Yard Work

When my lease is up in October, I will be moving into my grandmother's house.  The current tenant is failing to keep up the house and that was part of the deal for him staying there rent free.  So, he is being kicked out, I can stay there for very cheap as long as I take care of the place.  It is a win-win.

So, for the past few weeks, I have been working in the front and back yards to try to start making a dent in all that needs to be done.  To say it is a mess is an understatement.  It is hard work and even if I work all day, I don't seem to make a dent.

There is a bench swing back there that I want to keep.  I spray painted the frame brown and stained and water proofed the wooden swing.  I decided I wanted a cushion for the swing.  I picked out some pink camo material to use to make the cushion.  It is the same material I made a table cloth, pot holders, and lined my picnic basket for camping with.  I even purchased some extra so I may make an apron too.  I found an old foam mattress pad, washed it, and it will work will for the padding.  I just finished washing the fabric so all that is left is to sew it up.

I covered up a patch of land with plastic (to kill all the weeds) for a garden.  It's been on there about 3 weeks now so all I need is to borrow a tiller and till up the ground.  Next to it, I planted a pimento, tomatoes, and three cantaloup mounds (since they can grow in land with weeds).  I've strung up steel fencing for the green beans to grow on (once I get the land tilled and beans planted).  I've lined the garden with bricks to keep weeds from growing in it.

There was a carpet in front of the greenhouse, which I have picked up (it's now helping to kill weeds in the garden).  The carpet was probably placed there because it was muddy.  In its place, I set bricks to create a mat/step in front of the door.  I also filled in the spaces with sand.

There was a bird bath, which had its stand broken.  So, I took bricked, piled them up to make a stand, and then placed the bird bath on top.

There are two water hoses back there.  One that is hooked up to the water and one that was just laying around.  I wound the loose one around a hose wheel to get it out of the way.

There is a cement stab in the corner of the yard.  It had been sitting unattended for so long that foot high weeds were growing in the dirt on top of the cement.  I swept and cleaned off the cement stab.  I'll power wash it later.  There are holes in the yard and some uneven land.  With the biggest of the holes, I filled them in with the dirt from the stab.  Once that settles I'll relook at leveling things out a bit.

There was a potted oak tree that needed to be planted so I planted it.  Whenever I see fire ant mounds, I cover them with Andro to kill it.

The yard hadn't been mowed in about a month.  With all the rain, the weeds were up to my knee.  I had to purchase a lawn mower.  I put it together and then went and purchased a gallon of gas.  I cleared up what I could and then mowed.  It has taken me about 7 hours and I'm still not finished.  I probably have about an hour of mowing left but I can't get that last patch because it has wood and boards all in it.

There are sticks all over the yard.  My poor mower is taking a bad beating.  I just can't see the sticks because the grass is so high.  I try picking up sticks if I see them, but most of the time I don't until it is too late.

In the area of the yard, where the sticks are the worst (because that is were everyone was throwing them), I weed wracked and then raked to try to pick up as many branches as I could be before I mowed. 

I managed to weed wrack some edges, but not all.  I still need to finish up mowing before I get to the wracking.

There were about 12 bags, full of grass and leaves, that had been sitting in the back yard for months.  I picked them all up and moved them to the back door, where I have been putting my bags from mowing.  From mowing, I filled about 16 trash bags (back yard) and so, with the other bags, there are about 30 bags I need to throw away.  It is going to take me awhile because trash is only picked up once a week and I can't throw out more than will fit in the trash can.  I got to leave room for "real" trash from inside the house.

I did manage to take around 9 bags over to my parent's house and put the bags in their garbage can and their neighbors.

I'll pulled up some trash trees that I don't want growing in the yard.  I took some of the potted handing plants, in front of the back door, over to my mother's house.

I've raked and picked up branches and sticks in the yard.  I filled up one bag and 7 boxes with sticks.  I threw away 4 of the boxes at my apartment.  Since I am at a stand still for the mowing, my next step is to rake and pick up all the sticks.  I'll start that tomorrow.  I need to buy more bags.

I managed to pull some fence board, buried under weeds and brush, out from the fence.  I also pulled some loose and dead rose bush and thorn vines out.  They are sitting in a pile for me to bag and throw away.

I found a weed whacker that is my grandmother's so I can keep it.  It works but I need to put line in it.  And, I need to purchase an extension cord. 

All that has taken me hours to do but it hasn't made a dent and there is still so much more to do.

In the front yard(which is much smaller), I mowed the grass and edged.  A new sewer line was put in.  I already covered it with dirt once, but it wasn't enough.  I have purchased more dirt to finish cover it up.  However, I want to cover it with dirt and then lay some carpet grass on top.  Because of all the rain, I can't find carpet grass anywhere.  I checked 4 places and none of them had any.  All out.  So that will have to wait.

A fence was put up next to the ditch by the house (to keep the children from playing in it).  The children, from climbing on it, broken two of the board and I fixed them.

I also planted 5 Esperanza plants in front of the fence.  When they grow bigger, that will keep the kids off the fence.

I put weed killer in on the stone walk to get rid of all the weeds growing in the cracks.

I trimmed back the flower bed which was half way covering the walkway.  I removed and washed a comforter still on the patio.

There is a ton of trash and junk sitting in front of the garage.  It's not mind to clean up but I did manage to clear a path from the garage to the front. 

There was trash at the side of the house which had fallen down into the ditch.  I went down into the ditch to pick it all up.  While I was back there I trimmed back the plants and removed some of the dead branched.  Then I swept out the ditch.

From the other side, I trimmed back the plants so you are now able to get to the side of the house (like you should be able too).  The recycle and trash bins are suppose to sit there.  As soon as the guy living there moves his stuff sitting in that corner, I'll put the bins there.

There are tons of wasp nest. I am slowing spraying them all and then knocking them down.

Again, just that little bit has taken so much time.  The good news, it is is great exercise.