And on President’s Day, we did the lawn.
Oh, the lawn! Our lawn has been quite the battle. No one’s lawn looks great in the winter, but ours was a special kind of ugly. The neighbors were starting to hate us for it, I think. Our planters were covered in pine straw, but two or three weekends ago, we tossed all of that and were left with a very unattractive combination of old mulch with a weed blocker peeking through. The pre-Henry us would’ve had that fixed the very next day, but now – things just take longer. I am so sorry, Dearest Homeowners’ Association.
It was worth the wait.
We ended up removing all the pine straw and all the mulch and just doing some nice topsoil. I think it looks neater. And we hauled all of the rocks from the backyard to the front to create a barrier.
The mailbox was my job. Looking good, huh? That’s green and red kale and cabbage – not for eating, though. The veggies have probably been peed on by a hundred dogs already.
The big planter is going to take another weekend or so. It needs more soil and some flowers.
Sadly, that is 150% better than it was before.
No gardening today! Just some baby playtime and a little work.
Toast
Eggs
Blackberries
I just wanted to say thank you for the comments on my most recent Mind and Body After Baby post. The support was like filling up my emotional gas tank for this journey, and I really appreciate the time it took to write each comment. It is extremely hard to put myself out there on the Internet, but I rarely regret it, and that’s because so many of you are so supportive, even if we have different views. Thanks for being you. <3
Thought of the Day:
Someone is praying for the things you take for granted.
Twitter
Operation Beautiful
Pinterest
Facebook
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
You don’t mulch for aesthetic reasons. You mulch because it keeps the growth of weeds in check. If you don’t want to be weeding everyday, I highly recommend mulching.
I second the mulching comment. You should lay down a thick 4″ layer, and that will keep the weeds to a minimum.
I learned something today! Our garden is always FULL of weeds, I didn’t realize that was a job for mulch!
And you have to water less because the mulch keeps some of the moisture in.
I was just going to comment on the same thing! A god layer of mulch will keep you from having to weed and water less. We usually get the black mulch because we have similar plants to what you’ve got and I think that 1) the black looks tidier (more like the topsoil!) 2) I love the high contrast of the bright plants and dark mulch.
I second the need for mulch or rocks. The dirt will wash away and turn into a muddy mess as soon as it rains!
Looks super pretty though!!
But everyone else in my neighborhood does this! Well not everyone but lots. I’ll let you guys know how it goes. I don’t mind weeding.
My fiance filled our parking area with rocks yesterday so we had just as thrilling of a President’s day as you have. And don’t worry – our yard is ten times worse… our dogs have basically killed any grass that was trying to grow out there despite many efforts to grow and keep it. We even got sod and laid it out and it died. Sigh. We even had to replace the perimeter of our yard with decorative rocks since dirt and plants were not really happening. Next thing you know we’ll just replace the whole yard with rocks…
LOLZ
Looks like a productive day! Good work.
Want to come do my yard?
Everything looks great!! And I read your post yesterday, but didn’t comment. I love that you put yourself out there. I hate that moms get judged or feel judged. You know what’s best for you and your baby and if you aren’t happy, that’s not best!
Ramblings of a Suburban Mom
A great thought to reflect on today, thanks for sharing.
Awww–I remember planting the old flowers with you when you had a baby bump that your (non-maternity) shirt couldn’t cover. And I think we were drinking DDP. Feels like a decade ago!
I’m glad to hear you got such a good reaction to your post. I’ve found that the posts I’m the most vulnerable and scared to post are the ones I get the most support and best reactions from.
Love your thought of the day! I often remind myself of this when I’m playing the comparison game too much or feel like I don’t have enough. What I have is not only more than enough, it’s some people’s dream!
The plants look great but I really recommend you reconsider mulch. As well as stopping weeds, it will save you significant watering. I don’t think you realise how much the soil will dry out in warmer weather. The mulch holds moisture in and helps stop plants burning. And as the mulch breaks down, it also makes the soil richer with nutrients, meaning healthier plants. It means all your hard planting work won’t go to waste in a few months.
Love the thought of the day! It’s so true and something I think we all often forget.
Love the idea of veggies as landscaping!
That’s a really nice quote. I try to make an effort to appreciate all I have (even if at the moment I’m unemployed).
I love that thought of the day … so true.
I thought of you today at my gym, they are doing a Iron Man program in March. The idea is that you complete an Iron Man over the course of the month. It sounds like a fun, doable goal. I thought it might be something you would find fun as you great up for tri season.
I love that!!!