Irrigation System Installation

So the irrigation/sprinkler/watering system and the sod have been installed. Things didn't go as well as we had hoped but it is now finished.  It's been a week and we've managed to keep the dogs out of all but a tiny bit of green space.

A week of cool, overcast, and moist temperatures has really worked to our benefit.  We spent QUITE a bit of time cleaning up the mud and dirt generated by the process.  The power washer is having issues again so all the patio space was cleaned by hand; Thank You Tom! 

We are worried that once we let the dogs back out they will be tracking in dirt again.  When the sod was installed they sprinkled dirt all over the top of the sod.  I mean pots of dirt ladel'ed out and strewn here and there.  I've never seen this done before, but Mr Professional Installer assured me it's the way it's done here. Although the last 2 times we had sod installed it wasn't done this way.  Ni Modos.

With the flamboyant tree topped, and the neem thinned I am hoping that this time there will be enough sun to allow the grass to live.

so here are some photos

the puppy 500 racetrack!

YOU CAN SEE THE PUPPY 500 RACETRACK IS FILLED IN

lucho libre puppy pit

a little different perspective but you can see the puppy lucho libre pit becoming green again!

So all in all - the system is in, we haven't been able to use it much due to the weather - I/we would have designed it a bit differently to avoid dry spots and 3-4 foot of overspray onto the patio.  We'd have used some angles and not all 360 heads, but we didn't want to do it!  es mi culpa!  it's in, it works, and it will be way easier for house and pet sitters.

fuzzy hairy white caterpillar critter

About a week or so ago a friend sent me a photo of a critter to see if I could identify it.  I couldn't

This morning I walked out and noticed these lying on the patio!  EWWWWWWKKKK!

It's the same darn critter!

 Looking up I saw these in my sour orange tree; they are moving, crawling, so I am assuming (yes, I know what they say) that they are some kind of caterpillar.

I have searched and searched the internet and my books and can not figure out what they are.

If they are just butterflies or moths then I'll let them have a few leaves and be on their way, but if they are going to damage my tree I want them gone!

Can any of you help me to identify them?

4th of July fuegos artificiales, aka fireworks

Today is the 4th of July, and Independence Day for the United States of America and its citizens.

One of the celebratory festivities associated with this Holiday are fireworks!

Well We had our own fireworks here last night!   Check these out!

Happy 4th of July America!!!!

by the way - the flower blossoms are pitaya blossums,

they will become beautiful and tasty pitaya fruit.

Kerpis Palm for the Garden

A while back, during the summer actually, we lost two Kerpis Palms (Adonidia Merrillii) to some unknown illness. The limbs started dying off, the trunk went all soft and squishy and they just died.

I debated and pondered what to put there to replace them; they were at the end of the pool with really tall stuff further on. I really wanted short pinnate palms for the visual effect.

There really is nothing else I want there except the Kerpis. I did decide to only put one back since I hadn't planned accurately the size of all the other stuff. So it took quite a few months and a lot of searching but I decided on a 4-41/2 ft Kerpis.

Mid December we went to the vivero and purchased the tree (450pesos). We were told it had been in its bucket planter about 4 years.

Here we are bringing the tree home.
That is Tom sitting in the trunk holding the tree upright.

And here Tom stands next to our new Kerpis -

I'll try to remember to take another picture in a year to see how its grown.

The Grass is Always Greener...

One of the things we've done recently was to have sod (cesped in español) installed on the pathways in the garden.

I had been trying for quite a while to decide what I wanted on the paths but hadn't come up with anything low cost, low maintenance, and clean. The loose dirt and rock that the pathways had deteriorated to was unbearable; dirty, dusty, muddy, etc.


So I finally decided to get bids on sod installation. I had a recommendation for one place, So I went and talked and made an appointment for a visit to assess the state of my space and to get a concepto (bid). The appointed day and time came, went, passed by several more days and no word.
So off to where I wanted in the first place - I have a little local vivero (garden shop/nursery) close to the house; one day I must blog them. Anyway, Selva Madre has 2 lots, one at calle 75 x 54y56, the other at calle 77 x 54y56. Marcello gave me a ball park of 70pesos per meter squared, depending on what he found when he visited. He came with me right then and there to see the space. After talking we, Tom and I, decided we wanted an extra thick layer of clean topsoil put down because our garden soil is really bad; that took us to 80 pesos per square meter. An agreement was made and a date set.


Marcello and his cousin Gerardo came as promised, OK, they were about 2 hours later than they said, but they came, I was thrilled. The first 10-12 hours was spent cleaning, leveling, removing large protruding stones, delivering bags of soil, strips of sod, etc.



The next morning they showed up again, and again, I was thrilled.

They started the installation.

They spent the full day laying a thick carpet of new soil, and the pieces of cut sod. The cutting machines here aren't as uniform as those used in the States, so the pieces are not uniform in either length or thickness. This sod came from VeraCruz, and is called American. It is the same type as used in the park at La Ermita.

Drum roll please for the new sod

This is from the patio beside the pool looking out in to the garden before the sod.

This is after the sod

And this is looking at the pergola before sod

and after sod

ohhh, ahhh

They guys actually had to come back the 3rd day because we were short about 6 square meters of sod. They came early installed cleaned up and were gone. I have a 2 month guarantee. They came back after the first week to apply a growth stimulant, will return in 20days to do that again, and again in 20 days after that. If any of the sod is faulty or dead, they will replace it.

The sod has been in for 2 weeks and is doing incredibly well. - I am thrilled

Puppies, and Garden - and puppies in garden

The puppies went on a road trip on Friday. They went to the hacienda which is how we found them, on the way to the hacienda. They gave no indication of recognizing the route at all.

Here they are travelling

and at the hacienda. (Note to self, not a good look)later in the day they went back to the vet for a follow up. Vet says Tech looks really good, but Corre has an infection under the skin on the top of her head. She probably got a puncture from a plant or cactus, and because her body is full of bacteria it is a sudermal infection. She got an antibiotic injection, and 2 prescriptio antibiotics. The swelling is going down so she'll be fine

Today was their big day to socialize. I decided to take them to the Dog Park near our house. I left the house about 7:20 with them both; Corre on leash, and Tech in her own personal Tech Transport device.

I must really want you to see this to take, well to show this picture of my armpit. This is my French Market basket, so you know I must think this is one 'special' puppy.

We got to the puppy park, and the gates were locked so we waited,

and waited, and waited just a bit more. then came home.

and enjoyed some time in the garden

this is Tatie, not exactly on best buddy terms with the puppies yet, but tolerating them much better now!