Yard work...uffdah

Here is an update on the shed! 

Getting there!

I'm going to toss some good dirt down in the spot below as soon as they pick up those last pieces. Then I'll add some wild flower seeds to the soil. It will be interesting to see what pops up.

I can't mow that spot anyway and I hate week whacking.

Here is a shot of the old wash tub I saved from the crushed garage. It was NOT crushed! The scrap dudes got it out for me. That was the only thing I wanted from the garage.

I put this tub on the area I have to dig up every three years for a septic inspection.

I'll put showy begonias in the tub for some early bright colors.
 

One of the shops that sells, liquor, vape stuff, tobacco, fireworks, tools, clothes, and other odds and ends put up a little greenhouse this year.

I like their little store. I can get soil, mulch, and most of my garden needs within 3 miles from home. Their prices beat everyone else.

In our area, there seems to be an Amish greenhouse or a pop up greenhouse all over the countryside.

Forgive the shot of the crushed garage in the background. But it is THERE! My hopes are to have it demolished and graded out before spring is done! It will improve the view out my back door and bedroom 100%. 

With Hannah as the new helper extra-ordinaire, I have ended up needing to fence off the little gardens. 

She thinks they are great places to do her business or to dig for moles and voles.

I have light fencing that I cut up with wire cutters and surrounded the area. It does the job for now. 

I ordered some pretty fence pieces to put around the gardens to remind Miss Hannah to stay out of those areas.

I stopped in to check on the Country Clipper to see what the hold up was and...whoopsie! The guys hadn't done it yet. Mark looked shocked and his co-manager found the mower and came back saying somehow they never made up a work ticket. 

Well, I've done business with these guys for 30 years, so I just shrugged. Mark said I must be cussing them out when I mowed with the little mower.  I'm sure they have many customers that get all "Karen" on them. I'm not one of those. They'll have to me shortly.

After all, I did the mowing now twice with the little mower. I go at it for two to three hours at a time in the afternoon. I get it done and it looks nice. I think it takes about the same amount of gas to do it with either mower. 

However...

Gas prices jumped 20 cents over night here. I wonder if I will end up fencing off the yard in sections for some rotational grazing. Then I'd just mow the weeds they don't eat. Work less, mow less.

I hesitate to see what the gas without ethanol is going for. Last I got any, it was 5 1/2 bucks. 

I am planting mostly seeds this year. I'm trying to keep the costs for gardening down. 

After a long day working, I dragged out the camp cot and invited the 'kids' to chill out with me.

We ended up sleeping on the porch to test out how warm the sleeping bag would do for a chilly night. 

It did great along with two canine heaters.

Next week I'm going to try putting up the tent and maybe we'll try that out!

That time of year

I don't usually follow my own good advice. I woke up tired. I ate breakfast tired.
I did chores

tired.

Then I took the weekend's trash out and separated the recycle stuff for Wednesday's journey to the town 'dump'.

Then I looked at my messy flower beds. I put the black plastic [these are old round hay bale covers] over the areas that I am going to plant with seeds to block out spring weeds. 

I usually wait until the end of May to put seeds in the ground.

I dug out last fall's weeds, turned soil, weeded by hand, moved rocks, and did a major clean up. The dogs enjoyed laying in the grass and supervising.

I cleaned out the Hosta bed on the NE side of the house to prepare it for some fresh mulch and found 3 little bleeding hearts coming up.

Last year I'd put down cardboard in this area and mulched on top of it. It did a fair job of keeping the weeds down and so far still looks good.

I'll probably need to redo the whole thing next year.

I generally use those rocks as a border alongside this part of the garden. By midsummer, the hostas are so large one cannot see the rocks.

I might find another job for those rocks this year.

In my 'shade' garden, the tulips, daffodils, Virginia Bluebells, ferns, hostas, and snowdrops are all coming up like crazy. That garden is a true mess with grasses and other 'weeds' growing up. I guess I might get at it later this year or leave it.

I didn't clean it up last year as I was busy with caring for Rich in his final time with me. I let the gardens go last year.

However, the flowers still are coming up despite the mess and I am enjoying them.
 

I noticed that the yard was shaggy and overgrown. My little dogs had grass up to their shoulders. I guess I was going to have to break out the mowers.

I used my all natural mower to assist in difficult places.

I used my little mower to do a large part of the yard. I need to change the oil and the filter in it. Obviously, it needs cleaning too. But I love this mower, it really rocks. 

10 years ago Rich bought this Country Clipper Zero turn mower for doing our yard. It was his 'baby'. It uses a joy stick to steer which I have learned to use over the past 8 years. 

Since this is a complicated machine, I have the guy we purchased it from come each year to pick it up and tune it all up. He is not always swift in getting it done, but he is easy to deal with.

Over the past 30 years we've purchased all of our mowers and chain saws from him. 

Last year I didn't so it is Bad On Me.

It is running just fine but I am not sure about the oil, the hydraulic stuff, the blades, and the belt so I need an expert to exam it.

Machinery is NOT my forte. I don't understand engine things. 

If they stop running, I need help!

The yard below👇
The yellow tape is to remind the Scrap Dudes
not to pull into the yard where
the leach field is.

By 4PM, the dogs and I were all done in. I sat in the grass in front of the porch. 

I did some daydreaming. I dreamt of huge wildflower beds in that area on the left side of the photo above. After that area is leveled, I'll be spreading grass seed. But what if I made a nice area for wild flowers and butterfly flowers? I could watch and observe it from my own porch in the summer months.

Once upon a time, I had a huge flower garden that started at the wagon wheel and went 50 feet towards the house with a walking path down the middle of it. I'd had a job that allowed me more time on the weekends, and late afternoons to tend my huge garden. It was a sight to see.

Two shoulder surgeries and an elbow surgery within 3 years put an end to that garden. Rich removed it and made it into grass. 

This is a shot from 2005 before the garden got mowed down. 

It is nice to dream about things isn't it? At least I can imagine a huge beautiful garden. It may not happen, but I can close my eyes and see it.

It is that time of year, time for big dreams if you like gardening.

I need to get out my seeds I gathered last year and start plotting. It will all change as soon as I start planning.

I like pretending....😉and dreaming.