Yard Work
I’m well into my thirties, but I have no experience with weeds. As a teen, my share of the yard work was mowing the lawn. I kept my resentment of this job mostly to myself, until I ran our riding mower over a seedling buckeye tree, then deep into a 6-foot-square yew shrub. The bush died, I was fired, and a succession of very cute lawn boys picked up where I left off. As far as I was concerned, it was win, win.
I lived in apartments until last fall, when my husband G. Grod and I purchased our house. The yard is tiny, but not problem free. Which are the weeds? Dandelions are obvious, but some of the stuff I’ve pulled up smells like mint. Also, the previous owner mentioned tomato plants. I have no idea what a tomato plant looks like, yet there are weed-looking things in the area.
When we bought the house, we were excited that half the back yard was covered with wood chips. Less lawn to care for, we thought. Two things have become apparent. One, weeds grow in wood chips as well as they do in the grass. Two, after more than three weeks of rain, wood chips get moldy.
Today’s most concerning find was by our back steps. I noticed some uprooted plants in a secluded corner, then saw a small hole filled with grass and moss. Something built its nest/burrow right under our back door.
I can’t differentiate between weeds/not weeds, and I’ve got moldy chips and burrowing creatures. I don’t think I’m up to this.
May 24th, 2005 at 7:06 am
Okay, there are in a very basic sense two types of plants perennials and annuals. Annuals have to be replaced every year. Tomato plants are annuals. You have to go buy them and plant them. Whatever is growing there right now are probably weeds.
I don’t know what to tell you about the woodchips they are predicting more rain this week. You’ll have to pull the weeds that are growing among the woodchips.
And the little critter hopefully it is a bunny.
good luck. My best advice is to find a neighbor who is willing to offer advice. do not get overwhelmed.
May 24th, 2005 at 7:40 am
Oh boy do I feel your pain!
My husband and I bought our house 2 years ago and we loved the beautiful landscaped yard. Little did we know that that lawn/garden would torture us each spring and summer.
Right now we’re completely overmatched by the weeds and are being attacked by out of control bushes. My husand has even been reprimanded by one of our nosy neighbors for mowing down lillies that were growing near our mailbox. He thought they were weeds. Our saving grace has been the Black Eyed Susans that are spreading out of control all over the flowerbeds — they’re out of control but at least they’re pretty in late summer! Good Luck!
May 24th, 2005 at 3:51 pm
Tomato plants could spring up from last year’s seeds; at least they do that down here sometimes. We call it a ‘volunteer plant.’ Tomato leaves have a very distinctive smell that you’d probably recognize. Don’t eat the leaves
As far as the mouldy mulch, you should probably replace it with fresher mulch or a different kind. Pine straw makes a pretty good mulch. There’s also rubber mulches on the market that are very promising — they’re recycled from old tires. Safe and long-lasting, albeit expensive at first.
As far as the creature, do you think you have a mole?
May 25th, 2005 at 5:13 pm
I happen to speak with the local Mulch supplier today re: moldy mulch. She said it is very important to “fluff” your mulch after a heavy rain, to make sure the water does not pool in the mulch. That should keep it from happening in the future.
May 25th, 2005 at 9:03 pm
Thanks for the advice. I filled in the hole, which I think was by a bunny. I’m going to “fluff” the mulch, though that sounds about as good as “harvesting the rhubarb,” which I did the other day, as a euphemism for something. And I’m going after the dandelions tomorrow, armed with a “lawn patch kit”. I’ve read up on composting, too. I can’t believe how much work there is for such a tiny yard.