It was back to working on the flower garden today.  The goal was to rake it and clean up whatever I find in it, before starting to lay down the layer of cardboard on it.

I worked around the edges, at the fence line, first and immediately found…

… a pet food bowl, buried under the leaves.

I fought with the fence in this area.  I tipped over the tire planter right on top of it.  Never had any clue that there was something under the leaves, never mind something in bright purple plastic!

Now, theoretically, we could have taken the lawn mower to it.  My older brother did make sure we had a push mower that worked, waiting for us in the garage.

This is one of the reasons why I decided against it.

At least the piece of sidewalk block in another area was likely there as a stepping stone.  Half a brick is just… garbage.  It wasn’t even there to mark something, since that bush near it has a stick marking it.

After clearing around the edges, I started to work my way inwards.  Clearing off what I’d already started before wasn’t too bad, but trying to rake through a mat of low growing greenery, getting hung up on buried vines, branches and sticks I couldn’t see, it was very frustrating.

So, I broke down and did it.

I went into town and bought a weed trimmer.

It was the cheapest electric one I could find, since it had to come out of the budget for something else, but I got it.

I don’t regret it.

That thing saved me hours and hours of labour.

Plus, it’s fun.

I did have to unreel new line about 5 or 6 times before I was done, though.  In the process, I uncovered rotting pieces of wood and branches that look like someone pruned them, then just left them on the ground, years ago, to be buried in dead leaves and greenery.

Not only that, but after going over the garden with the weed trimmer, I realized that I wouldn’t have to rake it at all.  I was able to clean up the garden, removing various things I found that didn’t belong, in the process.  I can start laying the cardboard down as it is right now, then start layering with the leaves and straw that we already have.

Many, many hours of labor saved.

This is what it looked like, yesterday.  (click on them to see full size)

The photo on the left was taken from inside the “gate”.  The center picture from the end, and the right photo, from the north-west corner.

This is what it looks like now.

The photo on the left is taken from the south side of the garden.  The center is taken from the south-west corner, and the right photo is from the north-west corner.

For now, I’m taking a water break, and then I plan to go out and start laying down cardboard. :-D

The Re-Farmer