Screaming in frustration.
Those are photos of my backyard, on this Wednesday 6/11/14
and here's the photo I posted 5/08/14
after spending many long full days clearing it.
In the last two weeks I've been really busy at work so I come home exhausted
and haven't been working on my yard except to mow the front yard
and work on the flower beds along the drive
and to lay paving bricks along side all of it.
I took down some trellis's and leaned them against the picnic table and a garden chair
and less than two weeks later, here they are:
and it's been raining.
So for many days I haven't been able to work outside because of that.
The plus side of all this is that some Dianthus that I had bought last Fall have bloomed.
They were annuals that I had never got around to planting and were left in a flat until late October
and I had on impulse just stuck them into the hard ground in the front of the house.
I just couldn't bear to toss them while them were alive and growing still.
and by some miracle they made it through our awful freezing winter.
So anyway, last Saturday I spent several hours trying to make a dent in all this overgrown mess and then
last Sunday my sister and I planned to go to Sunnyfield Greenhouse in Galva, IL for a day trip.
We've been there before, it's a cool place with lots of flowers and plants.
We decided to go even though neither of us planned on buying anything.
We were just going to look and maybe get ideas.
Of course we both broke down and got some flowers.
(butterfly bush)
(coneflower)
(orange flower vine thing)
(hibiscus)
There was a light glowing up under where the water bubbled up.
But sadly it was $460.00.
I swear this gardening thing is a sickness, an addiction.
On Wednesday, my day off, it rained on and off.
I snapped the above photos and just went inside in despair.
I just don't have the energy to do it all again.
I'm pretty sure that I'm going to call and get a dump truck full of rock.
Yep, cover as much as possible in gravel.
And actually the greenhouse was all rock with potted plants set on top....
Hmm, that might be just the ticket!
But tonight, after a very long and super busy day at work,
we are just going to chill and watch some TV.
27 comments:
okay, clearly i'm an idiot. because i think it looks green and beautiful.
i need new glasses, but still, i'm not seeing what you see.
That's why we have lawn mowers :-) Just keep on mowing those weeds and they'll give up sooner or later. You can cover the entire space with a ground cover carpet (I just can't find the english name for it)
They use it when making gravel paths to stop weeds from growing up throw the gravel. It's cheap and You can cover it with what ever You like.If You want garden plants there You just cut a hole in the carpet and plant it in there, the carpet allows water to go down into the ground.
You can easily make that fountain Yourself. I wish I was closer so I just could show You how to do it :-) You just use sand to make it as deep and wide as You wish it to be but You sort of build it upside down in sand on the ground. If You want it winter proof just place some chicken wire above the sand. Pour concrete over it and place a plastic sheet over it all so it doesn't dry up too fast. When it has hardened just flip it around and You have the water bowl.
Then You just buy one of those tiny fountains and place it in Your home made bowl. Just make sure that if You want lights in it they must be water proof :-) :-) You can do this because You are so creative.
Have a great day!
Christer.
do i dare laugh?
i don't want to minimize your pain. but you crack me up.
you could think of it as your own little rain forest.
at least it's lush and GREEN!
or you could mow the heck out of it and let all the green whatever seem like grass. even though you know it isn't!
i'm rambling here. i have no idea what i'm saying!
i love the fountain too!
and the photo of blue sort of watching tv. priceless.
XOXO
Leslie,
You are definitely NOT an idiot.
While it looks green and lush now it will continue to grow until it's impossible to even walk down there.
In the front of the photo my hostas and daisies are growing and in the back of the yard, there are lilies and that's all good but everything else is weeds.
So I need to get out there and hack them down or yank them out.
I'm scared to use weedkiller because I don't want to kill bees. If we kill bees, well, we are all eventually dead.
I might research homemade weedkillers though, I think I "pinned" something using Dawn dish soap.
But hey! thanks for commenting!
By the way, that orange vine is a Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata). It's actually a perennial but I doubt it will survive even as south as You live.
Christer.
Christer,
I wish you lived closer too.
Then not only could you help me with all my garden and fountain questions but you could take Jimmy and Nora with you on your walks!
:D
Truly though. Thanks for the advice. I will mow them down with my new little mower before they get any bigger. And I know what you are talking about, it's landscaping fabric! I will get some and put it down (and maybe pour rock over it).
If I ever get my projects caught up, I might try to make a fountain!
Thanks so much for the great comment!
Tammy,
It's ok...go ahead and laugh.
:p
But actually now that I've had 2 comments telling me to mow it down, I will.
Mow it down and kill it.
I really do want my yard to be low maintenance, although so far it's been anything but.
I'm not sure if Blue was actually watching or just staring off in space again. But sometimes if there's a commercial or something with dogs running around, he will stop and stare at the TV and tilt his head to the side. It's adorable but I've never been able to catch it on video, darn it!
Hey, thanks for commenting!
xo
Christer,
Thanks for letting me know what it is!
Hmm, now that I know I think I might plant it in a big pot and put the small spiral trellis I have in there for it to climb and maybe I can carry it inside over winter and save it.
? I was able to do that with my hibiscus and my gerber daisies.
I'm going to need a whole room to devote to just plants at this rate! LOL!
Thanks again!
I'm pretty sure they'll make it if You keep them cool but indoors during winter. What kind of hibiscus is it? Hibiscus manihot should be able to survive outside all year long, I think.
By the way again :-) The Butterfly bush will most likely freeze down totally during winter but don't worry it will come back even better and if it doesn't freeze down You might need to cut it down hard because the flowers come at the top of the bush.
