After spending four weeks of travel to and from Wisconsin (three of them at my #3 daughter’s home), I arrived home to a yellow lawn because it had been rained on only once during my absence. When I’m gone from home I shut off the water at the main valve. Strange things can happen in my absence, and I have no wish to come home to a flooded basement. With the water turned off, I could not ask anyone to water the yard while I was in Wisconsin. And, so, even though there was a little (very little) rain during that time, the effect on the lawn was pretty devastating.
The very first thing I did when I arrived home was turn on the water and start attempting to bring the grass from yellow to green. Some of that is working, although I do have the Davey people coming soon to lay down something to assist.
Before leaving home, I arrange for An Ho and his crew to work in the back yard and take down all of the vegetation in the area where Larry’s garden had existed. Years ago, we made a serious mistake by planting chokecherry bushes when I was still canning vegetables and making jelly from the chokecherry juice. Chokecherry bushes are incredibly invasive; I knew that this would require a lot of work to get rid of them.
An Ho came to do this on the Friday after I came home. The extensive process required that they remove all of the vegetation in the area; lay down a double layer of cloth to prevent new growth after spraying the area with a product to also prevent growth; and, spread about six inches of bark over the entire area. I tried to remove the remaining iris from the area, twice during the week, but could not. They did the work for me, placing the plants in the blue garden cart to be sorted and given away, later. I called friends who might want some of the iris. I don’t know what colors they are; I only know that they are beautiful iris. Larry planted beautiful iris.
They moved all of the yard ornaments, chimes, and bird feeders to another place in the yard, laying them down so I could later place them in new areas in the yard. They moved several unique rocks that have lived in the area for all of the years that I’ve lived in this house. Edging was placed around the area to keep the lawn from encroaching into the reworked area.
Saturday came and went, and Bryan was unable to help with preparing the iris to be given away. So, Miles made his first appearance as a worker. Miles will be a freshman in high school, this fall. If he is able to work my work into his schedule, he will become to “new” Bryan, who goes to college in the fall. Miles is heavily into year-round sports, so that will need to be considered when having him work.
Today, a Monday, Miles has worked helping me place the yard ornaments, etc., in different parts of the yard. He prepared the iris to be given away, and he has worked at getting the grass out of the front beds.
Because he is a freshman in high school, I am hopeful that he’ll be able to work with me for several years – Lord willing and the creek don’t rise! He’s a good worker, willing to take initiative while completing a project. He was able to meet neighbors, Katie, the visiting dog, and friends who came by to pick up the iris. I’m pleased that he will also be available on Wednesday.
I’ve been blessed with having so many helpful people in my life. Now, Miles will be among them.
Be safe and well.
The Cranky Crone
If you have thoughtful feedback or questions, please let me know with a comment below.
3 replies on “Yard Work”
That left me exhausted.
I am glad that Miles is able to help. That yard and gardens takes a LOT of work.
I am glad that Bryan is going to go to college in the fall. That is where he needs to be, but I wish that he could be helping you as well. He is such a great worker.