Maintaining Your Yard (flowers, exterminator, lawns, landscaping)
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Hello all. New here. I actually found this forum searching about my city and saw there's other things here.
I really struggle with keeping up my yard. Do any of you have a schedule or strategy that you follow on a weekly or monthly basis? I'm just curious how others approach and keep up. Thanks!
Yard info- 1/2 acre, I have a pool, lawn, bushes, trees.
My husband isn't a huge help...gardening and lawn stuff isn't really his idea of fun (while it IS kind of fun to me. I like gardening.) Our son cuts the lawn...everything else is kind of my thing.
My 'method' of keeping up is just going outside a few times a day, and pulling weeds, clipping weeds etc. I know it's not the most organized way to do it...but since I'm working from home these days, it's what works. Having the right tools for the job is helpful too. Having hand clippers and hedge clippers and a rake are my biggest thing. lol
My husband isn't a huge help...gardening and lawn stuff isn't really his idea of fun (while it IS kind of fun to me. I like gardening.) Our son cuts the lawn...everything else is kind of my thing.
My 'method' of keeping up is just going outside a few times a day, and pulling weeds, clipping weeds etc. I know it's not the most organized way to do it...but since I'm working from home these days, it's what works. Having the right tools for the job is helpful too. Having hand clippers and hedge clippers and a rake are my biggest thing. lol
That's kind of what I started doing as well. I have been working from home and just started working on a 5 by 5 section each day. It just seems like it's never ending! And now I think I have some aggressive bees that made a nest as they are everywhere.
That's kind of what I started doing as well. I have been working from home and just started working on a 5 by 5 section each day. It just seems like it's never ending! And now I think I have some aggressive bees that made a nest as they are everywhere.
Yard and garden maintenance IS never ending, it is year round work that comes with owning property. You need to figure out what kinds of yard work you enjoy doing yourself, and the rest of it that you don't like or aren't capable of dealing with yourself you hire out to somebody else to do it for you. Don't ever neglect it because if you do neglect it your property will turn into an unsightly mess and will attract all manner of wild pests to invade the property and house, and the property will depreciate in home value and curb appeal.
If you have insects being aggressive with you then they are not bees, they are most likely wasps and wasps do get aggressive if you go near their nest or otherwise interfere with them. Wasps become much more aggressive towards the end of summer.
Bees are not aggressive insects and they are vitally important insects that you NEED to have visiting or living on your property, so it's essential that you learn how to identify and be able to tell the difference between bees and wasps. At this time of year bees will be everywhere because this is the time of year that they are doing their most important work of pollinating plants while they are gathering nectar and pollen. Bees need to be protected. Wasps are a different matter and if they are bothering you or are killing your bees you might need to find their nest if it's on your property and then call in an exterminator to get rid of them for you.
I just hire people. I stopped doing my own yard work about 5 years ago. Cutting the grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow, trimming bushes and cleaning the gutters runs about $1K per year. The one thing we couldn't hire anyone to do was weed two large (about 100 sq. ft. each) flower beds so we just dug then up and planted grass. In prior years we hung a half dozen potted flowers on shepherd's hooks in front of the front porch. This year with isolation we haven't bought any potted flowers. I should add that where we live water is very expensive. So we just let whatever is green and grows without watering grow on our lawns and keep it trimmed. Grass, weeds, crabgrass, clover, dandilions, heather, anything that grows without watering is welcome. No watering, no weed killers, no fertilizer needed.
I just hire people. I stopped doing my own yard work about 5 years ago. Cutting the grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow, trimming bushes and cleaning the gutters runs about $1K per year. The one thing we couldn't hire anyone to do was weed the flower beds so we just dug then up and planted grass. I should add that where we live water is very expensive. So we just let whatever is green grow on our lawns and keep it trimmed. Weeds, crabgrass, clover, grass, heather, anything that grows without watering is welcome. No watering, no weed killers, no fertilizer needed.
Yeah...I'm not picky about what grows for lawn either. We have grass, we have clover...matters not to me. When it's mowed, it all looks more or less the same. lol
Regarding bees, wasps, etc. It's been MY experience that bees are passive creatures, and if you don't bother them, they won't bother you. If you are somehow around their hive, that might be a different story.
