Backyard

Saturday was a gentle day. I did a dog walk with Her Highness in the morning and then did a very modest amount of yard work. In the afternoon, I met Anna and Gunther and our dogs had a great time whilst we sat in the sunshine and talked. 

Sunday’s been just as dull. I do nothing but dog walks, chores and reading. End of story. Of course, the weather has been uninspiring of late. I get my energy from the sun and without it, I’m rather lethargic.

So, when the sun came out this afternoon, it drew me outside, and I was thrilled when I looked into my backyard. The rain of late has given a real boost to the lawn I laid last year. 

My backyard was a barren wasteland. It was covered in building waste, old engine parts and lots of decaying wood—all left by the previous owner. I had to get rid of it all and then clear a decade or so of fallen Fir needles and cones to expose the rock surface. There is no soil here. Then I laid down fresh fertilized soil and the seed for the lawn. 

Last Fall, when the grass grew in, it was rather sparse. But now my yard is looking really lush. The gardens need attention, of course, I’ve not gotten to them yet, but the lawns look fabulous. Here are some photos:

This is the backyard close to my home. It's to the east of my deck and south
of my guest rooms.

This is the farther part of my backyard. That's Crown Land behind my fence;
it's raw forest and will never be developed.  I'm terribly proud of the pathway;
I made it from wood taken from abandoned industrial pallets.

I need to mow here. This is a small bit of yard on the west side of my land.
That huge bush obscuring the fence, is Ocean Spray. It will soon be a mass
of flowers that omit a sweet, tropical, heavenly sent for two-to-three weeks.

These are my very healthy Garlic plants. On the left, soon,
will be a row of Sweet Peas to grow up the lattice.

This shows you my beautiful Rhododendron that came with the house. This area
is open to Deer, so landscaping is less interesting here. The little cage to the
right is an emerging Paulownia. I created this lawn, two years ago. It, too, lies
on (expensively) purchased soil.

Sheba is outside the veggie garden. Everyone must be fenced from the Deer.
I've given up on veggies; I'm focusing on herbs and fruits. Plants requiring a
lot of water and lots of sun are not the best choice for my location.