Monday, March 19, 2007

Running Hot and Cold

Saturday the weather looked beautiful, but there was a bitter wind blowing that kept me inside. Well, almost inside. I did swing by Home Depot for a few preparatory purchases: a new spreader, some crabgrass control, and more chicken wire for the ongoing battle with the bunnies.



The new broadcast spreader is to supplement my old drop spreader. The former will be reserved for the bad stuff (herbicides, pesticides, etc.), the latter for the good (Milorganite, compost, etc.) I chose a broadcast spreader this time, because I mow my grass high, and when I apply broadleaf herbicide on a dew-drenched lawn, the moisture clogs the drop spreader. And I bought the deluxe model because my lawn and I are worth it.

An aside: I am an organic gardener in spirit, but since I live in the surreal world of Suburbia, an attractive front lawn seems important enough to warrant a controlled amount of chemicals. I use some natural weed control strategies (like mowing high) and I have tried the natural lawncare products (but without very good results), so I have made the conscious decision to apply a limited amount of herbicides to my front lawn.

I also use a high-polluting gas mower. Again, I have looked into alternatives, but my yard is too big and my time too limited for anything more ecologically green. If only I could keep a sheep or two.



For the second spring in two years, my mower made it into the shop for servicing before I actually needed to use it. And my SO replaced the wheel on my Load Hog garden cart, which I happily used today while cleaning up the detritis from last fall.

Cleaning up some of that detritis revealed more spring arrivals, like this Stella de Oro...



... and 'Autumn Joy' sedum...



... and 'Dragon's Blood' sedum...



... and some nameless iris that has been here longer than I have.



The daffodils are trying to actually bloom, but not the crocus, which the rabbits eat anyway.



I was going to apply the Turf Builder, but the ground is still frozen in places. C'mon, Spring!

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