Tree Hugger

Just about anyone who knows me well, knows about my lawn issues. My house was newly built when I bought it 4 and 1/2 years ago, so there was no landscaping and the yard is RIDICULOUSLY huge for the size of my house. (The width of my backyard equals four or five of the houses behind me.) It's just lunacy. I mowed it myself for the first 3 years -- with a lawn mower that is not self-propelled -- and then finally decided to hire someone last summer because lawn work basically took up all of my Saturdays and I'd had enough!

(I could write a whole separate blog about my yard work envy. There are some tough things about being single -- but I don't think anything gets under my skin as much as having to do all the housework/yardwork by myself. It's the one thing that I get bitter about. If I see a family out working together in their yard, I boil with irrational jealousy. It's odd, I know. But it's the trigger to my crazy. I've never confessed this before so don't bring it up outside the blog world. I'll deny it.)

Anyway - I've drawn up DOZENS of landscaping plans over the years. I've planted a garden (lasted one year, now I'm growing weeds in there), planted five trees in the front yard and four small ones in the back, raked up my front yard after chinch bugs killed it all and then re-sodded it, made some big beds in the front yard (one which has been empty for 2 years) ... blah blah blah ... basically, it's just a non-ending struggle.

Every Spring I get anxious about planting. If there is good weather on a Saturday, I feel guilty if I'm not doing something about my landscaping issues. This Saturday, the weather was PERFECT and I really had a bug to plant some trees in the backyard. The first issue was finding a truck because my cute VW Bug is completely useless for carrying more than about 2 grocery sacks. Finally, my aunt agreed to meet me at the nursery in my Papa's pickup. I bought 5 trees, 8 bags of mulch, and 3 bags of compost. After loading it all in the truck, I hopped in and we headed for my house. It wasn't until I got home that I realized my car was still parked at the Nursery. Durrrhh. "Oh well, " I thought. "I'll worry about that later." I was anxious to get planting, besides I was sure someone could take me to pick up the car later. (foreshadowing)

So here's another "BEFORE" picture. You can see, there is lots of wide-open space for planting. And you'll notice that Bella (AKA Devil Dog) tries to help with the yard work. She is working on a trail system so people can hike around the yard. The trail goes around the side of the house, up one fence and down the other.

Nicole and Jon (my sister and my brother-in-law) came over for a couple hours to help me dig holes. After debating the placement for the trees for way too long -- we finally got to work.

They were awesome and helped me dig 3 of the 5 holes!!!

I think I'm going to like having a brother-in-law.

Here's a pic of the happy couple.

(Note: this photo wasn't taken on the actual hole-digging day.)

Unfortunately, they had a party to go to and were not able to see the project through to completion. But no worries, I was on the homestretch.

I realized there was a problem after a dug my last two holes and got all the trees in the ground. I was seriously lacking on dirt to fill the holes back up AND I was without a car and burning daylight. That's when my fantastic friends, Andy and Chade came to the rescue. I gave them a call and serendipitously, they just happened to be walking into home depot!

Andy & Chade

(AKA Chandy)

(It's because of times like these that they usually screen my calls. But unfortunately for them and fortunately for me -- Andy answered his cellphone!) They were my landscaping lifesavers. They delivered the dirt and helped me mulch the trees and clean up just as it was getting dark. They even took me to get my car at the nursery.

Here's where that foreshadowing part comes in. The nursery apparently locks its gates at closing time. My VW Bug looked so sad and lonely in the parking lot and I had to leave it there overnight.

The other bad thing is that despite the fact that I have a bin full of gardening gloves, I neglected to wear them.

I paid the price for that with an excruciatingly painful blister. I am accepting "Get Well" cards, but please act sympathetic and don't add insult to injury with comments like this one from my mother, "Now that is just irresponsible." That is just not helpful at this point.
This blog is now ridiculously long. I apologize. I am even bored by it. So here are the final pictures. My Cedar Elm, Chinese Pistache, and 3 Crepe Myrtles all in the ground!

(I will take you to the pound, dog, if you even THINK about digging up those trees.)