The mulch is here

Juergen bought me 8 1/2 cubic meters of fine mulch for my vegetable garden. We spread it over the black weed blocker martial. We want to let it sit for a few weeks. Then we will put the boxwood in as an edge around the vegetable beds. Inside the beds we will cut the black weed blocker material out. Then we will plant the vegetables in the beds, and surround them with mulch. The paths will remain with the mulch & weed blocker. Eventually we will replace the pathways with something more permanent. We used the frame of Jessica’s metal bed. She broke the frame this fall. We sunk the frame into the soil, and then planted flower bulbs in it. It will be a "flower bed".

mulch provides protection and improves the soil. There are two types of mulches: organic and inorganic. Depending upon the type, mulches: Reduce surface evaporation. Improve water penetration and air movement. Control soil temperature fluctuations. Protect shallow-rooted plants from freeze damage and frost heave. Improve soil structure and nutrient availability.

Our New kitchen

I found this beautiful little kitchen on eBay yesterday. It was going to sell next week. I asked Juergen to email the seller and offer them something. Maybe they would go ahead and let us buy it now. Well, they agreed. So by God's grace we will pick the kitchen up on Friday. And I hope the handyman will be available to help set the kitchen up either this weekend or next week. It should look lovely with the terracotta tile. Maybe I'll go repaint the wallpaper yellow or a pale green? So our house in Leimen will have a nice kitchen. I'm very happy about it! I hope it's a blessing to the family that will live there!

I got my boxwood

Juergen is home from work this week. He is pretty tired. I'm glad he can get this break. We had breakfast out together. Nicole watched Jessica for us. He also got our taxes done. We have a good refund coming, and we need the money. There are a few people looking at our house in Leimen (buyers). This is the last week it is for sale. Next week we will need to refinance it as a rental house. So it's either now or never. The stair well was painted yesterday. Juergen says that it looks very good! I found a nice kitchen on eBay I hope to buy next Monday, unless a buyer happends to already have a kitchen. I got my tiny boxwood plants in the mail today. 100 tiny plants. It will most likely be 5 years before they grow large enough to trim. No matter! When the mulch gets layed down in the garden, I'll be able to lay out the garden beds, and plant boxwood boarders. Juergen ordered the mulch. A gardener will deliver it some time this week. If the weather is OK, we may even get the job done before the weekend? We already have good plants started for the garden beds. Those plants are in our cold frame for now. I think it's best to wait a few more weeks to plant because of the cold. The weather has gone from warm to cold, and warm again. I had better wait a few weeks! But it gives me so much joy to be in the process of building a new garden. I believe God has given us all things that really make us happy. For me it's my garden, for others it might be music or art or sports. I think we get so busy doing what we must, these kinds of things get ignored. It adds so much to my life and energy just to be outside with my plants. Trying to sell, or rent our house has been stressful for us. But I love my garden. I'm so glad we moved. The house in Leimen was fine...a little small for 7 people but really fine. But this garden in Bad Schönborn makes my heart sing! I feel more alive then I did before. So the stress of the transition was at least for me worth it. I have no idea what I'll do with this big house when all our kids move out. But I guess I'll deal with that when we need to. I'm glad to have what gives me life while I have the health to enjoy it!

Beautiful

A family that looked at our house (to buy it) called today and said they don't want it. So no sale! Oh well! The painter is at the house in Leimen painting the stair well. He is a real great guy! He is a Christian, and so positive! I'm so grateful when we have people that help us that are honest and hard working! I think I found a nice kitchen too. It's not available until the end of this month. But if we manage to get it, the nice handyman can put it in for us. I also went with Juergen to buy a new cloths dryer. We got an A class energy dryer that should save us about 30 Euro's per month. Our cloths dryer has not worked for a week. We could have spent a few hundred Euro's to have it fixed, but it is a poor quality dryer that eats energy. I think the new cloths dryer will pay for it's self in one year. I was also on eBay. I found this strawberry grape. It is very good for juice and jelly. And it is extremely resistant to mold. Our grape in Leimen has to be sprayed every year agents mold. This grape is suppose to have a very sweet flavored, and smell sweet even on the vine! I know just where I'll put it!

It is still my house, and I think I will use it!!!

We still have not rented or sold the house in Leimen. I somehow think of the house in Leimen as someone else’s house. What is there is there. But the truth is it is mine. If there is something there I want for our house in Bad Schönborn why shouldn't I just take it? And today we were thinking about our green house. How should we build a green house? We think it would be best to use the frame of a carport as the base. Then we can cover the south wall with antique windows. The top can be heavy plastic sheeting. The side walls insulated plywood covered with plaster. We can use an antique door. The floor can be dug deep, so you step down into the green house. Then the ceiling would be high. We could buy a carport for 1,000 euro, or we can take the carport we put over our terrace in Leimen. Why spend an extra 1,000 Euros? Why not just move our old one? If we rent our house out, the renter still has a pergola and 3 baloneys. They don't need a covered terrace! And I'm going over to the house to dig up plants too! Why should I spend money on plants when I already have so many in Leimen? I don't think the covered terrace or plants will sell it/rent it. People will buy or rent it either way. I might as well use what I already paid for. Everyone that looks at the house to buy has asked us to drop the price by thousands of Euros. They want something for nothing. Well, I think they can have less if they want to pay less! My new house needs a green house. And I think I will use my carport ….MY CARPORT!!! And maybe I'll get Juergen to move our small green house too? Oh, and the rain barrels, and the sandbox!

