Who Knew I Couldn't Do It?

I said I was going to let it go. I tried. But in the end, I couldn't stand the thought of first-time visitors to the house having to poke through weeds to see the permanent residents of our garden. So I took off this afternoon and got most of the weeds pulled. As is often the case, it wasn't as bad as I thought.

Knowing I didn't have time to pull each and every weed, I focused on the most visible areas. With the weeds pulled, the edges cleaned up (I'm all about clean lines), and the yard mowed (thanks babe!) everything looked 100 percent better. I'll spend an hour or two here and there sprucing things up so that by the time guests arrive on Saturday, it should look just about perfect (as long as you don't look too close).

I say it should, and it will, unless some of my half-done projects reveal themselves for what they are. My early vision was a pine needle path that meandered through assorted and sundry blooming shrubs and perennials. The path is more or less in place, in places just waiting for the teaming shrubs and perennials to spring up beside it.

This year we ended up with 15 extra bales of pine straw than were needed to replenish the path to nowhere. The path just ended under a cherry tree because I couldn't decide which way it should go. Had enough pine straw to give both ways a try. Ended up with two extensions that connect with the street. Folks that have to park at the end of the street can come up through the garden instead of having to walk in the street. Very cool.

The catch is that I just tossed pine straw on top of whatever was growing there. I did pull some of the larger weeds--if they poked through enough to mess up the look. And today I went back and pulled out still more weeds. That helped to make it look almost as settled as the oldest section of the path...as long as nothing else grows up through it. I laid it on thick and am keeping my fingers crossed.

OK...now it's time to start getting the house ready. Ain't nobody going to say that anything in our house is other than spotless. I'm hoping that with the yard looking so nice, the house spiffed up to the max, and all the bf's wonderful food spread out in abundance, nobody will notice how much weight I've gained since last years' party!