Tag: power wash

Did we Pay a Tariff on This Heatwave?

~ Loreeebee ~ 1 Comment

If you haven’t noticed, Ottawa is in the middle of a heatwave, as are many places throughout Canada.  I wonder if we paid a tariff on the heat coming from the US of A.  Perhaps Donald Trump hasn’t thought of that yet.  If he did, we would have to retaliate and charge Americans a tariff on the cold fronts we send you every winter (currently) for free.

Seriously, the heat and humidity are so high that it’s just too hot for me to spend more than a few minutes in anyone’s gardens this week.  So, what else can a gardener do in this heat?  Well, I met a friend for coffee this morning and power-washed my front veranda this afternoon.  Even though there was cool water involved, power washing was a hot and dangerous job. As I was reaching into the back of my van to remove my power washer, I heard a hissing noise just before the back trunk slammed down on my head.  Just what I needed, a concussion to go with the possible heatstroke.

I guess that gives me something to work on tomorrow…getting the struts (that’s what my mechanic told me they are called) on the trunk repaired.  Then I will spend some time with my baby granddaughter.  After that, I can continue working on the quilt I am making for my almost five-year-old granddaughter.  Although quilting is usually a winter passion of mine, this heatwave will give me some time to work on the project that is (still) spread out on my dining room table.

That’s Canada for you.  Heatwaves and cold snaps alike tend to make us retreat to the comfort of our air-conditioned or heated homes.  Just forget I mentioned the word tariff, I wouldn’t want to put ideas in anyone’s head!

tariff
pexels

Polymeric Sand Replaces Weeds

paving stones with moss
~ Loreeebee ~ 1 Comment

Gardens4u started a project recently in which the client wanted her yard restored to its full potential.  Landscapers were paid a hefty sum to make it beautiful years ago, but the interlocking walkways and patios had since been overtaken by weeds. The pictures below do not give the weeds justice for their size and number, unfortunately, I forgot to take a real “before” shot.  

Our job was to remove the weeds and fill the cracks between the interlocking bricks with polymeric sand.  There is a specific and somewhat finicky procedure to using this product, but it works well. Patience is the key.

The cracks were cavernous in some places, with nothing in them.  There were mud, moss, and weeds in every imaginable space.  

polymeric sand to replace weeds
polymeric sand to replace weeds

After many hours of power washing, my son had the interlock pathways and patios looking like this:

polymeric sand after powerwashing

Polymeric sand was added to make them look like this:

polymeric sand

We still have a few days of work left, but the progress is amazing! This process should keep the weeds at bay for a while.

Unfortunately, this yard always seems to be windy, so persistent weed seeds will settle in the cracks eventually and new weeds will emerge. Hopefully, new weeds will be kept under control though.