Antics in the backyard

This morning I was out early spreading some weed killer and began noticing some interesting antics on the grass. There were two pairs of robins chasing each other all over. First they would hop on the grass then zoom to the pine trees and back to the grass. The females were always one hop or quick flight in front of the males. Every once in a while they would let the guys get just close enough to keep the game exciting. Then out of the maple tree came a new female to the game. All action on the grass stopped as this new comer was examined. One of the males made a few hops towards the new bird and boy did that have an effect. The old, shall I call her the girlfriend, quickly started hopping back and forth in front of the male. And it worked, he soon forgot the new lady and returned to chasing his true love. I was having so much fun watching them I forgot how miserably cold it was for a saturday in May.

A little Break

  Well it's been raining here quite a bit and its so nice! yesterday there was a slight break in the weather so I ran outside for the brief sunshine and thought..."Yes, today I shall plant some flowers." So, I ran to the store after work and bought some hardy petunias. They are so easy to please, that I figure I can't go too wrong. I got some miracle grow, because it really does work miracles! And some more gloves...there was no reason for the gloves,  they were just on sale and were cute.

  So, if you recall the front yard had a patch that was, shall we say, still ugly. This is where the dirty work was wrought! There was a kind of ground cover plant growing amidst some other bushes (I'm fairly sure the bushes were not weeds...you'll see). This little plant was SO stubborn and hard to get out, even in the wet soil. But thanks to my trusty trowel I conquered. The only injury I found was a scraped knuckle from overzealousness. 

Here is what the area looked like before I got a hold of it:

The patch of wood chips in the left lower corner is the stuff I put down a week ago. The rest is dirt, old wood chips, weeds and snails. (I have about a million snails in my yard...in Utah...in a desert...can someone explain that to me?) The brighter green bush to the left is a very cute flowering bush that has just begun to show its adorable little red flowers. You can see them in the "after" picture. The other more forest green tuft is just grass...I thought it was cute so I left it. in the back we have a giant tuft of grass...I think it is a plant that someone put there, I mean it's kinda fun right? So I left that too. 

  I scoured the weeds out, mixed the top soil in and then planted the petunias here and there, and what I got was this:

Quite a difference yeah? It's amazing what a little love can do for a tiny little corner of the world! It makes me so happy to see it! Makes me feel that if anything else, at least this little patch of ground is beautiful and heck, I helped do that! 

  Now before I leave, a quick question for the gardeners out there...I was looking at my peas last night and I noticed there were a few of them that had popped out of the ground...seed and all! I tried to take a picture but all I got was this:

The top white pebble is actually a pea seed come a ground! There were quite a few and the funny thing was is that some of them had little shoots coming out. We re-buried them and I'm hoping they aren't doomed. Are they? 

  Have a wonderful day!

oops

Well, how to you like my checker board grass. I had covered my flowers with a piece of plastic to protect them from frost one night forgetting that the sprinklers would come on at 2 am. The next morning I spread the plastic out on the lawn to dry for only about a half hour and by the next day I saw this big dead spot the exact shape of the plastic. I FRIED MY GRASS!! Hey, wonder if that would work in places were you don't want it to grow but don't want to use chemicals to kill it.

Singing in the Rain!

  I LOVE the rain! Especially when it feeds my little, growing, cutesy pootsy plants. Rain is so refreshing, I can feel it on my skin. Plus, then I don't have to water them, which has proven diffcult since my hose doesn't reach the front bed, and the back hose's nozzle is bussted so it sprays funny. 
  I want to tell you about another part of my garden that didn't get mentioned...my planter boxes. My sweet Marmy (who is going to randomly post about her garden in Idaho) gave all of us kids these funny green planter boxes for easter, to get our gardens started. Well I planted mine, stuck them out on the back deck and nothing showed up forever. I would forget to water it, and forget it was even there. A couple of times I even walked out onto the deck to get some air, looked over at them, and gave them the last of my glass of water...very generous of me.
  Well, to my surprise the little guys lived, and are growing this very day. I guess I didn't notice them for a few days because when I finally looked...THERE THEY WERE!

