Last month we noted it’s been two years since we moved into the house and started becoming gardeners of our own yard. One of the first things we did shortly after moving in in March 2005 was to order a very large load of mulch. I had no idea what the measurements meant. But I did know that when we walked through the garden with the past owners, they mentioned it was time for say, about 3 yards of new mulch or something like that. I can’t remember how big this order was, but I am certain that it was exponentially bigger. We wanted the (small) price break for a bigger order.
I will never forget watching from the upstairs window: A huge dump truck showed up out front, backed into the driveway slightly, and then unloaded this wall of dirt. I thought it was a lot, but I thought the yard was pretty big so it could probably take it (plus what are you going to do at that point?).
Several months and lots of sweat later, I had brunch with a group of women. One was talking about a work party they had the weekend before. They had gotten just about everyone they know to spread around dirt and mulch in their yard, about a full-day's work with dinner provided afterward for the tired workers. I kept very quiet when the amount of their mulch/dirt order was significantly less. That’s when I had a real-life awareness of the amount of mulch we brought in.
I don’t know how many hours or how many wheelbarrows-full of this stuff we moved around. But here is a photo taken in April 2005 to show how the pile did eventually diminish and get moved down the driveway.
A nutty relative of the neighbor house came over while we were working away one day and claimed to be a Master Gardener. She said we should just pile this stuff up thick! The plants will love it! You can’t really over-mulch! And put it in the raised beds! Okay!!! That’s one way to get rid of the pile, instead of sneaking around the neighborhood in the middle of the night with the wheelbarrow with the perpetual flat tire and trying to hide the stuff in other people’s yards.
Two years later, we still have piles of this stuff tucked away in corners and some not-out-of-the-way-enough places in the yard. We also lost that beautiful old rhodie that was in the first photo (it was already sick but I am certain we struck the final blow), smothered many things that were trying to poke up and grow at this time of year, and caused some very unhappy garden beds and sickness in other areas.
In the spirit of celebrating anniversaries, I am happy that we have a dirt-free driveway now! We have learned some good lessons about proper amounts of mulching, biting off what you can chew, and that saving a few bucks for buying in bulk just is not worth it sometimes! We are pleased to walk around the yard this spring and see things bouncing back from under the weight of our initial exuberance. We love our little garden. We’re learning!
I will never forget watching from the upstairs window: A huge dump truck showed up out front, backed into the driveway slightly, and then unloaded this wall of dirt. I thought it was a lot, but I thought the yard was pretty big so it could probably take it (plus what are you going to do at that point?).
Several months and lots of sweat later, I had brunch with a group of women. One was talking about a work party they had the weekend before. They had gotten just about everyone they know to spread around dirt and mulch in their yard, about a full-day's work with dinner provided afterward for the tired workers. I kept very quiet when the amount of their mulch/dirt order was significantly less. That’s when I had a real-life awareness of the amount of mulch we brought in.
I don’t know how many hours or how many wheelbarrows-full of this stuff we moved around. But here is a photo taken in April 2005 to show how the pile did eventually diminish and get moved down the driveway.
A nutty relative of the neighbor house came over while we were working away one day and claimed to be a Master Gardener. She said we should just pile this stuff up thick! The plants will love it! You can’t really over-mulch! And put it in the raised beds! Okay!!! That’s one way to get rid of the pile, instead of sneaking around the neighborhood in the middle of the night with the wheelbarrow with the perpetual flat tire and trying to hide the stuff in other people’s yards.
Two years later, we still have piles of this stuff tucked away in corners and some not-out-of-the-way-enough places in the yard. We also lost that beautiful old rhodie that was in the first photo (it was already sick but I am certain we struck the final blow), smothered many things that were trying to poke up and grow at this time of year, and caused some very unhappy garden beds and sickness in other areas.
In the spirit of celebrating anniversaries, I am happy that we have a dirt-free driveway now! We have learned some good lessons about proper amounts of mulching, biting off what you can chew, and that saving a few bucks for buying in bulk just is not worth it sometimes! We are pleased to walk around the yard this spring and see things bouncing back from under the weight of our initial exuberance. We love our little garden. We’re learning!
