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Killing One of Everything
The other day, I was working in the front yard when my neighbor stopped to chat. We discussed her unhappy dogwood trees, and before she left she said, “How do you KNOW all this stuff?” I puffed up with pride and said, “Because I’ve killed nearly one of everything.”
Ah, Bamboo…
In the evenings, I like to do what I call the Bamboo Dance, which involves walking around the yard and stomping down bamboo shoots that sprang up during the day. My yard is bordered on one side by a tall hedge of running bamboo, which means that my entire yard is an underground network of bamboo roots (rhizomes, actually) just waiting for me to turn my back.
Scamper into September
I love September – the fresh breezes, the welcome rain, the energy in the air as life kicks back into gear after a lazy summer. As a veteran procrastinator, September always delivers a swift kick in the pants, as I realize that my clever excuses are no longer valid. “It’s too hot” (did you feel that breeze?), “it’s too dry” (hello tropical storm season), “it’ll be crowded until school starts” (two weeks ago), “that should wait until fall” (autumn equinox – Sept. 21), you get the idea.
Human vs. Nature
A few months ago, I had my yard re-graded due to some drainage issues. I filled in a drainage ditch and fixed it up with rocks, raised my front yard about a foot, sloped the earth away from the house, put in French drains – you name it, I obsessed over it. It was perfect.
Summer Bounty
There’s a farm where I live, where on Saturdays you can go buy vegetables as fresh as they come. Literally, the tractor pulls up from the field loaded with corn. Eager customers start grabbing, and the “cashier” is the farmer himself, calculating change without pen or paper. The summer’s bounty never looked better, and “eating your vegetables” suddenly seems like a treat.
Outside My Window
My home-office is arranged so that all I have to do is glance up, and I can see out the window into my back yard. I love my back yard; in fact, it’s the reason I bought this house. There’s a lovely close grouping of six tall trees.
Welcome to Julie’s Blog
Hello everyone, and welcome! What an exciting summer this has been so far with ideas, energy, and dirt flying like confetti. Around the Yard is growing, and I’m thrilled to be able to share information, ideas, and gardening experiences with you.
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