  You can't see it too well, but the planter on the right also has some little spurts. I love how all the starts look the same; a tiny green stem with two little leaves. And I always think "Now, what did I plant again?" I know there were some herbs, some lettuce, and maybe chives...maybe.
  The reason I wanted to show these cute little guys is to instill some hope for the indoor or small planter gardener. If I can make little seeds grow out of bright green planters...so can you! even if you are busy, or you forget, some little seeds never give up. I'll let you know how they turn out!

Beginnings are the Best

The beginning of a new gardening experience is always filled with a sense of hope. Hope that thinks will grow and produce and hope that you can handle all that the season will throw at you, from new bugs, to annual weeds, from brown leaves, to root rot. There is a never ending variety of evils that can befall your garden and yard. It doesn't matter if your thumb is green or brown, you can be a joyfully successful gardener. Because gardeners are by nature creators, creators of beauty and bounty, they love to learn new techniques and tips. I'm excited by all that we can learn together during this growing season.

It's just the Beginning

It's May and I've already gotten a late start, but perhaps, just perhaps my garden will grow. I love gardening, and I have since my mother taught me years and more years ago. I began as a child weeding for chores, then slowly it became a time when Marmy and I got to be together making beautiful things grow. A time of connection, creativity and many times experimentation.

Now I am older and trying my hand at the not-as-fertile soil in my backyard. We just moved in and it has become my project to make this yard into what it was meant to be, and not the weed fest it has become. I truly do not understand the disconnect in the opinion that a yard can simply be left alone and not cared for, and that it doesn't matter. Not only will it up the value of your property, but it also brings a sense of success to the soul to see good work turn chaos into order, sometimes fragrant order!

Let me tell of my yard. It is quite normal, a few quirks but nothing I can't handle...I hope. One never knows what adventures await in hidden corners. Overall it looks like this:

Now, don't be fooled. This yard did not look anything like this before we began. The lawn was a disorderly, disheveled mess of weeds, dandelions, and crab grass. This mess had crept its way into the garden area you see in the back. It took three days, about two hours a day to get that cleaned up. You see that it still needs lots of love and care.

There along the fence line are a few rose bushes and some vines. I have never cared for roses, so this will be a new and interesting challenge. They are a bit overgrown so I am taking some amateur initiative and trimming them...I will keep you posted...literally. Close up they look like this:

Quite bushy yes? Yes. Something will need to be done.

I also have another corner of the yard that has peaked my interest. I will need to contemplate its potential. It has much to be desired, but definitely possibilities! Take a look:

So, I have shown the back yard and its many qualities. Now let's move to the front. The front yard is mostly driveway but there are a few options that have been neglected. Such as:

This is one side of the driveway. You can see that I have already begun some serious work. This was a forest of grass weed and old snail shells. (and a weird red worm bug that I didn't recognize...scary!) I pulled the weeds out, used rocks I found in the dirt and created a little flower bed. I have some serious plans for this side including more bark, flat stones, petunias, and strawberries!

The other side of the driveway is a little more...unchangeable. The sidewalk, some vines, and a lone tree adorns this side and grass covers the rest. The two cement blocks are a nice additions. See below:

And thus begins my adventure in rebuilding what was once I'm sure, a glorious idea, back to it's prime...wish me luck!

Tis the Set of the Sails

But to every mind there openeth

A way, and way, and away

A high soul climbs the highway

And a low soul gropes the low

And in between on the misty flats

The rest drift to and fro

But to every man there openeth

A high way and a low

And every mind decideth

The way his soul shall go

One ship sails East

And another West

By the self-same winds that blow

Tis' the set of the sails

And not the gales

That tells the way we go

Like the winds of the sea

Are the waves of time

As we journey along through life

Tis' the set of the soul

That determines the goal

And not the calm or the strife

By: Ella Wheeler Wilcox