The weather this week has been amazing. Me and the kids have been taking advantage of it every second. We have been to the park a couple times, been rock climbing, out in the yard, riding bikes. It's has been great. I thought I would hate this time change thinking there is no way my kids are going to go to bed at 7:30 anymore since it's so bright out, but thanks to this nice weather and playing hard they are exhausted by then and can't wait to hit the hay!!
Yesterday Cooper and I attacked a huge pile of bark that was in our carport from the winter wood splitting and moved it out. But then today we tackled about 1/7 of my flower beds. As you look at the picture below you may think wow what a great accomplishment and I look at it and think after 4 hours of weeding I still have tons and tons more!! I have huge flower beds that wrap all along the east deck and the south deck of my house!! Any tips from Aunt Kathy reading this would be much appreciated!! I have also decided this might be a bad hobby for me. I think my kids are going to be severely neglected this spring. I hate leaving something unfinished and I know I am going to have to learn to, because with 3 kids (one being an infant) I know I am not always going to get to finish the project I am working on.
Rock climbing with their friends DJ and Jake!!
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER (can you believe all the tulips that were in that mess of grass!!)
AFTER AFTER (K so this picture Cooper looks like I worked him to the bone, but actually after hours of nagging him to stop whining and help and telling him he can't go inside turns out he was running a fever of 102!! See I told you my kids will get neglected when I'm doing a project!!)
END MY ETERNAL SUFFERING
6 months ago
3 comments:
As it turns out, I have a couple of great tips. Thanks for asking!
#1. Run, I mean RUN to the store and get some PREEN for that bed you just cleared out!!!!!!! RUN,NOW! Follow the label directions and you will not have any weeds! If you are asking me, with three kids under tow, I would sprinkle in the preen, it won't hurt the tulips, it will stop any thing from growing for the next three months. After the preen, I would put that bark down that you just moved, or get some fine decorative bark, put it about 3-4 inches thick and leave it. If you don't want to get the bark, put on a layer of grass clippings.Don't neglect your beds, by letting them go, but if you keep preen on them, when your kids get a little older you can put in some perennials and I can help you then.
#2. If you have beds of perennials (flowers the bloom from year to year) work on one section at at time. For instance, when I am working around the pool, I do from one fence post to the next, voila! That is done! If I have more time I do one more section, voila, done! A place to stop. I, like you HATE to leave a project unfinished, so I have learned to break it up and call that complete. That way, I know that I can go out in a small window of time and get one (section) done.
#3. Carry that PREEN with you as you work, as soon as you clean out a spot sprinkle it on, you will not have to weed all summer and you won't have to go back to that spot again. voila, done! You can also get PREEN and GREEN and it will fertilize for you too!
#4. PREEN is a great investment. There is another product that you can put around plants like roses and shrubs. Or any place that you don't want weeds to grow, it is CASERON! Love it, love it, love it. We cut the grass away from our swing, and play area. I put CASERON down every spring and nothing will grow. You can put it in your drive way, around sheds any where you want clean dirt with no weeds. It is like hiring a gardener. It is spendy, but again worth every penny!
Kimberly has a tree with a flower bed around it that was full of grass. She worked for hours to dig all that grass out, soon she had that nasty grass back. I went there one morning to surprise her. We dug it out, put CASERON on it, covered it with bark and there is no grass. It looks clean and there is not maintainance. That is perfect for a busy mom! If you have empty bed, put CASERON down and leave them until next year, or the next.
I didn't go full swing into flower gardening until Clark was about 5.
Ask a simple question and you get a pageant!
Haha, that sounds like the best excuse I have ever heard to not garden. I find any reason I can!
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