Q: What Did I Do Yesterday?

A: Battled in the flowerbeds and won. 

As a little reminder of how far we have come, here is a photo of the patio just after we purchased our home. I had already pressure washed the moss off the concrete, at this point, but that is the only improving we had done. I have some killer before and after house posts still to come, but right now, I just want to focus on those beds. 

I think of weeding a garden as protecting the precious tender innocent plants from the evil forces of creeping weeds. I like to think I am helping save a whole plant civilization from a cruel death, by doing my small, but arduous duty as home owner, to keep out the those dastardly weeds. These two beds I have weeded more times than I can count, and have never actually put anything in them. So I am basically coming to the weed's country, kicking them out, and then leaving it unoccupied (which just don't seem quite right). So, of course, the weeds are going to move back in. They have a right to it. They were there first, and nothing else seemed to want the ole place. Well, busters, not anymore! There are some new green guys in town and they mean to take over the whole joint. 

Below, you can see the opposing forces gathering over on the right. Sneaking up on their unsuspecting prey. Compost, plants, shovel and vinegar (for the moss, a kissing cousin of the weed colony) are all assembled to make a combined effort to rid these beds of those pesky little guys.

 It was a hard fight. I thought of taking a snapshot of the piles of weed corpses, but that seemed distasteful, so I will just show you the initial transformation of this new, independent colony of lovelies. 

In honor of this initial victory, my girls and I planted some flowers as a memorial for this joyous day. May we always remember those gardening gloves, pierced with wholes, and that spade which cracked in two. They gave their lives for something great and they will never be forgotten so long as these flowers bloom in their honor.

While the war is not over, there will be some uprisings here and there (that moss is really going to have to hit the road), I will vow to do my part, to weed twice a week and water regularly.