Monday, May 21, 2012

Weeding Frenzy

I'm a sucker for heirloom Bearded Iris
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity." ~ N. Lellande

 I'm good for 30 gallons.

What does that make you think of? Gas? Beer? Iced Tea? Iced Cream? Well, I could go for at least a gallon of that to-die-for Chocolate Hazelnut variety but, alas, it's not about any of these things.
Windflowers
It's about weeds.

One weed, in particular. The dreaded Bermuda Grass that has taken hold of the Big Rock Garden. The 30 gallons is the size of the barrel that sits in the garden and that's the daily tally of Bermuda Grass I've been pulling up by the long, long roots and tossing into the barrel. For the last 3 days. All the while griping, moaning, complaining + trying hard to find someone to finger for this disaster.

Other than myself.

Linaria
Last summer, my traitors tenants had the audacity to politely request that we remove some of the flowers on their side of this duplex and replace said flowers with [say it isn't so...] a new lawn.

Apparently the kids need something to play on. Now, these kids haven't played on anything other than an X-Box for as long as I've known them but... that's the wonderful thing about parents. Optimists to their dying day.

Flowering Almonds are not supposed to grow here but they don't seem too unhappy.
So, I bitched royally pondered the subject and decided to evict them cave in. Because, after all, they're nice people even if they don't appreciate my flowers.

I know nothing about grass. Other than how to kill it.

When I purchased this home it had a 12,000 square foot Kentucky Blue Grass lawn. (In a desert environment. Go figure.) It's down to 2,000 square feet, now, which is still plenty of room for Bad Dog to enjoy an afternoon nap. And, I'm quite proud of that water-saving, back-breaking effort.


Now, I tried to do right by this grass idea. We cleaned the area of weeds and leveled the land because I paid an arm and a leg for certified, weed-free, screened top soil. Only this certified weed-free super fantabulous top soil wasn't weed free at all.

And, they brought me twice as much as I needed so ~ in my infinite wisdom ~ I decided to use the rest of it to amend the hard as can be clay soil in the Big Rock Garden.

Which brings me to another favorite quote of mine:
Right when you think things are going your way... something is falling apart and you don't even know about it. Yet.


10 comments:

Carly said...

O.o I am so sorry. That's a lot of weeding. And I have nothing more to say.

Susan in the Pink Hat said...

I never trust anyone bringing in topsoil here. Based on my experience, most Utahn landscapers wouldn't know a good topsoil if they got hit in the face with it because most of us have your clay. The "topsoil" layer is like an inch deep. I have unusually good soil, a sandy loam (will stop bragging, sorry), so I'm very reluctant to bring anything in from off site. I'm surprised that you are pulling out Bermuda—I thought it didn't grow here; too cold.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

A painful lesson learned, Susan;

It might be another kind of grass but seeing as how I'm killing as quick as I can I won't bother researching what it could be.

PS: You can stop bragging about your marvy soil any time now... ;>)

Marguerite said...

I got kinda hung up on the tearing out flowers to make a lawn part. How and why in the world?? I remember my father used to banish us to the yard when we were kids and we hated it. Flat boring grass, nothing to do. The abandoned lot though with all the weeds and broken glass - heaven.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Marguerite!
I had a love affair with a vacant lot, too. We even built a club house there... ;>)

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Lona said...

What a beautiful Iris Kate. It reminds me of butterscotch. I am a sucker for them too. The flowering Almond is just so pretty and I want that windflower. LOL! Have a great week.

D said...

Hello, Kate! I'm with Lona on that bearded Iris. Ours have just begun to open up here and of course it has been raining heavily all day; the heat took out our Chinese Peonies and now the rain is destroying other poseys in the garden. That's life right.

We've been dragging our butts in each evening: still cleaning up from the March storm; weeding; mulching; veggies... the days just don't seem to be as long any more. ;)

Hope you are doing great.

James said...

Oh dear... next time a tenant asks for a bigger garden you should tell them yes so long as they care for it!

Gail said...

I hate Devil errr Bermuda grass, there is suppose to be a hybrid kind that does not invade everywhere. I am surprised you have it growing there, too, I guess it does not know better. About the only thing that will choke it out is St Augustine, that I know of