a few calories burned

BEFORE: You can’t see the biggest change because I shot from the edge of the patio. 

I had planned to participate in no-mow May, but about two weeks ago I caved. I was just waiting for the citation from the city. It then promptly rained for two solid weeks. I can’t image what it would like like had I not mowed.

So my nieces husband is my lawn dude this summer.  And I’m planning on working him hard. There’s some projects that need doing, that I’ve put off. Partly because I’m lazy. Partly because I don’t like doing ANYTHING alone. Blame it on being the youngest child. I always had playmates. They keep me motivated.

Let me give you the lay of the land: On the left of the deck is some hostas and a pink peony. It’s flowers are tight because it’s protected by a dying tree azalea. The right of the deck some bushes. Not native. At this point the deck is empty. 

I’m standing at the edge of the deck. To the right of me is a tree azalea I gave my mom for Mother's Day in the mid-80s. I few blooms happened this year, but it’s on life support.  To the left of me are 3-nearly 50 year old azaleas. They are white. They were amazing in their heyday, but not recently. They’ve taken a beating with the snow, and I have a hard time weeding them. One was 100% dead. The second at least 75%. And the third only slightly better. They bloomed this year; barely.

On the red fence side is some irises (that are now done), another still budding pink peony, a huge rose of Sharon, and a forsythia. (My nephew cut that at least in half last year. I think it grew three times bigger.) The wash post sits in the middle of the yard. On the right side — in the yard — is a red peony. It was opening the last time I cut the grass. It was pretty for about 5 seconds and then the rain beat it down on the ground. I always say I’m going to buy forms and I never do. 

On the natural fence side is mostly weeds now. There is a couple hostas, and one sedum has survived. But the invasive weeds have overtaken everything. And the more I pull the more they multiply.  Frankly, I’ve given up.

So I picked up J. The first thing we did was prune the front of the Rose of Sharon. Clearly my plants ate their Wheaties over the winter.  Then he set to work weed whacking and mowing. I got to work pulling vines. There were at least four different kinds. Some with shiny leaves, some with grape leaves, and the prickly ones that almost looked like flowers. 

I have long stopped taking yard waste to the compost center. I’ve been putting the brush in front of the garage. I think the neighborhood stray cats love it.  Outside my gate is the compost bin, a gorgeous clematis, and two areas of weeds. I have tried over the years to plant things, but they don’t stick. After J was done weed whacking back there I decided that was going to be the new green compost pile. As long as it doesn’t have food in it, it should be fine. Maybe it will keep down the weeds. Though I’d really like a week of sun to dry them out before rain. I don’t want anything to root.

OMG. It’s starting to look like a yard and we are only an hour in.

Then J get’s to the deck. I was weeding here. How much of this is weeds? Everything but that tree. He puts his hand out and say’s “this dead tree” as a two inch branch breaks off in his hand. It’s was kindling. I told him to prune out the dead. There was one branch left. I had a decision to make. Keep a dead Sussical tree or cut it down. I told him to cut it. I hauled everything to the “compost” pile.

One decision made. Then he say’s are you finishing that dead bush by hand. And I said no. It’s’ve taken off the rose colored glasses, I cannot save it. Pull it before I change my mind.

He did. 

Then he brought up the patio furniture. If I have money left from my kitchen I’m putting in a new deck. The person who put in this one sucked. The one my brother made lasted 30+ years. This one is less than 10.

So now it’s time to buy plants. It’s hard because it’s all sun, all day. They will all die. And it’s hard to know going into something that you’re just wasting money.

Positives:

1) The yard is no longer the worse in the neighborhood

2) I spent a hour out there this morning doing puzzles. I actually left the house, albeit I didn’t go far.

3) The birds had a field day last night with the worms and bugs. All-you-can-eat buffet time at my house.

4) I spent 2.5 hours outside.