The things you can buy on eBay

I found this greenhouse on eBay for just one Euro. It is about 3 hours away. We would need to rent a big van, and take a day to go get it. But it could be perfect! I wonder if I can get Juergen to go get it for me? He has next week off, but I'm sure he didn't want to spend his week on my garden. A greenhouse like this could cost over 3,000 Euro's new. It's 3 meters wide and 4 meters long. I have just the right spot for it. We could repaint the metal a dark green. It's missing a few pieces of glass. I'm sure we could clean it up nicely! It doesn't include the brick base. We could use straw bale covered with cob as a base. The straw bales are wide. You could sit on them, or put pots on them. Juergen will most likely say no…but it could be perfect!

Boxwood

I bought 100 boxwood plants on eBay for 40 Euro delivered. We need 90 for the vegetable garden boarders. Nicole measured the garden and drew up a plan for me. We are also looking at designs for knot gardens. I would like a knot garden in the front yard, with herbs and flowers between the boxwood. I think that would look really cool! So now I know where I can buy the boxwood for a good price! My dad will have to help us with the knot garden.

More house drama

Juergen showed the house to the family with 3 kids. They didn't like it. I guess they are American's doing research for a few year. They were very picky. And the women was shocked the house had no kitchen! Juergen told her we would be putting a kitchen in, but she was a picky person. We would not want a renter like that anyway. He shows the house at 5:30 to a family that already lives in Leimen, and again at 6pm to the retiring American military person. The military guy is single. I just don't understand why a single man would want such a big house. And would we be able to check his credit to be sure he could afford it? I guess it just doesn't seem so clear to me why he would even want our house, so I don't trust him. If he had a wife and 2 kids, no problem. But why would a single person want a house with 4-5 bedrooms? Unless we get a clear answer for that, I don't trust renting to him. There are many other houses he could rent. Maybe he is dating a German women and wants kids? Maybe there is a reason? But it just is not clear to the world and seems odd to me right now. There are very strong laws in Germany that protect renters. If we get a renter that does not pay the rent, or for some reason we want to kick the renter out of the house, it could take a year to get rid of them. And it could cost thousands in legal fees pulse the lost rent. We need to be picky about who rents our house. I think a family with 3 kids would be perfect. Juergen doesn't know if the family looking at 5:30 wants to buy or rent. We both hope to sell. The bank has given us until the end of next week. Other wise we have to refinance the house, and pay for a new loan. I spent another morning looking at kitchen’s on eBay. I found a nice kitchen North of Frankfurt that sells tomorrow & must be picked up this weekend. That would be perfect for us. Our handyman is free next week. He will be painting the staircase. He could also put in the new kitchen for us. I’m trying to keep a straight head. It is coming down to the wire…but I have peace it will still be ok. I pray God gives us wisdom to do what we need to do. And that we find the grace and help we need when we need it. God is never late but He is hardly ever early. I know this is true...and I will put me trust in him.

maybe a long term renter?

Some American guy wants to rent our house in Leimen, long term. He is retiring in Heidelberg. He does not want to buy a house, but wants to rent for a very long term. Could be good for us. If we rent, it has to be for 10 years. Juergen shows him, and another family the house tomorrow morning. I’m wondering what he is doing here? Is it legal?

FAQs about knot gardens

Boxwood

I am thinking about my garden. I think I want to use boxwood as a boarder to the vegetable beds. I have always loved the look of cottage gardens. I think we will till the garden. We will remove as much of the grass and weeds as we can. I'll add compost. Then we will cover it with paper to kill off the weeds and grass we have missed. Then we will put a nice covering of mulch over the paper. Then we will mark out the boarder with sand, and plant boxwood. I can buy it on eBay for a pretty good price. I'll need hundreds of plants. Finally we will put down stepping stones in the pathway. I will probably plant some plants around the stones so even the pathways are green. Then in the beds I'll plant a mix of vegetables and flowers. I'll push back the mulch, and plant in the soil. When the plants come up, they will get surrounded by mulch. That is an idea from back to Eden project. I saw a beautiful vegetable garden in a farm museum in the south of Germany once. It had boxwood boarders. I thought it was the nicest looking vegetable garden I've ever seen. That is what I'm trying to recreate. And we will need a picket fence, and a rose Arber too.

maybe a place for Jessica

Juergen and I visited a very nice workshop for disabled people. It was small, but run very well. It is the nicest workshop, daycare place I've ever seen. I believe if Jessica had her own aid, she would do well there. We now need to find out if she can get the funding for both. I would be OK with sending her there 3 or 4 days per week (or half days), as long as they give her a personal aid. They have a small art workshop, a wood working shop, a garden workshop, and sheep. The sheep have just had baby lambs. It's pretty exciting! It had a nice environment. I think Juergen and I both thought it was well run. Not too big, very well thought out!