Mini Palm Trees in my front and back yards????




Actually, these are weeds, but they look like mini palm trees, or very anemic heads of lettuce!






I return from Florida after a week of business meetings to an unbelievable downpour of rain...gushing water flooding my front and back yards. Oh good, I say to myself as I'm circling the airport hoping to land safely...maybe all this rain will help my grass to grow.

My dearest best friend, Debra, had informed me that organic gardening is the best thing I can do for the earth, for myself, and for my health. And so...I had purchased 40 pounds of corn gluten meal, borrowed back the spreader I gave to Dave and Karen, and spent a few hours sprinkling these stinky pellets all over my front and back yard a week ago before I left for Florida. Potential results....retard additional weed growth....key word here is "additional".

So, I left for a week of business headed for the beautiful blue skies, sunny temperate climate of St. Petersburg, Florida, with the hope that when I return to Texas, my grass will be sprouting and weeds will be "retarded". Ha Ha Ha ha ha ha hee hee hee.....I'm so overwhelmed....frown....

Instead of the "hay" trailers that I hoped would yield St. Augustine grass, I find 6-10" "palm tree" weeds everywhere. Debra....we need to talk!

So, plan B. I commit to 3 hours on Saturday and 3 hours on Sunday (as in today) pulling "palm trees" from what might someday yeild....grass/lawn...whatever! And here is a sample of what it looks like after 6 hours of pulling weeds...(I have tons more to pull, trust me...)



Oops, looks like I missed a couple. And this poor lawn looks like a man's head who is slowly but surely losing his hair... oh groan....again!





Okay...photos above are the backyard. Now for the front yard. I had some irrigation/drainage work done by an engineer shortly after I moved in. The contractors had dug some gulleys in my front yard to place some drainage pipe. Of course there was no guarantee that the "grass" (ha ha ha ha ha) would grow back. BUT...the palm trees had no problems surfacing!!! I've pulled several of them...three hours worth of "several"...but my optimism is waning to say the least...


You can see the "gulleys" that the engineers trenched to install additional drainage lines. The green that you see is part lawn, part crab grass, weeds, etc. I have some serious decisions to male. The neighbors yards look great; my yards appear to have been neglected something terrible. That's the chance one takes when purchasing a home in the middle of winter.




The photo to the left shows a section of the backyard that is adjacent to my master bedroom window. I love looking out the windows and seeing the shrubs and the huge tree. It does need some pruning...I certainly can't do that, but will find someone who can.

So...out of necessity, I'm learning to do some gardening. Maybe I'll even grow to like it. As Walt can tell you, I've never been one to get dirt underneath my fingernails. I did buy some gardening gloves, and I have a few little spades and trowels, and I'm doing okay so far. Debra is laughing her heart out at me...but girlfriend laughter is a gift, and I'm enjoying it immensely.


Before I close this little "green blog"...let me wish each of my readers a blessed Ressurection Celebration. Jesus is the reason for the season...not eggs, not flowers, not lilies, not bunny rabbits...but our Savior whose blood was shed for our sins and for our salvation, and whose resurrection is why we have eternal life in Him. Praise HIS name!