Yardwork

Luckily, we had a window of opportunity over the weekend to do some work outside. I was finally able to rake the back lawn. It just doesn't feel like spring until I get all that dead, matted grass cleared out. Well that and some temperatures above 50°. It took about 5 hours Saturday, but I got it done.

While I was doing the raking, I noticed quite a bit of creeping charlie getting right up to the lot line (and even a little bit getting into my grass). Last year I didn't do any fertilizing, so I made sure to get some weed and feed this year. As soon as the raking was done, the fertilizer went down. Hopefully that will help. I also decided to finally try out something I had seen years ago that supposedly takes care of creeping charlie... a water/borax mixture. I looked up the recipe and actually found a gardening website that said the best time to kill it was in the spring when it was pulling in nutrients to start growing. So I mixed some up, cleaned out my sprayer, then went to town. Hopefully it won't kill the grass. The info I found said it wouldn't as long as I didn't go to crazy and over-apply it. Now we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I wonder if I could get in trouble for spraying into the neighbor's grass.

Kris and I were planning on finishing the fence along the back lot line this year too, but with how wet the lawn is, I don't know when that will happen. When I had someone come out last year and take a look (or was it two years ago) he told me he would probably wait until at least June to do it so he wasn't pouring concrete into a puddle. I'll have to do a little research into that.

Springtime

We finally had a semi-nice day on a weekend when I cold do some work outside. About two weeks ago it was 80, and I spent that time cleaning up the garage, putting away the snow shovels, dragging out the patio furniture, etc. So yesterday since it wasn't raining or 35 degrees, I started raking grass. It is the one thing that I need to do every year that I just hate. It took me about four hours to finish the front yard and the sides along the lot lines. Between that and vacuuming all the red seeds I ended up with two large trash bags full of stuff to take to the landfill to compost.

I still need to do the back yard, but I have no idea when I'll be able to get it done. The ground is still like a sponge. We need to have a few warm, sunny days in a row to get things dried out to the point where I can rake without totally ripping out the grass. Maybe I can start on the grass right up close to the house, just so it doesn't take so long.

I'll have to go and get some fertilizer this week to put on the front lawn and some seed to see if I can thicken it up a little bit. Plus, I am thinking I might try to regrade the grass in the front this year. As it is now, the sidewalk is underwater in sections when we get a good rain (or when the snow melts) because the ground is slightly higher than the sidewalk. It drives me insane when I have to cut the grass. But that is going to take some time and I am not sure if I will have it this summer once it gets nice with helping take care of Bob and his house. But as it is, at least I am underway with things for 2011.

Wet, Wet, Wet

I finally was able to cut the grass on Monday. I had to wait until the ground dried up a little bit, but even then the backyard was still very wet. It was like walking on a sponge. It almost makes me wonder why I put the 18 yards of dirt back there 8 years ago. If I need to build up the yard every five years it make me wonder if it is even worth it. Then I look at the clown behind me and think I suppose if I did feel that way I would be like him and have a wetlands in my yard for six months a year.

Raking

I have finally finished raking the grass. I am at least a week behind with where I want to be. I should have my first round of fertilizer down already. Hopefully I’ll get in on the grass this weekend, depending on the forecast for when it is next going to rain. I finished up the back grass last weekend, and ended in the rain. I was about 15-20 minutes from finished when the rain started. So the last couple of days have been pretty decent, so I tried to get the front yard done, though getting home at 5:30 p.m. didn’t give me much time. I was able to, luckily, split it between Thursday and Friday. Every year I say it, but I really wish I could wipe out the lawn and start fresh. The ground is uneven, and there are about (3) different types of grass in the front. I’m doing my best to reseed and get some sort of coherence but as much as I would like it, I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Time for Yard Work

It is the middle of April and I am lagging with my yard work already. I should be out raking the grass, getting ready to seed and fertilize. But the crummy weather and cold is keeping me from doing it. It was sunny this past weekend (Easter) but it was also only about 45 degrees outside. The result is that I wasted some good, sunny, and most important, dry, weather because it was cold. Normally by the third week of April I am putting the first round of fertilizer down and working on the low spots or bare spots with grass seed, getting the mower ready, etc. Hopefully we’ll get a break soon. This week the temps aren’t supposed to get over the mid to upper 40s, so I may be forced to start raking. Also, the ground is still pretty damp. In fact we had some sleet this afternoon. When the sun has been out, it has been cold, and when it has been warm enough to actually be outside, it has been raining. It’s really getting frustrating!