Search Results for: blog pulling out the vinca

Pulling Out the Vinca

The ground cover at the front of our house is a mess. That is because I have been attacking it at the suggestion of my husband. You see, part of the ground cover is a lush covering of pacasandra. This pachysandra is in areas around our yard. To the right of the house as you are looking at it, the pachysandra is well established and looks great. To the far left of the house, the pacasandra also looks well. But in between, we have a problem. Vinca, another nice ground cover has started to take over, choking out the pachysandra … Continue reading →

Involving Kids in Fall Cleanup

Around our house, fall yard work is a complete family affair. Everyone is expected to do his or her part, even the youngest. While this may see like cheap labor (in fact it sometimes takes more time when kids help then when they don’t) it is actually a way of spending time together as a family while doing what needs to be done. Involving kids in fall clean up also builds valuable life skills. It can build self-confidence, a feeling of having a place in the world and being important in the family, and a sense of responsibility. Tasks such … Continue reading →

Defining Our New Front Walk

In an earlier post, Putting in a New Front Walk, I talked about starting our new project of replacing the problem walk. Unfortunately the weekend project turned into a week-long project due to a need for additional supplies as well as a freak hail storm. After removing all of the weeds that had grown within the path between the flagstone I previously removed, I moved on to defining the path. It needed to be wider and more even than it was previously. I used the same hand tool that I used for weeding to define and edge the walk, and … Continue reading →

Building Fairy Houses

In our yard there have been all sorts of little houses springing up. Just talk a walk around our property, and you just might spot a few. As you exit our house and travel up the slate paved walk, don’t look down. That is because if you keep your eyes ahead and open, you just might see something curious. Just up ahead, there just might be a quaint little cottage tucked beneath a tree. It had a door with a doorknob and a stately tree out front. These fairies like to build there abodes in cozy nooks. Their homes are … Continue reading →

Two Solutions for a Wet Yard

Does your yard suffer from water runoff? If you have a pool in your yard or find your mulch heading down the street every time it rains then you’ll need to fix the problem. Here are two solutions for when you have to take care of your yard’s water problems. Grading in your yard can funnel water down toward your house or wash away your lawn or garden. It can cause soil erosion, as well as an unappealing curb view. Our house sits down at the bottom of a hill, so we know about this problem first hand. One very … Continue reading →

Choosing Active Headphones

Do you listen to your iPod while you run? What about some tunes while you do your housework or yard work? Love to rollerblade or shoot some solo hoops? What about working out at the gym? One of the main problems is usually that most headphones aren’t made for activity, even through most people use their headphones while being active. Lately I have been taking out books on audio from our local library. These books are actually compact MP3 players that contain the entire book and are geared specifically for audio books with features that remember where you last left … Continue reading →

Dahlias

Dahlias have a special place in my heart as a flower because of the association I have with them when I was first dating my husband. He proudly showed me to the back of his property, a tiny yard that was literally a two-foot wide strip of dirt on the opposite end of the driveway the home shared with two other homes. Growing in that little spot of dirt was a single Dahlia. Even without my association, you can see that there is something nostalgic and romantic about Dahlias. They are colorful; they are flamboyant; they are heirlooms. From the … Continue reading →

Killing Jack

It looks like we have killed Jack. At the end of the day, this may have been a good thing, although the kids are still saddened by Jack’s passing. But it really wasn’t our fault. Or at least we can claim ignorance and self defense rather than outright murder. Please don’t hate us. Here is how it happened. First, let me reassure you that Jack is not a person. Nor is Jack an animal or any mammal or rodent or bird. Jack is plant, well many plants, and therefore many Jacks. He emerged one day (along with his doplegangers) this … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: May 5 – 11

From some unusual celebrations like National Grump Out Day to some common ones like graduation and Mother’s Day, and from weather events to Reasons to Move, we have a good variety of topics this week. Here is a handy round up: Pulling Out the Vinca Ground cover. It’s a love/hate thing. It can be a beautiful addition to your yard but it can also take over. Mary Ann has pacasandra, or is it pachysandra? Either one works, and either way, it can stay; but Mary Ann says the Vinca has got to go. Read more… Invitation Etiquette Why don’t people … Continue reading →