I hired out for the first time last year. Best decision ever for me. I have allergies including grass that flare up really bad when I cut it myself. It's another reason why I won't go stepping through native/long grass without pants on.
your yard
Cannot wait for this to be an item of discussion. Sick of seeing burnt/dead lawn here in NEOhio- need some green!
Ha! I'm still seeing white on my lawn!
Ha! I'm still seeing white on my lawn!
Comment Blocked - too much PTSD - winter should be over! NO SNOW! GOLF HAS TO COME SOON!
I started doing ours myself when we moved here - and then I discovered that virtually every plant in the desert is carnivorous and will make you bleed. Yard work shouldn't be a blood sport and I got tired of always looking like I had come out on the losing end in a knife fight, I hire it out now.
My uncle in Tucson says the only thing he uses for yard work is a machete and a blow torch. Chop it or burn it either way it'll die is his motto!
Does playing golf trigger your allergies?
Not really. If my legs rub up against the grass I expect them to be itchy for a while and is the reason you don't see me in the deep stuff during the summer much. Its really fresh cut grass when all the small particles get on your skin that just open the floodgates on the sinuses and the itchy skin. Honestly you get used to it, but avoiding 6 hours of itching from mowing the lawn is money well spent. Plus my wife no longer nags me to go mow.
Old decking has been replaced by new paving in the corner of the garden - took the guys just over a couple days to rip up the old decking, prep the area for the paving, next day was laying the paving, then they came back the following morning just to finish it off after the paving had set
Next up is to dig up some of the garden to put in a land drain to help prevent the flooding we get, then install decking out from the new patio door which will be roughly 5m across and going out about 4m from the back of the house at the same level as the door
Once that is done, the list will be left with
This is a pic I took at the end of the first day with the corner of the garden prepped ready for the patio to be put down - the plan is for the decking to go out roughly as far as it does in the pic, then the raised beds to the right of the garden and the new shed to go in place of the 2 existing ones
This is how the patio looks now that it is finished
The landscapers have laid the patio at the level so that when we get the new shed added, the paving can be extended to the edge of the shed
Next up is to dig up some of the garden to put in a land drain to help prevent the flooding we get, then install decking out from the new patio door which will be roughly 5m across and going out about 4m from the back of the house at the same level as the door
Once that is done, the list will be left with
- Raised beds built down the side of the garden and then turn 90° to frame along the edge of the new paving
- Replace the 2 existing sheds with a single bigger one (probably 8' x 10')
- Probably re-turf the rest of the garden as an old concrete path will be getting dug up that runs through the middle of it all
This is a pic I took at the end of the first day with the corner of the garden prepped ready for the patio to be put down - the plan is for the decking to go out roughly as far as it does in the pic, then the raised beds to the right of the garden and the new shed to go in place of the 2 existing ones
This is how the patio looks now that it is finished
The landscapers have laid the patio at the level so that when we get the new shed added, the paving can be extended to the edge of the shed
I try to maintain it to a level that maintains and increases my houses value. I did the Scotts program and aside from less weeds I didn’t really have a better lawn. I have a corner lot too. But it’s just lil ‘ol me here and I work a zillion hours right now. This springs big yardwork day may be weeks or months behind my neighbors.
I did get the bug barrier up BEFORE the ant
invasion this year so at least I’m up on that.
I love doing yardwork. We moved late last year and I'm itching to get out in the new yard. Big fan of a mower stripe and putting a clean edge around garden beds and the driveway/walkway.
- Thread starter
- #137
I try to maintain it to a level that maintains and increases my houses value. I did the Scotts program and aside from less weeds I didn’t really have a better lawn. I have a corner lot too. But it’s just lil ‘ol me here and I work a zillion hours right now. This springs big yardwork day may be weeks or months behind my neighbors.
I did get the bug barrier up BEFORE the ant
Diatomaceous Earth sprinkled on and around an ant hill will get rid of them too. I sprinkle it on the mound and then about 6" around it and then kick the mound to tickle em off, they carry it in the mound,,,,,,gone.
Not many ant hills but once the invasion starts it can be ugly. IF I remember to spray that bug barrier it tends to keep them out. If I see the first one inside before I think to spray it just keeps them in. Then I have to go for tactical strikes,
I win this year. I lost last.
