spring cleaning
my yard was a primordial forest before my friend zena gave me courage to roll up my sleeves and join her in tackling it head on. we took two days to prune and trim the overgrown bushes and plants. then i took another two days to just rid the planting beds of the tyranny of dandelions that have no doubt been ruling that neck of my woods for many unhindered years. you should have seen how the deep-rooted they are. and in trying to uproot them i was not wholly successful. i mostly got the tops off. but at least that was some kind of break-through.
i bought me a set of three basic garden tools from walmart for $1.50 - very good buy. also, don't bother with the dandelion uprooter tool if you have weeds that are as old as mine were. that tool is no match for that kind of root system. i returned mine to home depot and used an old fashioned trowel, or in worse cases, a shovel.
now i have a shovel and a pruning tool that is just awesome. next on my list are some shears. $8 at walmart and $20 for the cheapest at home depot.
i bought a lawn mower for $170 from sears. this is the cheapest i could buy and i had no intentions of doing any better. i hate lawn mowers and the amount of maintenance they require, including but not limited to - gas refills, oil, the filter change, the blade sharpening, the flushing, the winterizing. it's a hassle and a half - esp. if you don't have a truck or an suv and some minimal amount og upper body strength to maneuver the monster. i resisted as long as i could but then my neighbor was getting tired of mowing my yard for me, and i downright embarrased. something had to give. and so i did.
note: do not ever put round-up on or near grass - even if it just the edges where the dandelion seem to have a monopoly. the grass will die in clumps and regardless of how careful you are with the spray, it will spread and seep into any grass within a min. 5" diameter. what a fool i've been!
i bought me a set of three basic garden tools from walmart for $1.50 - very good buy. also, don't bother with the dandelion uprooter tool if you have weeds that are as old as mine were. that tool is no match for that kind of root system. i returned mine to home depot and used an old fashioned trowel, or in worse cases, a shovel.
now i have a shovel and a pruning tool that is just awesome. next on my list are some shears. $8 at walmart and $20 for the cheapest at home depot.
i bought a lawn mower for $170 from sears. this is the cheapest i could buy and i had no intentions of doing any better. i hate lawn mowers and the amount of maintenance they require, including but not limited to - gas refills, oil, the filter change, the blade sharpening, the flushing, the winterizing. it's a hassle and a half - esp. if you don't have a truck or an suv and some minimal amount og upper body strength to maneuver the monster. i resisted as long as i could but then my neighbor was getting tired of mowing my yard for me, and i downright embarrased. something had to give. and so i did.
note: do not ever put round-up on or near grass - even if it just the edges where the dandelion seem to have a monopoly. the grass will die in clumps and regardless of how careful you are with the spray, it will spread and seep into any grass within a min. 5" diameter. what a fool i've been!
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