Yard Neglect

Yard neglect. I am guilty as charged. You remember the post on wildflower gardening by default, right? Well I can no longer turn my head or pretend I adore wildflowers (which I do) or make excuses. I have to get out there and take care of business. So loppers in hand I started in on the worst bed down by the driveway. I was just going to trim the variegated Japanese Willow away from the the other shrubs, flowers and the weeping Norway Spruce. But you know how that goes, I whacked a little off over here and a little over there. As the light flooded in I swear there was a collective sigh and rustling of leaves (but that may have been the breeze). Four hours later I leaned back to ease my aching back and I had made a serious dent. But that was in just trimming shrubs, pulling lemon balm, chocolate mint and garden loosestrife by the fistful and cutting off the old yucca flower stalks. I was in serious need of a drink of water. Heading to the house, I pulled out scissors to cut the seed heads off the out-of-control perennials on the way in. There is loads more to do, maybe by fall I'll have it back under control.

Oh, I wouldn't sit on the bench if I were you.