Mos,
POISON IVY:
here in Maine we have something that is called 'spring bamboo' its really Japanese something or other .. originally it was an ornamental they thought would be great to spread - well it DID everywhere. So far the only thing that has killed it for good, is about 3 layers of carpet, left for at least 3 years (better if you go for 5)
Supposedly goats eat poison ivy, but other than trying the carpet I don't know how you are going to get it out of there.
Keep some bleach around to scrub down with in case you get into it. Bert works in a paper mill and they get it in there and thats the 'cure'. Got any jewelweed growing? its suposed to help with the reaction.
DOGS:
I understand wanting to wait for another dog. We used to have chows and it took a long time after they died before we got another dog (Bangor was poisoned and She died years later from cancer). These were the best dogs, fantastic with my kids and anyone elses, very protective of littles. Dobie was a dob/rot cross (who was the dumbest biggest baby) great with kids, the seizures got really bad before she died. Now we have a setter retriever cross, smart but not too crazy about some kids, but was fantastic at Lammas (so maybe it has to do with who is around) .. Well maybe smart, come to think of it he's been hit by a skunk 3 times so far
GARDEN:
well if you can get them manuvered around to make the boxes, sounds like a winner. You can put carpet under the blocks and boxes if you have the poison ivy where you want the garden.
When Bert bought camp he never checked the soil. We have 2 ft of clay - he thinks we can just add compost to it LMAO.. I told him we could add compost from now until we die and it still will be nasty. He eventually wants to move there (closer to work), its also 2 more frost lines away so the growing season is much shorter.
Our gardens last year were dry in the spring and flooded the summer - pretty much useless. Another reason I am thinking about doing the SWC, water won't evap as easily and if its too wet I can cover or dump
Ria
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