Getting ahead, but not too far ahead

In an earlier post, I wrote about how I wanted to get a jump start on growing grass in my neighbor's yard this year. Well, I'm happy to report that I did get out there and get the seed in his yard. A couple of Sundays ago, I went to Lowe's, bought the starter soil and the straw mat, and then got to work. It's not a big space, so it wasn't a really onerous job, but it does take some muscle. I had to rake up the leaves, then take the aerator tool and go over the area, then put the dirt down, and then spread the seed. After that, it was the frustrating job of rolling out the straw mat. It's easy at first, but the end of the roll somehow rolls over itself and you have to separate it. Grrr! This was a pain.

Luckily, we had some friends visiting from out of town, and they gave me encouragement along the way (although nobody offered to help!). The photo above shows what the yard looks like now.

So, I've tried to be ahead of the game this year. My only worry now is that it's been so cold this week. I hope I didn't get too far ahead of Mother Nature.

Bright spots appear in the downtown DC landscape

Last week, the streets of downtown DC perked up with splashes of springtime color. Landscape crews planted flowers in the tree boxes that line the sidewalks. I broke into a smile when I saw the workers unloading the flats of pansies below my office window. Soon, there were rows of purple and yellow planted around the tree there. Another sure sign of spring!

I love these small flower gardens that appear every spring. Washington is a beautiful city in so many ways. The scale of the buildings is more human that the towers of New York. The national mall and Rock Creek Park provide open green areas that allow an escape from concrete and brick. And there are flowers and trees woven into the landscape. The tree boxes in the Penn Quarter area where I work provide a little backyard-style treat for pedestrians (and those people looking out their office windows!).

So here's to DC and here's to spring. You don't have to go see the cherry blossoms at the tidal basin to celebrate the season -- spring is everywhere you look.

The grass is always greener.....

I hereby resolve to grow grass in my neighbor's yard this year. I gave up on growing grass in my front yard about four years ago. The soil is horrible. There's about a two inch layer of of topsoil and under that is a massive brick of red Maryland clay that makes it nearly impossible to grow anything. Plus, my yard is under several large oak trees that keep it mostly shaded. Growing grass was an exercise in futilty, so I finally put weedcloth over everything and piled mulch on top. Then I started planting things that I like - from azealas to hosta to a lilac bush.

It's different in my neighbor's yard. As you know from a previous post, I take care of my neighbor Jim's yard. He, too, has lots of shade in his yard, but the sun seems to stream through enough to make growing grass a viable option. Last year, I put down some good soil on top of his crappy soil, and then I put on grass seed and a mat of that straw-like material that you roll out. We kept it well watered, and grass actually grew! I was surprised and pleased. Then, at the end of the summer when I was sick of looking at what was left of the straw mat, I pulled it off the grass. Big mistake. It had been keeping the new grass moist and happy. And when it was gone, the grass got dry and unhappy and died. Sigh.

So this year, I'm going to put out the grass seed early and leave the straw in place until it disintegrates. Then I'm hoping the grass will be greener on Jim's side of the yard.

Smiling through the end of winter

Look! There it is! It's what I've been waiting for all these months. It's not a photo from flickr, it's one from my very own front yard. Those bulbs I put into the ground last fall or last year are sending shoots up through the semi-frozen ground in an annual display of chutzpah that justifies the time spent on my hands and knees digging in dirt. Those tender green harbingers of spring accomplish so much just by making an appearance. They make me smile.

I might be still wearing my winter coat and wrapping my neck in a scarf, but those budding daffodils and crocuses let me know that warmer weather isn't so far off anymore. It's time to rake those leaves up and clear the way for splashes of yellow and purple, folllowed by tulips of all hues and denominations.

I know we'll soon be sweating our way through torrents of beating sun. We'll go through the outbreak of yellow-green pollen that blankets the earth like snow. Thunderstorms will rattle the windows and knock out the power. And we'll complain about all that. But right now, I'm content to think about that one perfect spring day when blue sky meets green leaves and sunshine spills all over me. I'm drunk on the promise of spring, thanks to a few flowers making their way toward bloom.