I have a little dent in the flower garden now, not much but it is progress. I take more and longer breaks now.
When I want to put in a new garden area, I lay down plastic or other weed barrier, cover it with mulch and wood, the previous season or for as much time it takes to kill the grass. Then I just turn the dead sod over, cover it with the mulch that was on the plastic, turn it over or rototil and put stuff in. Don't have to take the sod out that way.
Mary I know its a good idea but I'm in a hurry to see some flowers. I thought of covering it with black cloth but this grass is 25 years old and very deep-rooted Bahia. I don't have any machinal tools just garden fork, shovel and rake. We do have a mower and pole saw weed eater, but not good for the job. Now the the tic's have stopped me from walking clearing trials I have time, but its not as enjoyable as walking trails.
@Marie Mallery you can rent equipment you only need for a short time, or hire someone to do it for you.
Maybe rent didn't think of that, hiring may be too expensive, they would have to be insured. And work comp is very expensive. So many lawsuits now. A man in Georgia lost his home been in family for generations to a law suit of uninsured worker. We have Castle Law here but who can trust laws anymore?
Next annoying thing: Some kind of critter is chewing off my tomato plants. Every morning for the past few days when I go out to water, one of my largest beefsteak tomato plants has been chewed off mid-stem. What the heck. (Two of them were setting blooms.) I thought maybe the wind had broken the first one, but this morning I could definitely see "chewed" area on the stalk. I dug around in the shed and found some old plastic "fencing" material that is lightweight and similar to netting. I had some aluminum tall stakes and managed to circle the entire raised bed so we'll see what happens tonight. So weird because I have a half-dozen tomato plants that are planted in the ground and nothing has bothered them. Also, the compost that I bought seems to be working well, but it's caused an invasion of small mushrooms or toadstools. I have to pull them up every day. This gardening thing is getting on my nerves.
Chipmunks do that to our tomato plants in planters by the barnhouse. but not in the main garden. They have other problems.
We don't have chipmunks, and apparently it's some nocturnal creature because it happens overnight. So annoying. My garden is so small that losing 3 tomato plants is devastation.
Maybe , one of those outside security lights would show you what is eating the tomatoes, @Beth Gallagher , something like one of those wildlife cams like Ken has at his land up north ? Last summer, Bobby got a sprinkler thing that is motion activated, and he set it so that when even a bird came by (the birds and squirrels were gobbling up the grapes) then the sprayer went off , back and forth, and scared them away. It only stays on for maybe 30 seconds at the most, but it kept the grapes watered and the critters scared away, and even the dogs were afraid to go anywhere near it.
Don we are about to break another heat record down here. February was the warmest February ever recorded. Looks like next week will be another record breaker with highs in the lower 90s.
Hubby said the Farmers Amanac predicts a hotter than normal summer here this year, if you believe in F A. The government could impose brownouts but that is why I finish my basements. It often gets too cold down there.
We both regret we didn't build a root cellar when house was built. Mary your lucky and wise to have a basement. For keeping foot an in case of storm. My daughter in Georgia is making same mistake while building their home. She keeps asking for root cellar but so far not on the list. Mary,I'm not so sure an Almanac will work as good as it used to. I do see some very unusual climate and wildlife changes. And I'm no tree hugger by a long shot.