very rainy day at the farmette. We got 3/4 inch (2 cm) over night, and it's still coming down. I guess I won't have to water my new front garden today!
This past week has been a beavering week of painting and planting at the farmette. The floors in the mud room (side entrance) and laundry room were installed a couple of weeks ago, so it was up to us to do the rest of the jobs - painting, mostly.
The side entrance looks soooo much fresher with a lighter yellow (eggnog, according to Beautitone), updated floor (a beige vinyl tile) and fresh white paint on the closet doors (courtesy of a very patient Rob). I had to paint the damn thing three times before I was satisfied. The lady at the Home Hardware paint station told me I should have put on a primer because we were going so much lighter - after I'd already done two coats - my fault. Live and learn.
The laundry room was a bit trickier for me, anyway. Had to kind of paint around the stackable washer-dryer and crawl up into the slanty ceiling. A bit of a bugger, really. There was some swearing, a lot of sweating and I even managed to fall off the stepladder and land on my noggin at one point.
As I lay prostrate on the floor, I contemplated how, if it was worse, and I was unconscious, Rob wouldn't have found me for an hour, since he was busy on the lawn with the John Deere. Anyhow, I only got a bump on the head and a bruised ego and went back at it to finish. The floor here is the same as the mud room, but a lovely grey colour. The walls are now Pixie Dust, translated from Beautitone-speak to white with a hint of grey. Came out nice, eh? We still have to install the light and get a nice colourful painting for the bare wall, but it's basically done.
Outside, Jeremy and his crew from Grey Bruce Landscaping did a fantastic renovation on the front garden - in one day last Thursday. Four guys, one gigantic task, and it was job done by five p.m.
The yews and the proliferation of goutweed were the biggest problems.
The roots of the bushes were embedded in the famous Grey County rocks. They had to pull, push and dig about three feet into the earth because the F-yews, as they came to to known, did not want to leave. The guys were very thorough, getting rid of every bit of weed, replacing the soil, carefully planting the five zebra grasses (which will grow to eight feet tall, replacing the yews), two burning buses, stella d'oro lilies, Siberian irises and Russian sage. A bit ironic that the garden is a blue and yellow homage to Ukraine with the monikers of the plants.
The resident hostas were ripped out and put aside so the best ones could be replanted to fill in, and the entire thing was coated in a lovely thick mat of cedar mulch. What a smell!
Now, of course, the cracks in the white paint around the door and in the gable, and the poor condition of the railing are exposed, so they'll have to be done. Later. Yesterday, we actually took a few moments to sit on the porch, drink some tea, and admire the new bed.
The old (157) girl is looking pretty spanky. So happy to be able to make her look her best. Until next week.
P.S. Fred made us panic for three hours yesterday when he went missing outside around the felines' supper time. Little shit. He's grounded inside for the rest of his natural life. Here's the gratuitous picture of him at his tap this morning in the new laundry room.