I meant Hibiscus moscheutos no matter what I wrote in the previous comment :-)
to each her own. I thought your green yard looked prettier than your plain dirt too but I'm not the one who spent hours whacking back the weeds, only to see them return so quickly. I understand your frustration. Yes, mow those suckers down! Mowing will tame a lot! and the yard fabric will also help or even newspapers covered with a mulch will work until they disintegrate. Even old cotton rugs would work if they will disintegrate fully and not leave nylon fibers. I used to use paper feed sacks but now everything comes in those woven fiberglass bags so I can't. Your dianthus is a biennial that's why it is flowering now. I've had them (also called Sweet William) grow for years in the garden because they can reseed themselves. Around here everything grows so fast too, it is nearly impossible to keep up with it. I've taken to using an old serrated kitchen knife and cutting weeds down instead of trying to pull or dig them out. My hands hurt too much from pulling so much. Good luck!
Well I just wrote a long comment and I think Google ate it. I agree, mow those weeds down, cover them with fabric and mulch, your Sweet Williams are a biennial so they are flowering in this their second year, they might reseed and come back year after year.
Christer,
The Hibiscus is an orangey peach color, does that help to know what it is? If not, I will go and check the little plastic marker in it and let you know.
My butterfly bush that was so big and pretty died from the winter so that's why I bought a new one. My sister said it's because I needed to cut it down to the ground and now that's what you are saying too, so this Fall I will.
Thanks so much! :D
Jan,
Your comment made it!
I like the green of my yard but knowing that it will be a jungle soon really stresses me out.
I had spread grass seed down there but the weeds are growing faster!
I just now have come inside from mowing as much as I can and it does look better now, but definitely needs more grass seed.
I plan on yanking out the weeds on the hill and mulching it.
After reading your suggestion about cotton rugs got me to thinking. I have several cotton bed sheets. I wonder if I could use a couple of them? Hmmm
and thanks about telling me about the Sweet William, I hope it keeps reseeding!
While Sweet William is a dianthus, I don't think that's what you have. Sweet William blooms with multiple flowers in one head. But it could still be a biennial is it was sold as an annual. I have some dianthus that are perennial.
Anyway, the bright side about the weeds is I don't see a single casserole dish!
I'm afraid we would love to have that many weeds! See the poor little flowers we're celebrating here: http://cheerfulmonk.com/2014/06/14/a-great-day/
HELLO!! It's so nice to meet you!! Thank-you for stopping by my blog, and becoming a new friend and follower! I've followed the crumbs here, and have enjoyed my visit! But for a moment there I thought I was looking at parts of my own yard -- I've not been able to get to my flower garden by my porch because the birds are nesting nearby. In two weeks when the new hatchlings are gone, I will, but I wonder if it will be even more hopeless by then? Time will tell! :-)!!
But I hope you've had an enjoyable weekend! Take care, okay?
OMG Steve!
ROTFLMAO
you always crack me up!
Cheerful Monk/Jean,
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
I saw the photos of the poor little struggling flowers on your blog.
Yes, you are right. I should be celebrating the green.
I will have to start visiting your blog so that I can avoid being eaten by a crocodile!
;)
At first glance, it is gloriously lush and oh, so green. Then, I did see the "weeds" on closer inspection. We have plenty here too.
They do pop up alarmingly fast - especially when the ground is tilled, exposed and newly planted with "wanted" plants.
A gardeners curse, I'm afraid. Nothing else to do but get in there, and pull or hoe them out. Watch your step as you go.
Mowing will encourage a more vigorous growth.
I always found a deep layer of mulch around my plants did a fantastic job at keeping weeds down - and, I had nearly 300 roses on just over an acre.
Or... pour concrete over the lot, like our old Italian neighbours did, lol.
Just kiddin', don't do that, your garden looks fab, and with some weeding and mulch, it'll be bewtifull
:D
It looks like a common H. rosa sinensis and that's not hardy to stay outdoors during winter. There is however an hibiscus by the name Hibiscus syriacus that can live in Your garden all year long. It can have anything from white to red to blue flowers. I think You would love that one. Easy to grow from seeds if You can't find a plant.
Oh my Gosh Cindy! Poor kitty :( although lucky kitty now she is with you. I love the name Hazel. You are amazing This was a reply to your comment on my blog :)
And Oh my gosh to all that hard work being taken over again... its a never ending battle right? I love the fountain, but not the price tag. You have expensive taste my friend.
Kim!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I totally understand about the birds. My gutter/soffit on the corner of the house needed to be repaired and the guy kept not showing up and now it's too late, there are birds up there. I guess I will be waiting even longer now! LOL!
I look forward to reading your blog.
I love Goldens. They are truly very special dogs.
(Please be safe with all the flooding in your area!)
Thanks again for stopping by.
Vicki,
I know it does look nice at first glance. Kinda like looking at yellow dandelions in a field.
Yesterday I spent most of the day mowing, pulling weeds, mulch and working on planting plants and lining the driveway with edger bricks. It's looking better but now I need to get the inside of the house clean. What I really need is about 8 hours more in a day! LOL!
Funny that you should mention concrete because I have this fantasy of having it poured and in the middle having a big in-ground pool. Unfortunately I don't have the cash and I don't want my property taxes to jump and my home owners insurance. I actually take care of two dogs who's owner is in the pool business and I think he might give me a deal! LOL!
Christer,
I found the marker. It says:
LUAO
Lilikoi Yellow
Tropical Hibiscus
Hibscus Hybrid
so yeah, I will be carrying it inside for winter but now I will also be looking for seeds for the other kind!
Thanks so much for the advice!
:)
Abi
Yes, I haven't mentioned her here yet. ;)
I guess that having a garden means working on it all the time but I need to simplify it so I can spend time doing other things.
Yes, that's my curse. Champagne tastes on a wine cooler budget!
LOL!
xoxo Thanks for commenting!
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