So where have I been? It's a question that's been asked of me by phone and email more than a few times over the last few weeks. It's nice to be missed although there was no need for worry. I didn't mean to let so much time lapse between posts; I've been right here all along.
And by right here, I do mean right here. Me and the yard chores have been spending a lot of time together and, thankfully, the results are showing.
I power washed the pool deck and Wayne did the driveway and sidewalks. We invested in one of those surface cleaners that attach to the washer itself and it was worth every penny. I did the entire pool deck in less than three hours, clean-up included. Of course, I then spent far more than that vacuuming all the fine dirt out of the pool but that was going to happen no matter what tool I used to wash the deck. Boy, does it look good now!
And I've literally spent weeks working in the flower bed next to the pool. A couple of summers of minimal attention have meant that only the hardiest plants have survived. Apparently hardy is synonymous with purple because with the exception of the roses, everything left produces purple blooms. I'm well on my way to remedying that.
I carried all 72 of the stones that make the twisty path through the flower bed up three steps, across the back porch and down three steps to the drive where Wayne power washed them...then I carried them back again. Each one probably weighs about 12 pounds except for the four big ones which tip the scales at about 40 pounds each. It was like a gym workout that went on and on and on. I've washed them in place before but I didn't want all the algae that had grown on the stones over the last two (or maybe three) summers to find a home in the flower bed so I carted them to the drive and back.
Gone too is the top layer of tired soil in the flower bed itself and in its place are six big bags of garden soil plus some Black Cow. Any weeds that are thinking about returning better think again! New plants are going in and even though there are still lots of open spaces, it's looking more like a real flower bed every day instead of the forgotten space it had become. Now when I stand at my kitchen sink and look out I see pinks and reds and yellows and whites. It makes my heart happy although I'm not sure my nails will ever be the same. Wayne has been a trooper throughout this: Truck driver, bag toter and plant-payer-for-er. We're getting there.
The flower bed isn't the only part of the yard getting attention. I'm at war with the weeds that think they should live among the blades of grass...or more accurately, instead of the blades of grass. Spring a year ago was particularly wet with numerous heavy downpours, and when the water overran the curb and made small rivers across the lawn, it brought a host of weeds we've never had before. It's not just us; almost every house in the subdivision is in the same boat. A neighbor two doors east and another about five doors west have re-sodded their entire yards.
My next door neighbor and I aren't going to that extreme but after minimal success last year, we're bringing out the heavy artillery this growing season. We're spreading and spraying and digging and pulling. It's a pain to lug a sprayer back and forth across the front and side lawn every week but I figure I'm better off to zap those trespassers when they're young and tender than to let them get a foothold. If they can't get big enough to reseed this year, next year should be better.
So that's my life these past few weeks: Yard work and more yard work. It's hardly exciting, hence no posts but I'm determined to git 'r done. One of these days I'll be able to sit back and enjoy it.
I admire your commitment to getting it done. Looking forward to seeing the not so purple pool garden. ;)
Posted by: Mary-Lou | June 09, 2015 at 08:22 PM