Bathroom

I would take a long soak in the tub except for one small problem....

About 1/2 of the wall is down to studs. The floor layers are all off except the last layer of particle board.

Most of the framing is gone from the dividing wall. Once the remaining drywall is off, and the particle board is off the floor, I can start framing.

"my other car is a bike" bumper sticker

from this site.

Overwintering geraniums & cuttings. More cacti. Anigozanthos.

The geraniums in the garage look rather sad. Of course, dormancy isn't supposed to be pretty. Here's a topic for discussion: should I call them pelargoniums, like the 'real' gardeners do, or geraniums, like everyone else? For that matter, is the plural pelargonia / gerania?

The epiphyllum is back inside, just in time. It's in the same spot as last year.

Also visible, the Anigozanthos flavidus (Kangaroo paw hybrid). I did some web research on culture for these plants. Apparently not very well known in this climate, especially overwintering.


For future reference:
-Googling on images, this plant is apparently an A. flavidus hybrid. It might be "Bush Gold" although I generally avoid most things named 'Bush'. Here's another description of Bush Gold.
-They prefer bright light.
-They need excellent drainage.
-They dont like excess phosphorus.
-It seems that they can be overwintered indoors.
-They store water in their rhizomes, so can go without water for extended periods.

So, I'll try to resist watering it unless it's very dry, and if it survives Winter, I'll try to keep it in bright light, use a well drained potting soil when it comes time to repot, and resist using any high-phosphate plant foods (although growing organically, most supplements that I use don't have excess phosphate).


The geranium cuttings have rooted now. They have roots coming out of the holes in the containers. The non-scented varieties are doing better than the scented-leaf ones (in the garage and the window sill) but all they need to do is survive, for a head start next year.

Biked 3 days this week. New bumper sticker states "My other car is a bike".

Cactus therapy.

Some green therapy here. Each year I seem to find something different to over-do. One year it was roses, then tomatoes, then peppers, then figs. The roses are mostly still there, but out of favor due to high maintenance (except a few). I can only grow so many tomatoes or figs, and I think i have them more-or-less figured out for this area. The peppers are not so rewarding although I'll keep trying a few.

Without intending to, it looks like this time it's cacti. Looking around the yard and in the windows, there are quite a few. These are not well identified, but I'm thinking (left to right) Echinopsis sp, Gymnocalycium sp., and Selenocereus sp. These identifications may change if they have identifiable blossoms. Based on web photos, Gymnocalycium flowers are amazingly colorful.




I've been growing this cactus through about 4 'cutting generations' over a period of 15 years. It sits neglected in the yard in the summer, and occasionally I start a new pad. I've given away some of the larger plants due to moving, and one was killed in a frost. Now I want to try again. based on photos in a book and on the web, this is Opuntia neoargentina but could also go by Brasioliopuntia braziliensis and multiple other names. It has a yellow flower. It can grow as a tree on a thick trunk, and tiers of branches with pads that fall off when dry. The original was a gift from a friend in Lafayette indiana; his cactus was over 6 feet tall when I first saw it. Googling on this species, it appears to be threatened in its original habitat in much of its habitat, much of which has been destroyed in Brazil, but it also grows widely in some tropical areas.



Today 2 more were added from Lowes. The result of an overly stressful week (if only I drank, I wouldnt have to keep adding vegetation around the house!). Given the winter season, a colorful Schlumbergera hybrid (labeled as Zygocactus) and a small Parodia (labeled as Notocactus herteri). The Notocactus comes in many colorful varieties.

Outside are 2 Opuntias that have survived two winters so far. Neither has blooded.

It's amazing to look at the photos of cactus flowers and read about their climates, and the history of their horticulture.

Some wise words for me to take to heart.

Sometimes you do your best and someone will punish you for it. Sometimes you have to let go. This bumpersticker at this site. 

Schlumbergera cactus

It was out on the deck for the summer. Brought in inside in October. Very low maintenance. Grown from cuttings last year, just stuck them into the soil & it took off. With some plants, you just cant lose. (although with these pajamas, the photo isnt exactly ready for HGTV)

Still getting figs. Tomatoes are winding down.

Still quite a few figs remaining on petite negri. Best results so far on this 5 year old tree. This late, main, crop tastes very good - equal or better than the breba crop. The secret seems to be letting them get so ripe that they almost fall off on their own. I need to remember tanglefoot to keep the ants off (or are the ants acting as pollinators?).

This year's fig results:
Petite negri: It was worth the wait. Still about 2 dozen on the tree. About 4 dozen figs this year. Tree is 5 years old from purchased, mail order 'stick' size tree.
Vancouver: The last fig was yesterday. About 3 dozen this year. Tree is 3 years old from cutting.
Petite negri in pot: about 3 years old. first small figs this week.
Hardy Chicago: vigorous. The first fig (this curring is less than one year old) was good, although I understand that following years will be better.
Melanzana: The first fig wasnt ripe yet when I cut it. Bummer.


The tomatoes are winding down. Still some coming ripe in front yard patch.

The back yard patch didnt do as well this year. I suspect the shade from the grapes, which had their best year ever

Sunday: Puttering, homework. Bike tomorrow?

Collected some geranium cuttings - the unusual types. No loss if they don't survive the winter. However, this way I have a back-up in case the larger, dry-stored plants dont make it. The advantage of the dry storage method is that the plants will be larger in the Spring. Also, they don't need much attention in storage.

These include some scented and some variegated leaf varieties. No rooting hormone was used - just cut to size, trim extra leaves, stick them into some general purpose potting soil. Last year most of the cuttings took using this method.

Some petite negri (potted tree). First crop for this potted tree. One shows the tear of the penitent.

Also collected some ginkgo seeds and cleaned them up. I'll use the "squirrel method" this time - pleant them around the yard and forget about them. Some might surprize me with little trees next summer.

Better go inflate the tires for tomorrow's ride.

Some tile choices (of many)

Bathroom Remodel, what it took to get started

The initial plan was to start Nov 2005 with nhopes to finish by Christmas. A trip to Home Depot and their designer resulted in a plan and a visit from a general contractor, but the contractor was unable to give an estimate, despite several calls, until we gave up in January. I suspect that there are so many big projects (housing boom) that no one is willing to take on a small project like a bathroom.

A contractor was identified via a co-worker; he stated that a designer was needed. A designed was also identified via a coworker - $$$ later, the estimate came through at $45,000 for the 2 bathrooms. After I picked up my jaw from the floor, it was time to read and learn to do it myself. (Wild guess, I'm thinking $2,500 for the guest bath, maybe $4,000 for the master bath).

There are lots of books available. Everything was measured at least twice. Plans were drawn up from the original bathroom. Using the bathroom remodel book, plans were drawn to scale of the new bathrooms.

We decided to do one at a time, so that we would have at least one working bathroom through the entire project.

I found the city web site, took the plans there, and got a permit. Not as bad as I thought. We are still looking for electrical and plumbing contractors, but that doesnt look too difficult either.

The project, very roughly, looks like this:

1. The guest bathroom will be de-constructed down to the studs and tub.
2. Then the new wall will be framed in.
3. Wiring and plumbing will be placed for the new fixtures. This part will require electrician and plumber (Thanks for angieslist.com).
4. City inspection.
5. New walls, ceiling to be installed.
6. Tile the walls.
7. Install fixtures.
8. Tile the floor.

There are probably a couple of other inspections involved, but that is the rough plan for the project.

The plans are hard to read here - I need to learn how to scan documents. Another day.



Existing bathrooms.


New floor plan

Layout for East wall and fixtures, Guest Bathroom.