KingsKraken
Well-known member
I did get the bug barrier up BEFORE the ant
Thanks for reminding me that I need to get some grub killer on the lawn. Crane fly larvae will chew the crap out of it, leaving bare spots all over my yard, if I don’t.
IndySC
'16 #TheGrandaddy
This year marks year 2 of transition back to a more native habitat in our yard. Right now it is just an acre of grass with a house and probably 30 or so trees (one being this awesome massive 250 year old oak). Plan is to take a chunk of yard each year and replant native grasses/plants and eventually only have about 1/10th of an acre of grass left. Biggest question will be whether or not we are in this house long enough to see it to fruition.
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2021
- Messages
- 1,250
- Reaction score
- 1,246
I'll be sharpening the blades and changing the oil on Mr. Deere this Sunday. After that, it will be time to get rid of all the places the serpents like to hide. I enjoy mowing for about a month, then it gets old quickly.
Yup. If the weather doesn’t suck, it’s time for annual maintenance (which I do every 2 years, lol) day. It prolly could use an oil change and maybe actual new blades? I’ve sharpened these 5 times now (10 years old or so). I don’t hit a lot of rocks and only have about a 1/2 acre I have to mow. Cuts fine but as a golfer, I like tight grass so barely keep it off the ground. I don’t want no bad lies, lol.
This is interesting. I've been pondering this for a while, returning it to a native meadow, and mowing less. I added some native trees, and will be doing a small butterfly/hummingbird meadow this spring, but that is less than 100 sq ft. I have an acre of mowable yard, so if this little test plot takes, and looks good, I'm going to add some meadow spacing in the far corner of my lot, that backs up to a large field. I'm going to approach the neighbors at the same time, to see if i can extend a little meadow in their yard. See where it goes from here, but I'm excited about bringing in more of nature to our little area.
IndySC
'16 #TheGrandaddy
Heck yeah! Go for it. The great thing about going with native is that you just get it started and nature takes care of the rest. Expect there to be some grooming to remove weeds, but once it takes hold, there should be very little maintenance moving forward. We live near a very large nature preserve up here in Illinois which is still transitioning from former farmland (Glacial Park), so there are a bunch of local resources to help guide. I would reach out to your local county conservation district or google you area/county along with native plant and there should be a good bit of people who are already doing what you're trying to do.
maxw72
Well-known member
I mow my yard and I absolutely love it! As far as fertilizing goes, when I started having some Poa creep into my Kentucky Bluegrass yard I brought in a company to start fertilizing. That being said I have now had two companies come in and neither of them can get rid of the poa without just killing off anything in my yard. I mean yes, I can go and spray each individual clump of poa with roundup and then wait for it to clear out but I never can find the time. That all being said I take serious joy in mowing my yard. My favorite is seeing my yard being the nicest yard on the street!
This weekend is oil change and new blades for mine.
We have a native plant down here called Scorpion Weed which grows wild all over the place. The plant is coated with hairs which contain an oil that causes a rash similar to poison oak/poison ivy. A friend of mine bought a house here and when he moved in he decided to do some yard work and pull all these weeds which were growing all over the place.
He didn't wear gloves.
They were Scorpion Weed.
He had some of the nastiest cracked, swollen, blistered looking hands you've ever seen for a few weeks, and said it was pretty painful and irritating. It really cut into his golf game, since he couldn't even grip a club!
He didn't wear gloves.
They were Scorpion Weed.
He had some of the nastiest cracked, swollen, blistered looking hands you've ever seen for a few weeks, and said it was pretty painful and irritating. It really cut into his golf game, since he couldn't even grip a club!
Rolled the yard last night. Felt good to get out in the sun and ride around the yard!
- Thread starter
- #149
In the last week i have cut the yard, Aerated it, over seeded with Bermuda and then put down Granulated Molasses and fertilized with Microlife....where i the rain now? lol
2 years ago I overseeded just over an acre. I saw rain coming so many times, the clouds would part, and come back together after they got around me. I could smell the rain it was so close, but none fell. Just my luck I guess
