Homestead mailing list

["WF Smith" <mogrits AT gmail.com>]

Forgive me for ruminating on the list but...

We recently took ownership of my family's homeplace. The house was first
built in 1825 and underwent a major expansion in 1856. It had a couple
smaller renovations subsequent to that (closets added turn of the century,
and indoor plumbing/toilet/bathtub added in the 40's or thereabouts).

Anyway, this will be a longterm labor of love to restore and right now our
major focus is on stabilizing it and whipping the grounds into shape. I hope
to get some fences repaired and put some goats to work on underbrush and be
ready to plant a garden next year, along with replanting some orchards my
grandfather used to have.

The yard, once a showplace, has been neglected the past few years and I am
trying to clean some things out and revive some others. There are azaleas
there older than I am, and they seem to be dying off. Lots of dead wood and
even some of the live branches are covered with lichen. I'll begin watering
them, check the soil pH and possibly feed them some and see what happens.

My specific question for the gardeners is about boxwoods. There are a few
boxwood hedgerows I suspect to be over 100 yrs old, but they are sickly and
stunted looking. We are in a drought which partially explains slow growth
and stress. Are there any supplements or anything that one can do to
invigorate a boxwood hedge or do they have a limited lifespan and limited
growth? They are a major element in the front landscape and because of their
history I hesitate to replace them if I can avoid doing so.

I have a website centered around the house and the lives of it's former
occupants that I will be updating more frequently as time allows. I'll
probably chronicle the renovations and other projects there as well.

The very first obstacle we faced, as soon as I had the electricity turned
back on, was a dry well. Drilling a new well vs. tying into the public water
system became a financial decision. We preferred a new well but at 12/ft
plus pump/tank/casing etc and a predicted depth of 750 ft or so, we had to
tap onto the "city water". When my ship comes in I may drill a new well, or
this drought may end and the existing well may prove adequate for watering
outside, etc. (The taste of the water was never good- it was bitter and
Grandad always attributed that to the damned walnut trees sinking roots in
the aquifer).

Anyway, any advice on old azaleas and especially old boxwoods is
appreciated. The website address is www.palmettopathos.com

Warren