A Little Yard Work

Last weekend I finally started to do a little bit of yard work around the house.  It was the perfect weather for it, sunny but cool.

I got the grass cut and trimmed and then went to the real work, clearing out some of the brush that has taken over the back yard.  The yard is covered in English Ivy, along with a smattering of honeysuckle and who knows what else.  It has all enveloped the rusty old chain link fence in the back.  Half of the trees are dead because of it, the other half just look terrible.

I would like to change all of that. 

The first thing I did was clear the bushes out where Becky would like to plant her tomatoes this year, three ugly little pine bushes.  Everything came out, roots and all.  This coming Saturday I am going to replace this portion of the screening on the porch as well, along with the wood holding it.  While up there the roof of the porch is going to get power washed as much as I can.  I think that will actually solve some of the leaking problems.

On Sunday I started with the ivy and bushes along the side fence.  I got most of it cut down in an afternoon, but it is not gone yet, the trash men will only take so much at once.

Once I get all of the bushes out of the entire yard, the trees are next.  Many of them I can cut down myself, but I think we are going to have to call in a service to get about six of them that are just too big or too close to the house for me to handle.  I would rather get a pro to do it.

Finally, and it may not happen until next year, I would like to get a Bobcat and level the back yard, removing as much ivy as I can and the entire fence.  That should be fun.  This could be a multi-year project, doing it as time and money allows, but it will be nice to finally have a yard that is no longer a jungle.