Yes, I'm a little tired tonight,
but what a good feeling!
Today, I began in earnest on the leaves in the backyard... see below.
You may want to click on the photos to be able to appreciate the numbers of leaves!
but what a good feeling!
Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Shady and I worked on the front, south, and north yards (in the front).
I also tossed piles of leaves over all the flowerbeds, cutting some of the tall flowers back as I went. As I was out of town yesterday morning, I ventured into a downtown hardware store (purveyor of anything and everything anyone might ever want!) and purchased "deer fence" (a plastic netting 7' wide by 100' long) that I spread over three beds, tacking it down as I went. (Doesn't that sound efficient?) I've been waiting to get outdoors to do this ForEver! ;-)
I also tossed piles of leaves over all the flowerbeds, cutting some of the tall flowers back as I went. As I was out of town yesterday morning, I ventured into a downtown hardware store (purveyor of anything and everything anyone might ever want!) and purchased "deer fence" (a plastic netting 7' wide by 100' long) that I spread over three beds, tacking it down as I went. (Doesn't that sound efficient?) I've been waiting to get outdoors to do this ForEver! ;-)
And yes, between the two of us, we hauled at least 5 large tarp-loads of leaves to the backyard ravine. Yea!
Today, I began in earnest on the leaves in the backyard... see below.
You may want to click on the photos to be able to appreciate the numbers of leaves!
Ten tarp-loads (raked and hauled) later, it looks somewhat better, don't you think?
For your information, if oak leaves are left to lie, and decompose, on the grass - they kill it.
It is hard to grow grass in a very shady area, but what I have established - I'd like to keep!
Do you remember that there are flower beds somewhere under these leaves?
If you look very closely, there's a huge lump of leaves between the trees and shed that Mr. Shady was unable to haul yesterday. My goal for tomorrow afternoon is to load and haul away those leaves, rake around the far side of the beds, in front of the shed and to the house, and generally "clean up" before I am forced to stop! I'm guessing there's a total of 10 more tarp-loads...
As Huck Finn once implied... This is Fun! Wouldn't you like to try?? ;-)Nothing Shady there... we'd have a great time together!
Have a great week!
In answer to your title, yes, definitely!
ReplyDeleteAs for the leaves I like piking them up with a bagging mower. They get chopped up pretty good for the compost bin!
It sure does!! I was out raking piles in the backyard in the almost dark after 4 pm today and I was so happy once I got the piles finished. Now I just need a few dry days to get the piles into the yard waste and compost bin. No more leaves coming in on kids and dog feet into the house.
ReplyDeleteYou really had a lot of leaves, much more than me!
Of course! it sure would ne nice to have a Mr. Faerie who liked to work outside!!
ReplyDeleteHi SG~~ I thought I had a lot of leaves to rake!! I think what I like about leaf raking is the instant gratification. It's sure good exercise.
ReplyDeleteI feel good after hard work too Shady Gardener. You are working much harder than me tho. So many leaves. I've been raking every day but just leaves from one oak tree. It's good you have help! Good luck getting them all raked up.
ReplyDeleteOh my , you certainly have so many leaves........what a big job.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time I would answer YES! Leaf removal time is the exception. Especially after the third or fourth week of it! We have hardly begun to move the leaves aside and the trees stubbornly hold onto most of them until December. Let's not even talk about the gutters! I was planning on buying plastic fencing to create a big bed for the leaves in the wayback! I like your covering the beds idea! gail
ReplyDeleteYes absolutely sleep better. Our Oak filled yard looks very similar to yours. Leaves everywhere. I run the lawn tractor counter-clockwise blowing the leaves on to a tarp. The off to the huge compost bin. Others get blown on to the flower gardens.
ReplyDeleteI don't get any leaves, I get pine-needles.:(
ReplyDeleteI steal people's bagged leaves when they leave them on the curb...can you believe that?
Dave, I usually throw a lot in the compost pile, too. Hmmm - perhaps I'll be out raking (and shredding with my little shredder) just a bit more now. ha.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine, We're out of kids here, but we still have a messy dog. ;-) He doesn't get to romp as much as he'd like... there are stickery things out there that would turn him into a MESS! ha.
Monica, Mr. Shady is a big help (when he has the time to help!) :-)
Grace, You're so right about the gratification... that's why I took photos! lol. Took some more again today and posted. It looks so nice, but it won't stay completely clean for long. :-)
Kathleen, It's really fun when the conditions are right and the leaves are lightweight. Even one tree drops a lot of leaves!
Rosemary, If we lived closer together, you could bring me a cookie after having worked this hard! ;-)
Hi Gail... There has to be some consequence for choosing to live in a "park!" ha. I'd been put off from working outdoors by the weather until just lately. I'm so grateful for our current weather and the ability to get out there! (Maybe you could find someone to dig a ravine in your "way back!" ;-)
Troutbirder, Our yard isn't spacious enough for one of those big mowers... our neighbors all have them, and they're wonderful. So, I usually resort to my lawn sweeper and rake and tarp and keep up with it all season. This year it was different. ;-)
Rosey!!! If you lived closer, I'd trade with you! I LOOK for pine needles for my rhododendrons, azaleas, etc. (all the acid-loving plants). :-)
I like working outside when its sunny and in the low 70s as it was this weekend. My husband didn't mind going up on the roof both days - 1st to clean out the gutters, second to replace a few roof shingles. It was hard to go inside.
ReplyDeleteThere is almost something therapeutic about doing yard work. I did the leaf round up in our yard the other day. The string trimmer can make short work of a trash can full of leaves.
ReplyDeleteThe flower beds and compost bin all received a nice helping of shredded leaves.
Hi MMD! I'm in complete agreement... it WAS hard to go indoors!! :-)
ReplyDeleteChad and Brandy, What a great idea! My shredder is made according to the same principle... a large "tube" with heavy plastic string trimmers inside. :-)