Stuff I Gotta Do: Yard Work Updates

It's been a busy few months over here in my little world, between work, throwing out my back a bunch of times, and working on the yard when my back isn't out.

As I've stated before, my yard is pretty huge by Vallejo standards.  It was completely overgrown with weeds, volunteer trees, more weeds, a 20'x15' blackberry bush, and other plant life.  This summer, I've made it my business, with the help of my family and friends, to get this nasty yard into shape.

But you wouldn't believe what kind of progress we are making back there!  It still looks rough, but we're pretty much stripping it down to its bare bones so that I can plant beautiful things next year, and invest in more attractive landscaping features.

The other thing to consider is the drought here in California.  I'm not watering the "lawn" (and by "lawn" I mean "patch of dirt and weeds"); only the vegetables and plants are getting water as needed.  The plants I've purchased so far are drought friendly, so mine isn't the most lush of gardens.

Anyway, here are some updates. Click on through for pictures.

Stuff I Gotta Do: Yard Work

If you're like me, you have a to-do list a mile long, whether it's a mental list or a written one.  Or both, as is the case with me.   For example, I've been meaning to get a pedicure for 6 months.  It's on my list, and my toes look terrible, but it's such a hassle I just keep putting it off.

Right now, my to-do list is yard-focused.  I've mentioned before that I have a really big back yard.  My little house is seated on .26 acres, which is pretty huge by Vallejo standards.  The size is great, but when I bought the house two years ago, it had long been neglected and overgrown.  Since I didn't grow up doing yard work (I have a brother, y'all), it was intimidating, so I didn't do anything with the yard the first year I lived there.  Last summer (my second summer in the house), I started doing a little here, a little there, but not much.  This year, however, I couldn't take it anymore.  I made it my goal to get 50% of that yard in shape by labor day.

And by "in shape," I mean not a total nightmare.  And by "not a total nightmare," I mean not covered in young trees with fist-sized spiders chilling in minivan-sized webs between them, and not covered in blackberry bushes, ivy, honeysuckle, and other invasive vining weeds that strangle plants.

Click through for more...