Work would have been so much easier

[bunchofgrapes]

So I decided to take today mostly off (still had to do a little work stuff) because I was getting this ginormous delivery of mulch (24 bags) and composted manure (12 bags) and I wanted to get the bulk of it down now instead of later. I live in an end-unit townhouse that's a bit older and is on a lot more land than the newer townhouses, which is a big reason why I haven't bought something else. I have a pretty good size backyard, side yard and front yard with a lot of beds. Anyway, everything was delivered around 10:30 this morning so soon after, I got started. I emptied all 12 bags of composted manure immediately. That was the easy part.

The mulch is in these 85 lb bags and I had to move most of it from the back yard to the front yard (I am so not getting on the treadmill later). After hauling a few bags the old fashioned way (carrying them), I remembered the combo step ladder, two-wheeler and used that to haul two bags at a time to the front yard. Except for a brief break where a friend stopped by to fix my wireless problem with my work computer (yay! Brett), I worked straight through until 4pm when I absolutely had to stop because I was about to pass out. When I finally got to the shower, I was covered in dirt. I mean it was caked on. Nasty.

And today was warm--83 degrees and humid. Luckily there was a slight breeze but that didn't deter the Virginia state birds (gnats) from attacking. I kept having to stop because the little bastards were flying into my eyes and up my nose--until I got smart and used this stuff from Smith and Hawken. It's this herbal liquid called Bug Off and it really does work! Anyway, all of the mulch is down in the front and side beds but I still have a to do in the back yard. Oh, well.

I'm pretty sure I won't be able to move tomorrow. But my yard looks fabulous!

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I'm tired just reading about all that you did. Hubby and I had a work day also. We cleaned out our garage, since we are building a new one. He needed my help in taking stuff down from the storage area in the top of the garage. It was gross. Lots of mouse droppings and that kind of stuff. I can't believe how much stuff he had stored up there. I quit asking "what's this," after a while.

Your gnats are probably like our black flies. Hate them. Hate woodticks more and there are lots of them this year. We pulled over 30 of them off of the dogs, yesterday. Yuck!

Glad your yard looks great. Your workouts must be helping to be carrying 85lb bags of mulch. Better not mess around with you.

N.

[tos-lover.livejournal.com]

I got a whole load of cocoa bean mulch in for my herb garden, and I was amazed at how delicious it still smells. The cats don't like it much though.

Mulch & manure

[badkarma-one.livejournal.com]

We put in four new rose beds this spring - unfortunately, no place around her will deliver. So it's pull the middle seat out of the minivan, go to Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Shop Rite, or Home Depot (whoever has the best prices on whatever we want), and load the poor van up with bag after bag -- then reverse the process once we get home.

We found some great cedar mulch in Shop Rite (a supermarket chain here in NJ and in NY) -- 3 bags for $9. It's great -- light and fluffy, and it smells great.

I wish I could find the great composted manure we bought in Home Depot in 2002. It was black, and fluffy -- not slimy like some of the manure they sell now. It came in 40-lb plastic bags, blue with black and white slots (like the cow-inspire Gateway boxes). They stopped carrying it, and I never saw it again.