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navygreenToday's plan was to work the newly formed flower beds. We'd previously built and shaped three large beds with these pavers (red, stacked three high), and we'd been waiting for weeks on a shipment of fill dirt to be brought to the base. It had finally arrived, so Philip rented an open trailer from Outdoor Recreation today, and he's been hauling loads of dirt since 10am. He shoveled five loads into the trailer, and each time came home, and then shoveled the dirt into the beds.
Meanwhile, my plan for today was to work on de-weeding a section of the yard. We bought a step-on weeder from Menards last night, and I was excited to get to work with it. I knew heading in that, even with doing a patch of the yard each day, I was looking at a few weeks' worth of work. (There is NO grass in the yard - it is entirely comprised of dandelions and crabgrass, with a bit of clover thrown in.)
The weeder broke on the third dandelion. Literally, the handle came off, and it was completely stripped. I was ridiculously frustrated. I talked my neighbor across the street into heading into town with me to replace it, and we did just that. I didn't have high hopes for the replacement, though; even while we were there, we found three other weeders with some sort of broken part on them. However, it was the only weeding tool offered, so I didn't have another choice.
After arriving back home, Philip and I ate a few sandwiches and then got back to our work.
The replacement weeder broke on the seventeenth weed. :-(
I went at the ground by hand for a long while, and by the end of it, I had only cleared a 2' square area. I just really don't know what to try next. I literally need to lift the "face" off of my yard and start all over.
In the meantime, I planted all my hostas under the kitchen window bed, and then I planted my salvias in the front. They look happy and pretty, and I can't wait until the mulch begins arriving next week or so. Also, the large rock bed Philip and I built around our butterfly bush is still looking beautiful, and that's a success. We'll craft two more small rock beds in the back to store the hose reel and the picnic chairs on, and then the backyard will be completed.
Except for the darn weeds, of course. *sigh*
Meanwhile, my plan for today was to work on de-weeding a section of the yard. We bought a step-on weeder from Menards last night, and I was excited to get to work with it. I knew heading in that, even with doing a patch of the yard each day, I was looking at a few weeks' worth of work. (There is NO grass in the yard - it is entirely comprised of dandelions and crabgrass, with a bit of clover thrown in.)
The weeder broke on the third dandelion. Literally, the handle came off, and it was completely stripped. I was ridiculously frustrated. I talked my neighbor across the street into heading into town with me to replace it, and we did just that. I didn't have high hopes for the replacement, though; even while we were there, we found three other weeders with some sort of broken part on them. However, it was the only weeding tool offered, so I didn't have another choice.
After arriving back home, Philip and I ate a few sandwiches and then got back to our work.
The replacement weeder broke on the seventeenth weed. :-(
I went at the ground by hand for a long while, and by the end of it, I had only cleared a 2' square area. I just really don't know what to try next. I literally need to lift the "face" off of my yard and start all over.
In the meantime, I planted all my hostas under the kitchen window bed, and then I planted my salvias in the front. They look happy and pretty, and I can't wait until the mulch begins arriving next week or so. Also, the large rock bed Philip and I built around our butterfly bush is still looking beautiful, and that's a success. We'll craft two more small rock beds in the back to store the hose reel and the picnic chairs on, and then the backyard will be completed.
Except for the darn weeds, of course. *sigh*
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Date: 2010-05-11 11:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-11 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-11 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-11 11:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-12 01:24 am (UTC)What are you wanting to in the area you are deweeding? Establish grass or make it a planting bed? If you want a planting bed, you can spray the roundup, then dig up the area just to turn the soil over and then spray again (in the same day). And then you are good to plant.
For grass it may take a few apps of roundup (which can take about 7 days to really make a dent). Then you can rake the area to loosen the ground and put your grass seed down.
Happy Gardening!
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Date: 2010-05-12 02:08 am (UTC)Weeders are for when you have some lawn to work around. Also, they only work when your ground is moist - not dry and hard-packed. You have to wait until the sunny morning after a good long rain before using one. (Also a good time for the garden fork...)
Can't wait to see the results. You work miracles with yards and gardens - I have always been in awe.
I, too, wish to have grass one day. I have hard-packed earth and weeds, and one swath that I forked last year and seeded - it all came up nicely, but didn't come back this spring. :(