My Poor Yard

My thumb is not green. I love plants and lovely flower ornamented yards but I’m not one to get everything to bloom and blossom. But I try.

This year I face my yard work alone. As long as Kris, my son lived here, he took care of the mowing. Now that he’s moved out, although he’s offered to mow, I’ve elected to attempt the yard project myself. I don’t mind. After working inside all day, I welcome the opportunity to spend some time outdoors with the breeze blowing in my hair.

My poor yard, neglected for years except the grass cutting. I’ve thumbed through Garden magazines looking for ideas that will fit into my budget to bring life to such a sad plot of dirt. The magazines mention natural trouble spots as “character”. Well, my yard has plenty of character! Tree stumps and roots above ground, nothing flat, all hills and bumps. Some places, grass refuses to grow, other places, it’s too thick.

Taking it one area at a time, I’ve raked away the winter’s leaves and mown the tender grass shooting up from below. Sticks, limbs and twigs all gather on my yard. I look up and see so much more to be done and feel defeat already. Then I remind myself that I will take back my yard from Mother Nature, one inch at a time!

I make flower beds between the roots where it’s too rough to mow. Will these seeds ever come up and become beautiful flowers? Well, at least it’s not over grown with weeds any longer. I strategically place potted plants and yard ornaments on the stumps, using them as outdoor tables.

Killed 2 young snakes and one more got away. I hate snakes. Around here most are bad boys. Cotton mouths, water moccasins, or copper heads. My two ponds and the watershed next door make my living area very accessible to such fellows. There are also the nonpoisonous ones, garden snakes, black racers, etc. I hate them all! They love to hide under the leaves I rake, or around any little thing in the yard. God’s Grace gives me the strength and courage to work in my yard with these varmints about.

This year I think every mole in the county has come to dig under my grass. There are so many holes from moles, frogs and / or snakes. I shutter at what might come out as my mower pushes on.