Earlier in the year I had grand plans to drive back to Illinois with the folks when they were ready to end their 2015 Snowbird Season. It was a challenging plan, as trying to fit me into their SUV with all their stuff was not going to be easy. But, I figured anything I displaced could ride with me in the big van up to Illinois in May. But then I discovered an error in my calender. My Orlando show, Fiesta in the Park, would not be on its usual first weekend in April, it was moved back a week due to Easter. Oh snap! My ride up to Illinois now became a challenge to book a cheap flight to go with the cheap return flight I had already booked on Allegiant on April 19th--about $80 with no bags.
I did find a flight on Southwest that was cheap-ish and came with two free bags, so, I booked that for Tuesday the 14th. It would require the folks to make a trip into Milwaukee from Rockford, but, it's a pretty easy drive if you can avoid the rushes. As the plane arrived at noon, it was doable. What remained in question: would I be able to whip the winter ravaged, 2/3 of an acre garden into shape in FIVE DAYS?!
Can you believe I didn't take any before pictures? I was so excited and anxious on Tuesday afternoon I just started hacking away at the grasses near the back-up area of the driveway. It took four hours the first day to get them cut up, bundled and bagged. Over the next five days I would put in 40 hours,(my Mom volunteered another 8 hours, my nephew Roger about 2 very physical hours) bagging 38 bags of yard waste, 12 bundles of stalks and limbs and laying 54 bags of mulch!! The pictures below show the end result--it isn't perfect but most of the brown, wind blown and spent plants had been trimmed.
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| Oh crap, I forgot to fill the bird bath. The two brown bushes here we cut back a bit...there was already new growth out to about the tips. The red/ brown freeze on the two rows of boxwoods started last winter. That may be a project to replace down the road. |
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| The middle and top tiers both need mulch and the top tier needs some more attention by the tall trellis wall. Mom said there is some Ribbon Grass I may want to remove. |
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| The Scottish Thistle is starting to come up in this planter. I will get more pictures of that when I get back. |
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| There are some daffodils and another unidentified flower (the reddish pink one below that I will move into the little planter above. These used to be planted around an Airstream trailer they had back here. |
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| What are these??? |
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| I didn't get the fountain set up in this planter...and, yes, there is still some winter burn on those potted shrubs. |
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| The Koi and the critters are playing in the "pond"! |
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| You can see I still need to mulch the east property line planter... another 20 bags there maybe??? |
