We’ve hit a little bump on the kitchen project … Eric is recovering from abdominal surgery and won’t be back in renovation form for a few weeks. He’ll be able to creep up on lightweight tasks as he recovers, but hauling wood and cabinets up and down the stairs is out for the time being.
Having Eric out of commission has made me appreciate how much he really does around here every day. Suddenly I have to work at keeping the house running (oh, poor me). And that includes the outdoor chores, as well, which I’ve been ignoring as I obsess about the kitchen.
After a warmish, snowless winter, spring arrived this weekend with summer-like intensity. Of course, being the Pacific Northwest, it’ll be back to endless rain in a few days, but sun and pushin’ 70° is making the plants really excited. Including the weeds. Especially the weeds. So this morning I slathered my pasty white Seattle winter skin with SPF 50 sunblock and set out to tame the wild yard.
First, I pruned the roses—long overdue. The previous owner used to live a few blocks away, and always admired this house’s roses as he walked into town. When the house came up for sale, he jumped at the chance … in 1945. I’m not a big rose aficionado, but I love that story, so I’ve maintained these old roses in his memory since I bought the house in 1984. I’ll show you the rose garden when it’s in bloom … and after I eradicate the damned moles and weeds. It’s not ready for its close-up quite yet.
The grass had grown to ridiculous lengths. Luckily, the lawn mower started, but the grass was so long I couldn’t use the self-propel feature. I actually had to PUSH the beast through the jungle.
Checkers played possum when I suggested he help dig up all those dandelions.
The work was hard, but signs of spring were all around me. I watched the leaves on this Japanese maple unfurl as the day progressed.
The Chinese windmill palm has several new fronds.
The sun shone through a curtain of weeping birch catkins …
and made the Mt Fuji cherry tree glow.
The euphorbia gets bigger every year. The flower clusters hang their heads down until they are ready to straighten up and bloom. They last all summer.
Chex hung out with me all day. He’s a good garden buddy. Here he shows off the tulips, which are just about to open.
Fred, though, is ambivalent about gardening.
Had Fred known about this little guy (only about 1.5 inches long!), who narrowly escaped being frappéd by the lawnmower, he might have shown more interest.
So here’s the fruit of my labor … neither edged nor weeded, but lots of dandelions temporarily lost their heads. Plenty more shine in the gardens. At least it looks like whoever lives here cares a little bit. As Eric would say, it’s a start.
If only I didn’t have to go to work this week, I’d have this place whipped into shape! The weatherman is already warning of rain, but it’s been a glorious Easter weekend. No complaints!