Friday, May 09, 2008

Grassically Challenged

You probably realize that I like to garden, but it may come as a suprise that the spousal unit and I suck at keeping the lawn.

Yesterday I went out to dig out all the weeds that have crept in. Who knew it was so satisfying to call a dandelion a stupid twat? It's too bad though, because now most of the green part of my lawn, the weeds, is now gone. There are a couple rental houses in the neighborhood whose lawns are more dead than ours. I'm sure the neighbors on our street are pleased with us.

I know it would help if we watered the damn thing. Some day very soon we'll get our sprinklers running for the season. Fertilizer? Weed and feed? Got bags of the stuff in the garage but no clue when or how often we should apply.

And mowing? Let's not discuss that.

I think we're going to throw in the towel and hire a lawn service.

6 comments:

Megan said...

One of the joys of renting - my landlady pays for the gardner.

justacoolcat said...

Pulling out the woods is just asking for dirt spots. I find it's best just to mow them and work on the flower gardens. I refuse to use lawn chamicals. The dogs and I entered a treaty against chemical weapon use when they were just pups.

Anonymous said...

I fantasize about hiring a lawn service too. I HATE yard work. I wouldn't mind it so much if it weren't never-ending but no grass will grow well in my yard, too shady and the dog destroys it anyway, and the forest of trees dump so many leaves that I could literally rake every day 6 months of the year. If you go on and do it, maybe it'll encourage me to make the leap too. no pressure though. ;)

Slave to the dogs said...

Megan - I definitely miss renting in that regard!

JACC - I do admit to still using chemicals, but sparingly.

Spleeness - Welcome! Our dogs amazingly don't destroy our lawn too terribly. I'm jealous of your forest of trees. I'll update on the lawn service if it works out.

Metro said...

One cannot win against dandelions. The best one can do is be sparing in the use of chemical weaponry and hope for a draw.

My garden is rocketing up (literally--the lettuces haven't been in a week but they're already breaking out). But my lawn remains the patchy, carcinogenous-looking thing it always is.

Next year, I'm gonna hammer it with a yard of potting soil, re-seed the bastard, and if that fails I'll pave the #^$%er and paint it green.

However, locally there is an organic lawn service, no pesticides, no herbicides. They charge $200 for a one-time treatment or about $45 a month through the summer. If I weren't such a dammned cheapskate I'd hire them, as Mme Metro often observes as she sips cool drinks under the porch umbrella while I sweat and grunt yanking weeds by hand.

ginger b said...

I know it has nothing to do with me or my money, but I'm totally voting on lawn service.

Half the reason I don't own is because I would never know what to do with the lawn, pipes, heat, this list could go on and on...