Saint George Court, Warwick RI - Governor Francis Farms Soaking Rains Boost Plant Growth

Wild rain storms have soaked our little Saint George Court 

for the past few weeks. 

Over six inches of rain fell in just ten days in 

Governor Francis Farms, Warwick, RI. 

Take a look at the views of our garden and scroll back to a previous post HERE for a look at them on May 23, 2013, just about two weeks ago...

Governor Francis Fig Trees Promise a Bountiful Harvest! Saint George Court, Warwick, RI

I love figs. Fresh figs, just picked, are out of this world.
Soft, sweet and indescribably delicious!
Sprinkled with sugar and crisped with a blowtorch and they are pure heaven!

So it goes without saying that I would grow my own. Anyone who knows me knows that when I hook onto something I really love I learn how to make it, or in this case grow it, for myself. This behavior led me to Roslindale, Massachusetts last April to the Fig Tree shop.

That was about six weeks ago. A couple of hard frosts and heat waves later I decided to check my trees for progress. They have held up quite well. I was lucky enough to have figs already formed on my trees. However, the shock of the transplant caused this first set of fruit to drop. Sad but completely normal.

Yesterday I noticed that my trees were already making new fruits! Here is what it looks like when the baby figs appear.

A Good Beginning to a Bountiful Garden - Saint George Court

My garden project just seems to be hitting snags left and right. The first tray of seedlings that couldn't send up a single sprout.  
Finally I got a half dozen in round two.

Then there was the whole cage vs. stake debate.
The sheer cost of making stainless steel cages in a new design was outrageous. And the time it would take; so, I ended up with one inch stakes, eight feet long, from Lowe's garden center. We'll see.

Then there was the arduous task of hauling the two yards (over 3000 pounds) of soil into location. And lots more compost. Backbreaking but necessary.
Done now though.

 As you can see we've started planting! The garden now holds three pepper, nine cucumber, five eggplant, and eleven tomato plants. Also many herbs such as  basil, cilantro and parsley with a front row  of mixed lettuce to pick while the other vegetables grow larger.

Tamko Roofing Completed Saint George Court, Warwick RI Governor Francis Farms Home Renovation, Linda Maintanis

Finally I can say that there is an end to the noise on the roof! The roofers have spent a total of two weeks on the job, weather allowing most of the time, to complete this mammoth task. Tamko roofing was chosen for material in the color selection Virginia Slate.

As work continued around to the front of the house it became clear that this job was going to go like clockwork. One ridge vent after another was cut into this challenging roof. Residents of Saint George Court take curious walks by to catch glimpses of the change.

Rounding to the back of our house you can see the challenging heights and angles of the roof. The last day brought the roofers to the corner by the pond. Again, levels and angles starkly illustrate the scope of this project. Monday starts a new week and our siding crew will make some fun, colorful progress. Be sure to check out the Certainteed siding in the new shade of Seagrass.

by Linda Maintanis

Saint George Court, Warwick, RI - Begin New Tamko Roofing Linda Maintanis, Governor Francis Farms

    
It got a little bit noisy in Governor Francis Farms this week as we moved into the next phase of our renovations, roofing. Yes! It was a big step this week to move on to the ten day project. With a promise of spring-like weather the work started at the garage end of the house.

As you know we selected Tamko, Virginia Slate for shingles so when the new roof began to fill in the house grabbed a whole new personality. Roofers climber higher as they moved towards the peak. That will be the target of Monday's work.

The next group of photos show the stark contrast between the finished (left) side of the roof and the unfinished old side.

by Linda Maintanis

Saint George Court, Warwick, RI Governor Francis Farms Roofing, Siding, Deck Exterior Renovation Linda Maintanis

Good weather allowed us to work throughout the week and finish replacing the soffits and trim with Azek. Both large bay windows were converted from brown to white as our color scheme flips. Impervious to insects and birds, Azek will be the perfect choice of material for our trim.

The two bay windows on both sides of the house have been refitted with Azek casings and look fantastic! Originally a a dark brown which tended to regress; their sharp white lines are frames beautifully by either brick or siding. I can't wait to see the new roofing cap off these windows.

The workers have made good use of a crushed stone parking area at the rear of the house. The stone makes an ideal surface for drainage where supplies are stacked.