Also, the wasps I encounter, again...if I don't bother them, they don't bother me.
NOW, what WILL be aggressive...yellow jackets! And hornets!
If you can't find a nest, it might be yellow jackets because they tend to make their hives under ground. And stuff like lawnmowers make them mad, and they will chase you.
Yes, I've had lots of encounters in the past with yellow jackets in ground nests. They have chased me and stung me and my dog multiple times, and even chased me and stung me on my riding mower. They sting multiple times because they have a straight stinger and can sting, circle around and sting again without dying like a bee will with it's curved stinger that they lose if they sting. In the past I just avoided them if possible. I noticed they seem to leave the ground nest after a few years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassybluesy
Yeah...I'm not picky about what grows for lawn either. We have grass, we have clover...matters not to me. When it's mowed, it all looks more or less the same. lol
Regarding bees, wasps, etc. It's been MY experience that bees are passive creatures, and if you don't bother them, they won't bother you. If you are somehow around their hive, that might be a different story.
Also, the wasps I encounter, again...if I don't bother them, they don't bother me.
NOW, what WILL be aggressive...yellow jackets! And hornets!
If you can't find a nest, it might be yellow jackets because they tend to make their hives under ground. And stuff like lawnmowers make them mad, and they will chase you.
I just hire people. I stopped doing my own yard work about 5 years ago. Cutting the grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow, trimming bushes and cleaning the gutters runs about $1K per year. The one thing we couldn't hire anyone to do was weed two large (about 100 sq. ft. each) flower beds so we just dug then up and planted grass. In prior years we hung a half dozen potted flowers on shepherd's hooks in front of the front porch. This year with isolation we haven't bought any potted flowers. I should add that where we live water is very expensive. So we just let whatever is green and grows without watering grow on our lawns and keep it trimmed. Grass, weeds, crabgrass, clover, dandilions, heather, anything that grows without watering is welcome. No watering, no weed killers, no fertilizer needed.
Almost from the beginning of SFH ownership, I watched others spending their weekends taking care of their yards. - I spent my evenings and weekends in ministry; and working with the kids (coaching) and otherwise doing things I considered more important . I paid others to take care of the life-consuming chores, such as yardwork. My yard invariably looked as good or better than theirs; my kids seemed to excel and thrive (Note: My grown 'kids' seem to take the same approach with their yards), ...and the ministry has continued for over 40+ years.
About 20-years ago, we made the move to waterfront condos, where someone else automatically does the yardwork, landscaping, repairs, maintenance and other homeowner chores. That works even better than overseeing and contracting the work of others myself .. and the cost really isn't that great!
I've never had any difficulty finding other, more enjoyable and productive things to do with my weekends and evenings.
No strategy here, I just spend my Sat AM out in the yard tending to things. Only takes me a hour or two to cut the grass on my 1/2 acre lot, and do some minor cleanup and I actually don't mind the workout as I need to burn off some calories as I have a desk job.
I could pay others to do it, but I don't want to. I actually enjoy it.
Yard and garden maintenance IS never ending, it is year round work that comes with owning property. You need to figure out what kinds of yard work you enjoy doing yourself, and the rest of it that you don't like or aren't capable of dealing with yourself you hire out to somebody else to do it for you. Don't ever neglect it because if you do neglect it your property will turn into an unsightly mess and will attract all manner of wild pests to invade the property and house, and the property will depreciate in home value and curb appeal.
If you have insects being aggressive with you then they are not bees, they are most likely wasps and wasps do get aggressive if you go near their nest or otherwise interfere with them. Wasps become much more aggressive towards the end of summer.
Bees are not aggressive insects and they are vitally important insects that you NEED to have visiting or living on your property, so it's essential that you learn how to identify and be able to tell the difference between bees and wasps. At this time of year bees will be everywhere because this is the time of year that they are doing their most important work of pollinating plants while they are gathering nectar and pollen. Bees need to be protected. Wasps are a different matter and if they are bothering you or are killing your bees you might need to find their nest if it's on your property and then call in an exterminator to get rid of them for you.
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Good point. I was being a little light with my comment but I know bees are important. I think they are probably yellow jackets.
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