Yard Updates

Things have been hectic around here,

or at least that's how it seems to me.

We have baseball games

and scout meetings

and backpacking adventures

and all that leaves little time for the house.

It's been raining for weeks,

or at least that's how it feels.

We managed to get half the yard mowed and raked the other day

and Monday I just managed to get the other half mowed.

Afterwards I sat my butt down under the "Whomping Willow"

AKA the Kwanzan Cherry tree that is currently in full bloom.

We have so much on the list of things to do right now it's almost overwhelming.

We will be hosting the first backyard birthday cookout this house has seen 

in a long time-

possibly ever 

I'm not sure.

So I need to get the back yard party ready

by finishing digging out the new garden beds, 

getting some areas tilled, raked and seeded

and removing the brush from the removed shrubs.

And possibly remove the other shrubs on the list.

That's all hard to do in cold pouring rain

and it seems like the weather is only nice when I have a baseball game to be at.

Here's hoping I get a big enough break in the weather to get stuff done!

My Whomping Willow

This is the Whomping Willow from Harry Potter.

And this is the one in my back yard.

Ok, so it's really a kwanzan cherry tree, 

but it looks like a whomping willow.

 That's because of the way it was pruned a couple of years ago.  

For some reason, people around here think that cutting off

all the branches except the thickest ones.

I don't exactly know what the idea is behind this, 

but it's about the worst thing you can do to a tree other than cut it down.

So don't do it.

Anyway, I had the tree and shrub care person at my office come take a look

at the tree as it looks a little sad with some split branches.

I wasn't sure it could be saved.

Luckily, it appears with some fertilizing and controlling Japanese Beetles

and some mild pruning, it will last a while longer.

Some of the roots have come to the surface of the lawn, and since hitting the roots isn't good for the lawn mower

or the tree, I've decided to mulch around the tree.

This is going to be my first outdoor project and I'm anxious to get it started.

I've already pruned, and I spray painted a circle around the tree where I need to remove the grass

now I just need to get out there and do it.

Pretty soon, the tree is going to look like this one,

and I want to be able to enjoy an iced tea at my little patio table under the tree.