Yard Work

I spent the better part of this morning clearing out the overgrown areas at the back of our yard and around the house. We have tons of shade along the perimeter from the large Fraser's Photinia planted around as a hedge row. They give great privacy, but between them and pine trees, it's a sunless forest back there of disintegrating pine needles, scrubby plants, and rotting broken limbs.

Someone planted rose bushes all around the yard at some point, but they never received enough sun. So instead of rambling roses, all we have is very long, very sharp vines tangled into the bushes and trees. Add several untrimmed holly bushes, and I began to know what Prince Charming felt like trying to storm Sleeping Beauty's overgrown castle. I got scratched, poked, sweaty, blistered, and bitten! I had mosquito repellent on, but I could kill three or four pests at a time on each leg. I only hope I managed to avoid the poison ivy (not being a Southern girl, I have a hard time differentiating it from any other three-leaved plant).

After all the pruning, I dragged the refuse to the front yard. I'm thankful our city has a fantastic public works department. They pick up large yard waste once a week in a bucket truck, chip it up, and then provide free mulch to residents. So, come this fall, I can go get a truck bed full of recycled limbs to properly landscape my woodland wonderland!

We went to the botanical gardens last week and I got some great ideas for shade gardens. Once I get the groundwork laid, I hope to be out planting hostas, Solomon's Seal, ferns, vinca, bleeding heart, coral bells, and a whole host of shade loving beauties.

Limbs piled up on the curb until tomorrow