the great reclaiming has begun

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our backyard & farm have suffered from neglect since elfling came along. for a few months i did try to keep things in shape, but eventually i gave in. it took no time at all for the wild to take over.

i cannot be without my farm any longer. fortunately, this late start to summer allows me to get the beds cleared, & things in the ground. i'll have to start most of it with plants from the nursery, but things like lettuce, chard, etc can begin with seeds.

that photo above is the first pile of wild to be cleared. thehobbit was shown how to use the lopper, & set loose. we had to stop him, because the pile will only just fit in the green bin. i don't know if i should be pleased that he enjoyed using the lopper, or afraid.



this is another photo of the pile. behind it you see how much is left to clear on that side. i was standing behind our backyard to take this photo. let me to explain to the newbies: we have a giant yard. from the back of the house, to the back of the garage, is what we call the backyard (grass, potted plants, where we play). from there, to the back fence is what we call the farm. the beds are to one side of this, the butterfly garden buried beneath overgrowth on the other. we use the center for sprawling veggies, but will be building new beds in the spring.

here is more to be cleared. those are not lilacs, they are evil nasties, & shall be cut down as well. it is hard to see in these photos, but those nasties are 6-8 feet deep!

this photo is shameful. my beautiful farm beds are filled with weeds, plants gone to seed, & plants that have died. there are four in need of clearing & amending. behind the beds is 8 feet of nasties needing to be cleared. (the future home of my chickens, shhh.)

i thought you'd like to see what an artichoke looks like if not cut from the plant. isn't it gorgeous!? sadly, i didn't like the taste of this plant's arties; which is why it has been left to flower. it takes up too much space in the beds, so is being cut back, & moved to the front yard. my plants in front are only drought-tolerant ones, so the artie will thrive there.

that brings us to the end of my embarrassing farm tour. we have a great deal of work ahead of us, but if we stay organized & do a little bit each day, we will get there. don't feel too badly for me, i did purchase a tomato plant the other day. it's a container variety that i've had success with in the past. i cannot eat it, but the menfolk can, & i can enjoy pampering it.

the great reclaiming has begun!

i want to live vicariously through you. what are you growing right now?

~peace.