Is your garden neat? How about your backyard?

[awakenedsoul]

Is your garden neat? I maintain my front cottage garden really well, but the backyard needs a lot of work. I finally spent some time out there tonight. I've got a lot of Bermuda grass that I'm digging up and throwing in the green waste. I plan to trim the trees, cut off all the dead sunflowers, and make it look nice. I don't have any junk, just some old reed fencing that needs to be cut off and tossed. I got part of it done this evening. I probably should rake up the leaves, but I like to use them as mulch for the fruit trees. They really seem to make the fruit taste better. How about you? If you were a stranger and you looked at your front and backyard, how would you describe it?

[Aroha]

Nope, I don't have this area under control at all.

My favourite elements are the fruit trees - feijoa, lime, lemon, grapefruit - they seem to thrive on neglect, or at least intermittent care. Same goes for the kowhai and ancient magnolia.

There's a pink hibiscus that flowers for months and always draws positive comments, though I don't love it myself.

The rest is fairly random, shambolic or downright neglected. I make periodic attempts at vegetable gardening, which sometimes result in a harvest but seldom look neat.

[awakenedsoul]

I love my fruit trees, too. They don't need that much care. My front cottage garden is small, so it's easier to manage. I'm going to do some more pruning today. I need to cut back the lavender, rosemary, and sage. They've cut back our water usage because of the drought. So, I'll layer out some more straw mulch. It keeps the soil cool and conserves water.

I've been thinking of planting a hibiscus in my garden. They have them at the gym, and they are gorgeous! Plus, I love hibiscus tea...

[razz]

Between sorting and packing for my upcoming move, the garden is not looking at all as it has in the past. I did a general mulch but with the rain that has coming so frequently, the weeds have taken over in so many ways. I even tried to spray the weeds and the rain washed off the spray so the weeds are looking happy and vibrant. Will mix up a batch and try again as the forecast is for sunny weather for a few days ahead.

[awakenedsoul]

razz, Yeah, the weeds are my main challenge, too. Hope your solution worked. We have Bermuda grass here, which is really hard to eradicate. Heavy straw mulch works okay, and for me is easier on my back. I love Ruth Stout's book, How To Garden Without Breaking Your Back!

With our reduced water restrictions, I've been getting creative with the look of the garden. I realized that I like to frame the house with plants. Instead of a lawn I have mulch. It's kind of pretty to have some space. It pulls your eye to the front of the house. I've got a basket of dried flowers hanging on the front door. I have flowers in the window baskets, two hanging baskets of miniature petunias on the porch, and a variety of blooms in the flower beds on both sides of the house. Fortunately, the original owner planted some drought tolerant plants: Japanese irises, a poplar, and a fruitless mulberry tree. I keep the porch clutter free, and I'm happy with the look. There's still more work to be done in the backyard, though. Bit by bit...

[goldensmom]

Neat, very neat. I am retired and, as my husband says, the house, yards and orchard are my 'job'. I go about it as though it were my job with routines to keep things neat and in order. My husband and I then survey and note needed repairs, plan special projects, make materials and purchase lists, do time frames, etc.. My job doesn't pay money but it pays in satisfaction.

[Packy]

I keep my garden very neat.

[Rosemary]

I'm working on it.
Each summer (and they're short here!) I try to take over part of the yard from lawn and the inevitable creeping Charlie and other weeds. This year I've made a great deal of progress. My vegetable garden is not neat all the time... by this time of summer it's usually clear that I've been working on other things... It's all a work in progress. I'll be spreading 10 yards of mulch next week.

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for the replies. goldensmom, I should look at it that way. I have that kind of commitment to the front, (and what you can see of the back from the front.) The back orchard is so large, it's a little overwhelming. I just need to focus on clearing the weeds out there for now.
Rosemary, I love mulch! I think I'm going to order some tree trimming to spread in the backyard. I like that look.

[Gregg]

Yes and yes.

[RosieTR]

I can barely find my ripe tomatoes, and sunflowers fight with lambs ear all over. That's the front yard. So no, not neat. This is why we live in a mon-HOA neighborhood.

[citrine]

The front is mostly neat, the back yard is so-so. It has been awful to go out and do anything this summer with how humid it has been and the darn mosquitoes....I usually last about 10 minutes before I am badly bit up.

[early morning]

NOTHING, inside or out, is currently neat at our place. But we work on it in fits and starts. But I've never learned to be an "everything in its place" person, and I do appreciate "moderated randomness", so I doubt I'll ever meet the neat and tidy standard. :|( I WOULD like to be better at weed control! My older flower beds are mostly perennial and full, so they are mostly ok and fairly easy to maintain, it's the new beds and the garden space that gets me every time!

[Gardenarian]

Drought=easy to keep the garden neat! The only weeds are around my roses, which I keep going with greywater.

We do have a lot of junk in our driveway and yard right now - sorting through the oddments in preparation for the move, and creating a great big FREE pile.

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for all the replies. We've had a heat wave here, so I haven't been doing much gardening. I do water the plants every other day, but I need to weed both the front and backyard. Once it cools down, I'll do a better job.
Rosie, Glad to hear you're harvesting tomatoes. We don't have a HOA, either. I've been throwing down straw mulch, Ruth Stout style.
citrine, Sorry you've got so many mosquitoes. We've had intense heat lately, too.
early morning, I hear you on the weeds. I've got Bermuda, and it is very stubborn. Planting fruit trees and mulching heavily have helped.
Gardenarian, Yes, I know what you mean about the drought. I don't have a lawn in front or back anymore. I use grey water, too. The FREE pile sounds great!

[Teacher Terry]

Our front yard is very neat but the back was a disaster thanks to DH. However, we are totaling redoing the backyard with pavers, astro-turf and a small garden. We also have a large shed & I told DH all his junk must fit in it because once the back is done I want it totally neat. I don't intend to spend $15,000 to just have it look junky. Since we live in drought country we thought this was the best way to go. We will only need to water the small garden, fruit trees & rose bushes.

[rodeosweetheart]

My garden much neater than my front yard--just don't care about my front yard, as it is much more pleasant to be out back.