BerniceC: whatever You do to finally get rid of the black or cover it up, You'll surely want to seal the concrete so the problem can't come back or happen again or something.
BerniceC: Just a thought have you tried a weed killer? Also you could call someone thats puts in patios and ask them.I wonder if you let it dry out real good if that would help.
ajtgirl: Foxy's idea of a man sounds good ROFLMBO...just to do the work mind you...none of that funny stuff hehehehe....DONT talk candle wax to me ROFL....what a terrible thing to get off concrete...Oh but that is another story...thanks to you both LOL
I wish I could come and lend a hand to you. It's really not that hard. Just remember that concrete is porous and absorbs anything that goes on it. You could probably create your own artwork by throwing colorful foods, salsas, fruits etc...Let them sit. Wash them away. A splash of this, a blotch of that. No one will notice the algea...it'll just blend in. Candle wax also leaves a remarkable print. LOL
Thanks for the hard question, Foxy Lady.
I thought this was a gardening discussion, not Home Depot! LOL
Really it is pretty hard to get stains out of concrete. You might consider staining the stain. There are products at Home Depot, of course, that literally absorb into the concrete and therefore don't flake off and need to be repainted like real paint. We powerwashed the floor of our greenhouse retail shop and got it as clean as possible and then added 2 coats of a sandy colored stain with a roller and it looks damn good. I also stenciled a little rug onto the center section. Some of the stains are opaque and some are more solid, but they work very well, indoors or outdoors. GL Bernice.
Eriisa: i'd say something humorous about the extent of the focus issue, but Ms. Fox has forbidden me to goof off in here now that spring is more or less arriving.
Foxy Lady: i bet it is, Ma'am. as much because You say so as for any other reason. :)
i may not eat much fresh ginger (though i do get a couple of sticks of it on top of my Indian dishes, and i do eat that), but one thing i've been doing a lot lately is gobbling up the lemon wedges that i'm served with fish and seafood and tea and stuff. i know fresh lemon is good for me. i've developed a taste for pure unsweetened sour cherry juice too, which i think is also very good for me. yum!
Foxy Lady: i'm not sure whether i've ever had *fresh* ginger, Ma'am. i have had the sort of shaved stuff that you get a pile of with your sushi. i thought i'd heard it's good for you...but i just don't like it.
as for bok choy, there's bok choy and there's baby bok choy (as i'm learning from this gourmetsleuth.com site i've just discovered)...
You know what i think is really interesting is cardamom. i've become acquainted with it through my love of Indian food. it has a fascinating flavor - and one not for the faint of palate!
but aside from these monster veggies..i grow:
corn,chard,spinach,sweet orange peppers,carrots,parsnip,green & yellow bush beans,bok choy,broccoli,kohlrabi,peas,tomatillos.
Eriisa I was kidding..
but seriously what is everyone planting in their veggie garden's this year?
last year I discovered something.
what made me think of triffids was last year,I planted lotsa veggies...among them..artichokes & cardoon.
The artichoke is a perennial in the thistle group of the sunflower family. In full growth, the plant spreads to about 6 feet in diameter and about 3 to 4 feet high. It has long arching leaves that give the plant a fern-like appearance.
The vegetable that we eat is really the plant's immature flower bud.
If left to flower, blossoms measure up to 7 inches in diameter and are a beautiful violet color.
note : thorns & bumble bees they attract.
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Cardoon is similar to the globe artichoke. With cardoon the young tender leaves and undeveloped tender flower stalks are eaten rather than the flower bud. The thistle-like cardoon plant grows to a height of 3-5 feet and spreads over an area 6 feet in diameter.
An old greek neighbour told me that was eaten in ancient times as artichoke,was really cardoon immature flower buds.
I researched this...tried a few..I still live.but cardoon buds are a little bitter compared to
artichoke.some like this,if not..stick to eating the young tender leaves and undeveloped tender flower stalk
both plants are delicious,worth the trouble..if you have the space.
plaintiger: No i dont really want to paint the concrete because i also have a very long concrete drive and that would have to be painted as well....another reason is I sort of like the natural look....I did think of getting it stencilled but $$$$ and I dont have enough LOLOL....thanks for the suggestion :)
BerniceC: would You want to paint the concrete once You got the mold off? i know they make fungicide or moldicide or something that You can stir into paint and then when You paint the surface the mold shouldn't come back...
(trying this new reply box function for the first time - please forgive me if it does something weird i don't expect! )