Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Sentimental In The Burbs....

3 years ago today I married my college sweetheart, biggest fan and best friend. I remember the beautiful, sunny day like it was yesterday. I remember spending the day surrounded by the best friends and family anyone could ask for. I remember not wanting the day to end and dancing the night away like it was my job. Happy memories I will cherish forever, yet many more happy memories to be created in our new home in the burbs.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Dear Ms. Ivy


Dear Ms. Ivy,

I am contacting you regarding our initial meeting we had last Spring. Although I enjoyed learning more about you, I thoroughly enjoyed learning how to eliminate you from our yard. I am not sure what I did to upset you, however, I did not appreciate the gross rash you gave me on my left arm last year that took forever-and-a-day to go away. The hubs and I were not sad to see you go last Spring thanks to some help of Mr. Ortho Max. 

Nonetheless, it appears that you did not get the crystal clear message last year that you are not welcome in our yard, nor do we welcome any of your family or friends. You see, Mr. Ortho Max was supposed to deliver such news, however, there seems to be some misunderstanding on your part. I DO NOT appreciate your stealthy growth patterns or dead remains hiding in our yard. And most importantly I am outraged at your need to give me yet another gross rash, not only on my arm, but also on my stomach and leg. Your unruly behavior simply will not be tolerated by me or the hubs. We appreciate your immediate departure from our yard. Your cooperation is imperative or we will be forced to use extreme measures in ending our relationship.

Truly aggravated,
Erika

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Brown Grass


I have tried to be patient, I really have but....I have grown to envy our neighbors lawns. Along with our 1959 cape code, the hubs and I are also proud owners of a dense front lawn (the back is a different story) of "zoysia" grass. I don't really know much about grass, and apparently all grass is not equal. It's now mid-April and so many neighbors already have lush green lawns to mow. But not us. Noooo, our grass is still brown and ugly...awesome.

Thanks to Google, I did some searching today on "zoysia" grass and found this and am slightly horrified:

ZOYSIA GRASS PROBLEMS:
Invasive – Zoysia grass is a very invasive grass. The reason you can plant plugs and not have to seed the lawn is because zoysia grass will crowd out all other species in the lawn. Then when it has taken over your lawn it will start in on your flower beds and your neighbor’s lawn. (Seriously? How can I control my grass?!)

Temperamental color – Another one of the zoysia grass problems is that unless you live in a consistently warm climate, the color of your lawn can go rapidly from green to brown at the first sign of cool weather. This can leave your lawn looking unsightly for a good part of the year. (Thanks, I know.)

Slow growing – While this is touted as a good feature because it means that you don’t need to mow as much, it also means that you zoysia grass lawn will have a harder time recovering from damage and heavy wear. (We should be ok here...we have neither kids nor pets running around our lawn...just other peoples kids and pets. Ha.)

Zoysia Patch or Rhizoctonia Large Patch – Zoysia is prone to zoysia patch disease, which can kill the grass and give it a rust color as it is dying. (Great, the zoysia grass people are probably in cahoots with the lawn care people which means we will probably have to buy some special and expensive fertilizer!)
 

Thatch - Another one of the facts about zoysia grass is that is prone to thatch problems. While you will have less mowing, you will have to do more thatch control, which is significantly more labor intensive. (Well that's encouraging....labor intensive!?)

Difficult to remove – One of the most frustrating zoysia grass problems is the fact that it is near impossible to remove once it become established. If you decide to plant zoysia grass, you are making the decision to grow it for life. (Brown grass in the burbs, just what I've always wanted.)
In warm weather, zoysia grass problems are fewer and the benefits are greater and this grass is worth looking at. But if you are in a cooler climate, planting a zoysia grass lawn is just asking for trouble. (Awesome.)
I never thought I would be begging for green grass!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Our New Plum Tree


We finally got a new tree for our front yard! It was delivered and planted yesterday. The picture above isn't the best because the new tree blends into the background of other trees. My only fear now is over-watering it and killing it! But it's guaranteed for 1 year, so hopefully we won't have any issues. I am still working on my green thumb....

The hubs and I also started the porch make-over project this weekend. We are grateful for a few family members who put in some man-hours with us, so we can't take all the credit. It's turning out to be a larger project than we anticipated (surprise, surprise)but hope to stay on track from this point on. So stay tuned! It SHOULD be completed by the beginning of May.   

PS - Our grass in the pic above is brown not because it's dead or we killed it...it's the type of grass that is the LAST to turn green in the Spring. Oh joy!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter



Happy Easter! The first true signs of Spring are here. Daffodils and tulips are in bloom, the grass is getting greener, ummm well sort of (saving that post for another day). Had a busy weekend in the burbs. I spent my Saturday morning taming the jungle of ivy that has taken over our side yard. Fun times. The hubs and I also started the porch make-over project. Needless to say my hands feel bruised and my legs and back are a mess. Oh joy! More on this project in the upcoming weeks. The hubs and I are off tomorrow (Monday...whoo!). Partly because we just desperately needed a mental health day and party because we are getting our plum tree delivered and planted tomorrow. Stay tuned for pictures!