I just can't do it anymore. I work full time and when it comes to taking care of the yard, my SIL has been a gem. He comes over every Friday and mows and edges. However, I been thinking that our yard was getting pretty bad and that the neighbors would be ready to start complaining soon. SIL has offered to do it all but he works full time and has a family of his own. I know the money is tight for them so I will pay him to help me maintain it. DH has only done mowing the past few years. I decided to hire someone to come in and do the yard. They are trimming all bushes, hedges and trees. Cleaning up all weeding and moss. Mowing the lawn and edging. Putting topsoil down for roses and other plants and barking. We haven't had bark in years. Right now my bushes look a little bare but I'm sure they will be great in a year. I'm so looking forward to having my yard look nice. I feel like I just treated myself!
My SIL mowes and trims for me and helps with garden and other things. He is disabled from work and needs the money so I pay him. Only problem is he is in big demand and I have a couple rental yards for him as well as his own. He has a friend who was supposed to come last week and cut some brush but hasn't showed up yet. Far as getting a kid to weed your garden, No kids around hear know how to week gardens.
Before SIL did it I had a lawn service. There are a lot of people in our area using lawn services. Lots of different prices too so if you decide on that be sure and check with more than 1.
I have had lawn service for years and love it. With my allergies, mowing the lawn is not a good idea.
I also have someone come in and do the heavy work - trimming and edging the gardens and laying down mulch.
I would never be able to do the job they do in the time they do it. The end result looks beautiful and then it is just up to me to maintain (weed occassionally) through the summer. I also have them do spring and fall clean-up and that is so nice...
The problem with working full time, going to see him in the facility most days and taking care of the home (and animals too!), is there is never enough time for everything. Having someone take care of the lawn is one less thing. It also allows me to have fun planting flowers and enjoying them in the garden.
I have had a service for the last year. They come every two weeks and do everything. I had to let them know about my DH ,a few weeks ago I came home from lunch and he was outside yelling at them about how sorry and lazy they are, ETC> he threatend to call their boss and "get them fired" it was pretty bad. Once I explained and gave them a six pack of cold soda all was good. As far as know he has not bothered them any more but he does occassionally make it out to the rider and tries to start it up......
I've had a lawn service for several years. They were quite expensive, but did very good work. Now, with added expenses due to care for DW and the drop in the stock market I have to cut back. I found another lawn service that will do it for 1/2 the first one's charges. I don't yet know how good their work is, but will find out soon. My wife was always the one to care for the flower gardens and the vegetable garden, so those are both gone.
We don't have a huge yard but have a lot of bushes/hedges that need trimming. After DX was dx'd in April, he decided he wasn't going to mow the grass anymore. Sold the mower. Told him I could do it - but he said no. Hired someone to mow and he does a tarrific job at a very low price. DH continued to clip the hedges, however. As time progressed I was afraid for him to use the electric trimmer, so I was always with him. But he handled it very well. Now, 6 years into AD, he is still trimming the hedges. Does a good job. I also have a small battery operated trimmer which I use to "help" him. But I have lots of flowers and herbs and he won't help me weed!
My husband still mows the lawn and trims but is really not interested in anything else. Today I cleaned out my planting beds, put down new mulch, planted some flowers and vegetables. All I could get my husband to do was put the bags of mulch next to the house for me before he went back in the house. I'm pretty stiff right now but am proud of how much I got done. Have to move on to the backyard tomorrow if the weather holds and I can move :)
Oh my gosh, although expensive, it was well worth having someone in to do the yard. They weeded, got the moss out (very wet in WA state), pruned, brought good soil in for the roses, edged, mowed and barked. I had not realized just how bad it was until I took a walk around the house with the folks who did the work. I think that will be my mothers day gift to me -- then I won't feel so guilty about spending the money. What a difference!
I've had a fellow do the yard for 3 years. He does a wonderful job. He also prunes my bushes and trees. I hired grandsons to spade my veg. garden. I hope to be able to plant something within the week.
It's really too much for me but maybe if I push myself a little bit, I will gain a bit of strength and feel better. Hope so.
Mawzy - what is the worst that can happen if you plant it and do not get back to it? Worst: go to seed, the birds, rabbits, etc would love you, etc. :-)
Did you live in Covington, WA Charlotte? That's where I'm at.
Mawzy, I agree with Imohr, call the grandson back to help you. There is so much to do just to maintain a house let alone being a full time caregiver on top of it!
Yes, we lived in the Timberlane house development for 3 years. The house was nice but my son had real problems with the kids there. Half was his own doing, the half were the other kids fault. We sold the house in 1992 and moved into a 2 bedroom travel trailer that we lived in for 4 years. There is a meat shop in Black Diamond that makes some of the best pepperoni.
Wow I want to move to Covington! A meat shop that makes it own pepperoni!! Anyway, I have never done much gardening. No time. Have had a service do the work for the last few years and am happy. Nothing comes cheep these days. My dear Dad says,"When you ask the price, they talk telephine numbers!!!". How true. We bought our house 5 years ago and I did alot of work inside and kinda just got by with the outside. This year I decided to remulch and have perennials planted. I'm a little "green" around the edges. Can someone explain "barked"?
Katheryn0907 - I used the term 'barked' for when you put bark (small wood chips) in your flower and plant beds. It gives it a finished look.
Charlotte - I live by the Covington Library, only a couple of miles away from where Timberlane is. I haven't been to the Black Diamond pepperoni shop but definately the Black Diamond Bakery. Nothing like fresh home made bread warm out of the oven!
Oh! We just call it mulch I guess. I wish I had a creative thought about how I wanted my yard to look. Someone told me to drive around and take pictures of those landscapes I like. I guess when I have time I'll do it. You can see I have no green thumb. I did, however, buy that topsy turvey tomato planter with a stand for my deck. I am going to plant my own tomatoes this year. I know I don't have time for all that planting and staking and watering, etc. When they start to ripen, I'll invite everyone here for a homemade pizza party. My sister is the best pizza maker and when we all get together, she always has to make pizza. We try to get the ripest tomatoes because they work the best. My daughter and her boyfriend planted a small garden for the last 2 years. I still had dh home so I had no time to tend to it. It was great but she has since moved out and I'm not that ambitious.
I have had someone mow my yard, edge and trim shrubs for 20 years - since our younger son graduated and was no longer home to do it! I love planting my flowers and I use pine bark mulch, and try to keep it at 3" to keep the weeds out. For the last two years, my husband has been happy to sit by the gardens and pull weeds all afternoon in the spring and summer! This year however, he can't tell the difference between the flower and the weed, so I guess I'll just have to add more mulch. <grin>
I agree - gardening is therapy for me and my husband. We both enjoy it, I just do not like how sore I am the next day. I am battling doing anything at my sister's this year. The last two springs we left with the yard in beautiful shape only to come back and find overgrown with weeds and grass. The first summer my son and his wife said they would take care of it but all my son did was cut the grass. Last summer I had hopes my sister would get out of bed (her hb died Jan 08) and take care of them but she didn't. My son and he wife did nothing - only cut grass. Not sure how much cleaning up we will do this year.