I know the yard was beautiful all spring and into the
summer, blooming with daffodils, peonies, irises, daylilies, and non-stop
roses. However, due to several factors, horribleness occurred.
It rained and rained and rained. Weeds loved that. Some of
the nicer plants rotted. Poison ivy and poison oak took over the extensive flower
beds.
I had to be out of town enough that, well, the horribleness occurred. Something had to be done. For one thing, there are too many trees in the front yard. Some of them have to go. In the flower bed beneath three of them, weeds don’t even grow! Well, except for poison ivy, and it doesn’t thrive there.
For another thing, the flower beds are too large and too
many. There’s no way we’ll be able to keep them up. (By “we” I mean “I” since
I’m the only one who tends plants in this family.)
We’ve gathered estimates and have hired a landscaper and a
tree company. The tree company will take down 3 of the trees and grind out the
stumps. Sadly, one of the trees is the weeping cherry that was so gorgeous. The
only reason it has to go is that it is dying. The branches are barer and barer
every week and the trunk is almost falling apart.
The landscaper has sprayed twice in preparation for clearing
most of the plants. The plan is to end up with one smaller flower bed that gets
sun. As many bulbs as possible will be saved and moved, and we can always get
more.
I’ve tried to give the roses away, but the neighbors don’t want
them. Hey, I understand--I’m not a rose person either. And these roses are
planted right at the curb where a passenger exiting a parked car will get
stuck! Not too hospitable.
We’re not sure how long this will take, but eventually, the
yard will be lots more grass than it is now. We hope.
