I mowed the yard for August today.
I have this thing, about mowing. I don’t hate it, in fact I think it is kind of fun, if smelly and itchy and sweaty. I just don’t feel that it is that terribly necessary. I have a fine disdain for grass, in general, considering it pointless and bland. The entire point of grass, apparently, is to cut it. Snorrrrrre. I’m much more in favor of zinnias, the point of which is to look like a 1960s rock concert poster, or cinnamon pinks, the point of which is to smell very, very, very good, so that you want to just lay down beside the flowerbed and dream sweet, spicy dreams.
Here is a shot of one of the beds of zinnias, and a bit of the car.
This is one of the 3/4 circle beds on either side of the steps up from the sidewalk. For reference, here is a picture of the house, from the street, when I marked off where the flowerbeds would be, but hadn’t planted them yet.
Next year, I am doing away with the 3/4 round beds at the front of the yard and will plant the entire slope with zinnias toward the front and marigolds to the back. I got the tall kind of marigolds and this year, all you see from the street is marigolds, so the multicolor glory of zinnias can only really be seen once you are up the walk or on the porch. I’m saving the seed-heads off the flowers that are done blooming, so I should have plenty for re-planting, and I will probably buy some seeds, too.
I’m also going to do away with the two round beds on the flat of the lawn and probably do something square or angular and easier to mow around. I want to put in some elephant-ear plants, and instead of those red barberry bushes in front of the porch, we are going to have ferns. I am digging up the barberry bushes this fall, and will give them away to a good home. I hate the spiny fuckers, and they grow faster than is even halfway reasonable. I tried to plant sunflowers along the side of the house, but the squirrels got to the seeds, and only a couple managed to not be eaten and grow. Those that are growing are growing with pride, however. Next year, if I plant sunflowers, I am starting them inside in yogurt cups or something first.
Actually, next year I am going to start a lot of stuff inside, in like late February and March. The bedroom and sewing room are mostly windows anyway, so I should have plenty of light for it. I am going to dig up way more of the backyard for vegetables. I planted a lot of big stuff this year…melons and pumpkins which are taking over the free world, and are growing well outside the boundaries of that which I had dug up to be a garden. I think I might start an asparagus patch, and I intend to expand the strawberry patch, too.
Muahaha, someday, someday, I shan’t have anything to mow at all, and my plan will be complete!
Griswald was out helping me deadhead the flowers one evening this past week.
Griz considers an orange zinnia. I think it meets with his furry approval.