Embracing yard work in retirement

[disneysteve]

I enjoy landscaping somewhat, but really enjoy the result. We have 1.6 acres on a small lake. When we bought it 6 years ago, it was HORRIBLY overgrown. From the vantage point where I took the attached pic, you literally could not see the lake at all. It took 5 years just to get it to this point.

That’s a much nicer result than my yard. I’m just happy that I can see the fence now. Here is a before and after of one corner. I still have more to do there but it’s quite a satisfying transformation.

 

[JohnnyPHX]

That’s a much nicer result than my yard. I’m just happy that I can see the fence now. Here is a before and after of one corner. I still have more to do there but it’s quite a satisfying transformation.

I like what you have there but my wife would come out after all that work and be shocked and upset you cut back so much. Fine honey you can take over now....I'm out! If its too much for you hire someone and you can be disappointed with them....not me.

 

[38Chevy454]

I have several bushes that I use a hedge trimmer on. In past I had a 120vac corded one. Kind of a pain with a big yard and needing to drag 200 ft of cord around to various bushes. So I bought a 20vdc cordless one, thinking this would probably be weak and more of a toy than real hedge trimmer. Well I'm impressed and it cuts as good as the corded one. Way easier than having the cord around and in the way. The 20v battery last surprising long, even though I have extra batteries. Cuts through 1/2 inch branches with a little chomping through. It's a Black and Decker model LHT321, like this in link below:

Amazon.com

I used to be very much a gas powered is better attitude, but these new lithium battery tools are changing my opinion. Another example, I now have a cordless electric string trimmer, and don't use my gas string trimmer much at all anymore.

 

[Samething]

I hired a lawn guy several years before I retired. I moved several years ago and my new home is in an HOA. They do an excellent job maintaining the property. Between mulching, pressure washing the driveway and my 18x30 patio and general maintenance I have plenty of things to do around the house. When I moved I got rid of a lot of stuff. So much easier to keep a clean house.

 

[doneat54]

That’s a much nicer result than my yard. I’m just happy that I can see the fence now. Here is a before and after of one corner. I still have more to do there but it’s quite a satisfying transformation.

Looks like you have oriental bittersweet growing there. That stuff is horribly invasive and will cover/consume everything in the area if you let it. And it spreads underground. I cut and kill every bit of it I can find. I cut it at ground level and from a small squeeze bottle put a tiny drop of glyphosate concentrate on the cut. Do that, and it won't re-sprout.

 

[doneat54]

I like what you have there but my wife would come out after all that work and be shocked and upset you cut back so much. Fine honey you can take over now....I'm out! If its too much for you hire someone and you can be disappointed with them....not me.

LOL, I'd say he hasn't cut back enough!!!

 

[disneysteve]

I like what you have there but my wife would come out after all that work and be shocked and upset you cut back so much.

Nah. My wife is just upset that I've focused on the vertical growth rather than on the ground cover ivy. She wants to get rid of that. I do too but it made more sense to me to clear the other growth first and then attack the ivy. I couldn't do much with the ground cover until I could actually get to the ground fully.

My plan for the spring is to finish up any overgrowth still standing (and any that regrew over the winter) and start clearing the ground cover.

 

[disneysteve]

LOL, I'd say he hasn't cut back enough!!!

Exactly. It looks so much more open and brighter back there. I'm not done but I've made a huge amount of progress.