Tuesday, May 08, 2007

FRACTURED METAPHOR

Spring has made her grand entrance and as the temperatures began to rise I find myself drawn into the back yard. One of the reasons I agreed to purchase this house is because I am smitten with the garden and the general beautiful landscaping that Beth, and before Beth, her mother, had lovingly bestowed on his home.

I was dismayed at the state of the back yard! The weeds had taken over. I pulled and pulled, enough for four bags. The back yard is enormous with the gardens spread along two borders and three corners, not the mention the side of the house, and the front yard. But I was just focused on the back yard.

As I pulled weeds trying to tell the difference between a weed and a fragile perennial trying to wake up to the warmer weather, I found little treasures spread throughout the weeds.


Beth's surprises!

I was afraid that the yard would never return to the spender when under Beth's (and Beth's Mom). When I first was introduced to the yard it was ablaze in color. When we moved in the back yard was alive with day-lilies, iris, lilac, back eyed susans, a lavender bush, roses, and color every where.

I was alarmed at bleak state of affairs that greeted me last April. Weeds weeds and more weeds.

Patience is a virtue, and it paid off. My anxiety was misplaced and in time the back yard burst into glorious life.

I once again wander around the back yard and fight the weed's, once again pulling four bags worth of pesky weeds. I have planted several flats of annuals. I now know to pull those weeds that sort of look like domesticated floras on the verge of flowering. Yes, flowering into horrible prickly yellow flowers of death! I know to get rid of that prolific weed that smells like lemon. It has taken over the back

corner, but I have grieved only briefly that I might be pulling a real bona fide plant. The roots are too deep and the plant is every where. The worms love the roots of that dang weed....I spent considerable amounts of time freeing them from the root ball.

It will all be worth it in the end, this labor intensive back yard. Someone else will end up loving it.

I find that it is enjoyable, pleasant and soothing in the beginning, putting your hands into the dirt and seeing how lovely the garden will look in time. But the labor involved!! Every day you have to check it, water it, pull weeds, feed, mulch, snap off dead heads...

It becomes a chore really fast, and by mid summer the weeds are thriving and I feel like a brown thumb.

But, it is spring, I am finding the little treasures left behind in Beth's garden, and for a short time, I'll feel like a master gardener.


6 comments:

AC said...

I love the last photo. I am partial to garden ornament. Is that weed lemon verben? Kind of a mint - looking thing? That is taking over a ibig part of one of my beds, but I have let it grow to fill in lots of empty space. I think I actually purchased the initial plant, so I can only blame myself

Another plant that became an unwelcome weed was bittersweet vine. Apparently one needs both a male and femal plant to get the ornamental berries. Apparently I only have same sex vines, the kind that creep underground and come up everywhere, berry-less, but deep rooted and stubborn. Don't Plant It, is my advice

meno said...

I am only enough of a gardener to plant one constiner of stuff myself. I am easily overwhelmed by the magnitude of work required for a real yard. Nature is too fertile.

Lisa :-] said...

I get a whole day off tomorrow to work on whatever domestic projects I choose... but I think the yard will have to wait until I de-hair the house...

Headgirl said...

You're gardening matches mine. I just let it become a nature reserve most of the time, only having rare bouts of activity when I think the neighbours are looking over the fence in horror! Wild flowers, known to some unappreciative individuals as weeds can be very colourful!

Nelle said...

I am dabbling with gardening. My yard was a clean slate when we arrived. We barely had grass which now is flourishing. I just planted my first rose bush and am trying to decide where to place things. I could use one of those home makeover shows to visit me!

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