I spent big chunks of the last several days crawling around in my yard. I have been digging up and transplanting some previous “good ideas,” while putting in new flowers and bushes which will be, hopefully, a better fit.
Managing and maintaining my home’s landscaping is an unending project. Conditions change. What seemed to be the right thing to do a few years ago needed to be re-thought, redesigned, relocated, removed or replaced.
While not being one of the alleged snooty local denizens with paid staffs for their dirty work, I must admit I did hire professionals for the parts that included dump trucks and heavy lifting. There are some things where it just makes more sense to pay to get it done right, and a man does need to know his limitations.
So far, we are very happy with what we have done, but the true test will be in a year or two, or maybe longer. In time we will have a better chance to see how these latest “ideas” adapted to the space, whether they died or thrived, and if the environment or our personal tastes changed enough to necessitate the next iteration.
Lawns and gardens are a lot like neighborhoods. Change is both constant and necessary. Time passes, people age, families evolve and circumstances change. The paid professionals at the municipal center, Park District, counties or elsewhere can help with the heavy lifting, but the residents need to take ownership, become involved, and provide direction. This is our community. We all hold responsibility for dealing with weeds, pruning, and preparing the ground for future growing seasons.
The Homeowners Confederation is preparing a schedule of topics for when our meetings resume in September. Let us know if there are ideas you would like us to cultivate and grow.
