Finally surrendered

Allegheny · ‎03-19-2010

Friends, I finally accepted the fact that I can no longer keep up with my landscape and weeds. I have lost control and am overwhelmed. So after much nagging by my husband I relented and got a quote from a landscape contractor.

The project is so vast it is going to be done in 4 steps, two this year and two more next spring. I have 15 shrubs and plants waiting to be planted in the front gardens and five areas to be treated with weed pre-emergent and then remulched. He will also be extending the gutter drain pipes from the back yard into the woods and returning one garden bed back to grass.

Next spring the garden beds surrounding the entire house and bordering our driveway will done.

I have learned that while I've tried being penny wise I have been pound foolish. With a little help on a yearly basis to keep things manageable I hope to start enjoy gardening again.

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

Nothing wrong with hiring out tasks or simplifying things.

JustJazzmom · ‎03-09-2010

I hire people too to do the things that take a lot of work.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼

AngelPuppy1 · ‎03-13-2010

@Allegheny wrote:
Friends, I finally accepted the fact that I can no longer keep up with my landscape and weeds. I have lost control and am overwhelmed. So after much nagging by my husband I relented and got a quote from a landscape contractor.

The project is so vast it is going to be done in 4 steps, two this year and two more next spring. I have 15 shrubs and plants waiting to be planted in the front gardens and five areas to be treated with weed pre-emergent and then remulched. He will also be extending the gutter drain pipes from the back yard into the woods and returning one garden bed back to grass.

Next spring the garden beds surrounding the entire house and bordering our driveway will done.

I have learned that while I've tried being penny wise I have been pound foolish. With a little help on a yearly basis to keep things manageable I hope to start enjoy gardening again.

@Allegheny

I think that's a good idea. Its hard when you have a lot of yard work to do and sometimes you get to a point where you just can't handle it any more. DH and I are starting to struggle with that right now. We truthfully don't have a lot of extra money to hire people so we've been trying to make do. We, for whatever reason, had some shrubs die this summer -- whether because of disease, the insects that came --- oh- the ones that come every so many years -- the name escapes me??? ---- but any how --- those need removed and replaced. They are a lot of work to keep them trimmed, etc. I told him we need to look into getting them removed and replaced with other things that don't need all that maintinance. Maybe some ornamental grasses or something. But, any how --- I think what you are doing is wise. Relieve yourself of some of the worry and burden if you are able!!!

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." - Steve Martin

software · ‎06-08-2016

You will never regret it.

@Allegheny wrote:
Friends, I finally accepted the fact that I can no longer keep up with my landscape and weeds. I have lost control and am overwhelmed. So after much nagging by my husband I relented and got a quote from a landscape contractor.

The project is so vast it is going to be done in 4 steps, two this year and two more next spring. I have 15 shrubs and plants waiting to be planted in the front gardens and five areas to be treated with weed pre-emergent and then remulched. He will also be extending the gutter drain pipes from the back yard into the woods and returning one garden bed back to grass.

Next spring the garden beds surrounding the entire house and bordering our driveway will done.

I have learned that while I've tried being penny wise I have been pound foolish. With a little help on a yearly basis to keep things manageable I hope to start enjoy gardening again.

Allegheny · ‎03-19-2010

@AngelPuppy1 @software @JustJazzmom @GCR18

Thank you all.

JustJazzmom · ‎03-09-2010

Gardening is about patience and remember Rome wasn't built in a day. It took me and DH about 30 years for our property to look decent. Many mistakes -- wrong plant wrong place, plants over growing space allotted for it, and choosing plants that might be disease or insect prone.

As we get older we get smarter.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼

pattypeep · ‎06-06-2011

@Allegheny

Good for you !! I have always loved gardening; however, this year I had knee surgery and suffered with the before and afters for six or seven months. I was somewhat forced to hire out much of my yardwork. Praise the Lord ! This has been a blessing in so many ways. I have them do the harder stuff and then I can putter with my flowers and plants. I told my dh that I would love to bring the guys out next Spring and Fall. They are young, strong, and healthy and make short work of projects that would take us days. Enjoy the help, Allegheny.

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea-Robert A. Heinlein

Lilysmom · ‎03-09-2010

@Allegheny, smart move! We did some projects this year and hired out a big one. No way we could have managed that. Having to learn to make adjustments as we age is often a hard call. I am slowly moving to lower maintenance shrubs and less perennials. LM

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

Years ago we had a large landscape project in the back yard that needed designed and installed. We hired a landscape designer to draw up the plans and than dh and I installed everything.

It saved a ton of money and looked like professionals did the job. The pros know what plants will do the best in different areas of the yard so with their expertise and our hard work, the back yard turned out really nice.