Spending time in the garden…


The weather is hot, dry and a bit on the miserable side for me. As I’ve said before, the older I become the more the heat bothers me. It is the middle of the summer (maybe not in calendar reading) and my outside lawn and garden work is getting less attention.

So far this summer, lawn and garden work has progressed reasonably well for the Springers but I must admit the Missus and I are both more inclined to work out there in the early morning and late evening hours and leaving mid-da for something more suitable with air-conditioning. Our acre and one-half lawn looks pretty good and we have done well in keeping it cut. Earlier this year it was cut at 3 1/2 inches about every seven days. A couple of times a little more often. Now, with the rain having tapered off, I have raised the lawnmower blades to 4 inches and cutting not more than ten days apart. The last time it was two weeks and it looks like I’m heading down the road for another two weeks between cutting. We need some rain.

Also, I must admit, our age is beginning to show. We have lots of grass, about two dozen trees, and lots of flower to keep us busy. We are later than usual in getting some flower work done and that can certainly be age. We both like flowers and, while that has usually been Linda’s area, we are both working on it now. Fortunately most of the tree work is done, all of the shrubbery, and there are several, have been trimmed and the flowers are coming along.

Had to do one thing this past week that I did not enjoy. Several years ago I planted a red-leaved plum tree next to the end of our house. Two things went wrong. I planted it far too close to the house and it grew much taller and wider than we expected. It was adding moisture to the house interior wall and was causing a nice azalea hedge row under it to die out. As a result I had to take a chain saw to it. It has really opened up that end of the house. The hedges have thanked me for letting them know there really is a sun.

We like trees that have some color to them and have a large magnolia, a couple of blooming crabapple trees, three Japanese cherries, a large pear tree a couple red-leafed maples, three dogwood, and a few pines and maples. The blossoming trees were beautiful again this Spring.

The squirrels are doing their usually scampering around in the yard, through the tree branches, on the roof and power lines. They aren’t messing much with the flowers this year. Linda theorizes that she has finally found a type of flower the squirrels don’t like. She has had more than her share of newly planted flowers either dug out or eaten by these squirrels over the past few years.

Regardless of the hot weather that cuts down on the enjoyment of working outdoors, I’m still happy we have a large yard and many flowers although we have cut back on one large flower bed that we never seemed to be able to keep in good shape. Have started its removal and will continue with that this week. Never a dull moment.

If you are a garden and lawn bum like we are I wish you well. If not, consider taking up the challenge. It is refreshing, gives the heart some stimulating and makes one feel tired in the evening but somewhat fulfilled.

Such are the people, places and things that have touched my life in my home!