The Grass is Green On This Side

My little blue house had been formerly neglected. The previous owners, I have been told by my landlord and neighbors, used the backyard as a dirt bike track.

 When I first arriver, it was February, and I had no great desire to spend any time in my yard, and it seemed perfectly adequate. Yet it all began one very windy Saturday. I went outside to clean up the many branches on the ground and the trash bag that had been torn open and its contents spread all across my lawn. As I did, I remembered the pile of garbage that was hidden in the corner. Conveniently for me, the dumpster is just behind my house. I threw away a rotting table, chairs, the old bathroom sink, and some random medal poles. I soon saw that the trash continued through layers of decaying leaves. I looked around and groaned. Much of the lawn was still covered in dead leaves. I thought that archaeologically, it truly was layer upon layer of human life, but this time, I wasn't amused.

No big deal, just rake them and throw them away. As I was cleaning out the leaves, I noticed that the trees were massively overgrown and growing through the fence, ruining it. Most of the time, I did not have the proper equipment and I just went for it. I borrowed a rake from TJ and slowly moved the leaves into the dumpster. But the piles were never decreasing and the dumpster seemed to fill up way too quickly. Many of the trees branches were dying and were easily uprooted. Some lashed back and clawed at me. It was an exciting fight. I yanked and stomped and sat on branches till they snapped. What a satisfying sound. I used to believe myself a tree-hugger, but not when it comes to defending your home and yard. Sometimes after work or a free weekend day,  I would rake, tear at branches and carry them all to the dumpster, the hardest part of clearing.

When the ground was cleared to satisfaction, I planted grass seed with no expectation of it successfully growing. I hadn't tilled the ground or put in fertilizer. TJ came over and we simply spread the seed and stamped on it. And I have watered it nearly every day.

It was past the time that the hardware store employee had told me that it would grow and there was no sign of life. I was disappointed, but not surprised. It was an improvement to not have layers of decaying leaves and basketballs on my lawn anymore! I have been doing what I can out of doors. I have not had great experience, wishing now that I had learned more from my Mom, but I have made little improvements. Free pots from the library's basement, a flower won at a luncheon, two bags of mulch on sale, small garden lights and soil and flowers on sale, old tires found behind the shed, an old chair found in the decaying pile, and small stones found at the ranch have all helped to bring change a bit of my little blue house's outward appearance.

Early February 

The layers of leaves and clustered branches in the corner.

The other corner and a pile of leaves and branches. 

TJ fixed the porch and was taking down the old screens. 

Trash from the shed, and the pruned branches.

Waiting patiently for food. 

Pot on the left - on loan from the library.

Birthday plants from Robyn!

Repurposed tires

Freshly mowed lawn! 

And what is this??

Then one glorious sunny day, I looked out and saw fuzzy green patches in my far back corner. Exactly where the worst had been. My grass was growing. Oh and those nasty trees? Lilacs - and what beautiful blooms they had!

Next job - paint the porch!