FATHER AND THE YARD

Old Miniature Roses Climbing
Through the Rails of Our
Handicap Ramp -This Bed
Has Been Renovated

Since I slightly missed Father's Day,  I decided to tie a tribute to him in with our current yard projects.  Dad or Daddy as I called him, was in charge of the yard, whatever that was at any given time. I once remember we took creeping sprigs of carpet grass from a neighbor's yard to nearly cover our own yard in Texas. There are several varieties, all coarse, dense and weed deterrent growth; I loved it, especially since grass burrs did not creep in, so barefooted days were a delight. It required lots of water, but its weed deterrent properties and bug/fungus repellent properties made the watering worth while.

We lived on a corner lot with a lot of hedges, trimming of which was my Dad's duties on weekends. Occasionally, he still found time to take us fishing, pony rides, fishing, etc. As my brother became a teenager he became adept at some of the yard work for which he received more allowance.
We rarely missed church unless we visited relatives, most of which were 60 mi. away. During WWII years I remember many flat tires on those trips. With 3 grumpy siblings trapped in the back seat, we, the flats, and Texas heat certainly tried his patience. There were no spare tires, just inner tubes and patches. I was fascinated by the patches which reminded me of patchwork quilts, as the patches proliferated on the inner tubes.

He was my confidante, because discussion of difficult matters did not become emotional. I am not a teary, emotional person as my Mother was. I liked to get to the heart of the matter, no matter how hard, and move on. Almost all consults with Mother ended in her crying; whether happy or sad; she could not help it. It just translated as all sad to me. Other members of my family are the same way.

Disregard Blue Flats:
This Wide Angle Somewhat
Shows Our Simplifications;
Left and Right Front Beds.
We have added solar lights.

Both were the best parents they knew how to be. Dad was from a family of 8; Mother was an only child raised by a grandmother and two old maid aunts. They believed in the hierarchy of the traditional family and strict discipline. Did they make mistakes? they both admitted they did. There is no handbook of parenthood that is approved, as far as I know.

Changing subjects, I have previously alluded to our on-going attempts to make our yard less maintenance intensive.  I'll have some pictures, too. The purpose of the expense of renovating our landscape was self-maintenance.

Again disregard blue flats. View to to
Left facing house. Hope to Have Better
Photos Later.

We first hired a lawn specialist who advised we "start from scratch" with several variable sized beds already in place. After swallowing my pride in losing long self-seeding and low maintenance flowers, I agreed. I had no choice. My prosthetic knees are no longer conducive to kneeling and crawling on ground, nor is my osteoarthritic, osteoporosic spine.
The beds were dug and dirt clods broken up and raked near level; the weeds, flowers and debris were haul to a refuse area to be burned. I stayed inside so as not to witness the destruction. Then a black landscape material which allows drainage and weed deterent for about 5 years was laid followed by 3" of enhanced soil and 3" of mulch were layered on top of the cloth. We bought a weed deterrent mulch for most of the work. All the mulch will have to be renewed in a year.
We kept several shrubs including forsynthia,  miniature roses, some climbing roses we inherited with the property purchase, and small foundation shrubbery.  In addition we saved 5 nandinas in whiskey barrels for future plantings. They will recover in the barrels for a season. I have two Japanese red maples maturing in whiskey barrels, too.

The Right Bed near Street has 5 Whiskey
Barrels with Transplanted Nandinas in them.
The Windmill and Barrels have Solar lights in
or around Them.

After three beds my husband and neighbor felt confident they had the methodology learned so we hired a neighbor's 16 yr. old son. He has turned out be an excellent worker. He is saving his money to buy a bicycle and open a bank account. I personally am impressed he is aiming for a bicycle, not a car....at his age!!!

The street view is virtually completed as soon as I decide we have enough landscape lights. Some would think I am a little overdone on the lights.

Now we are working around areas not necessarily in street view, but still messy like around the Hidey Hole storm shelter.

I  would like to pave driveway, but am waiting for a concrete or asphalt war...no gypsy deals. Besides drainage have to be determined and done expertly, or the surface will soon deteriorate.

A Different View of Coffee Can Begonias
We dec9ded to try to Keep Hanging Baskets,
Whiskey Barrel Plantings, etc. for Color;
I can still Prepare Most of these Items
Each Spring.