No Grass Allowed!

As many of you know, I hate grass. I hate that it takes several gas-powered machines to keep it short, looks like crap in the summer, and that Silverton fines you if it gets too long. I've been thinking of what to do in the front yard ever since I moved in and every plan I've come up with has including getting rid of the grass altogether. It's not like I'd be losing much- it's really only clover and moss and dandylions, and crabgrass. The same combination that many people in my neighborhood have. It's a waste of space and resources. So, with that in mind, I began to scheme. I was very adamant about having an espalier. I liked the way they looked and how they usually give a lot of fruit in a very small space. I decided that the long stretch of yard along First Street would be perfect for a free-standing espalier for apples and pears. In theory, it was a very simple idea of setting posts, stringing wire, and planting trees. In reality, my house sits on an old river bed and there are little rocks scattered throughout the topsoil, which made rototilling a very difficult task, indeed. Combined with the boulders that were found a foot below the ground made setting posts a labor of love. A big "atta-boy!" for my handymen! Here's the cleared area by the front door:

and here is the cleared area for the espalier and the posts set:

Here is what it looked like after the posts were in and the wire strung:

One of the apple trees in the ground! Soon, I'll start to train and tie the branches to the wire.

I also had the handymen put in a new front walk. Before, it was nothing but dirt and mud leading to the front door. I got these pavers from a friend who is also re-doing their backyard. Yay for repurposing! I think it looks rather sharp. I plan to put in several bulb spirals on either side as well as some nice potted plants along the walk. Something fragrant...

While all this work was going on, there have been some additions to the "Andersen Household- Silverton Branch" this week. One of the Preying Mantis egg sacs finally hatched! There were hundreds of babies waiting to be dispersed outside.

They found homes on the strawberry hanging baskets and pyramid as well as on the grape and columnar apples. I hope they're happy and that I get to spot a few adults come Fall.

The other new addition is a worm bin! I've been wanting one for a while and finally saw a good deal on CraigsList. My one pound of worms are working their way through the first tray. As they eat up all the food, you add additional trays to the top for them to move into. The bottom tray then contains worm casings and compost tea which is great for baby plants in the greenhouse!