Dirt Farmer

I guess this is why real farmers wear overalls and not shorts. At least I was wearing my work boots. Clearly.

One can blithely rip out one's lawn, but then a realization sets in about how to fill up all that space without simply paving over it. Something more sustainable than turf grass, but attractive and even  functional.

In addition to dividing my over-crowded hostas around the back of the house, it was necessary to purchase a few dozen plants. These were mainly of the shade to part sun variety: ferns, more hostas, some black-eyed Susans and cone flowers, and a few other varieties.

First thing was to prep all the boundary areas so the mulch would stay put.

Then I began a marathon planting session that required the use of forty five bags of pine bark mulch.

Before.

After.

Doesn't look like much yet, but in a few years, I hope it will fill out and be half as lush and verdant as my neighbor Nancy's (background).

I dug up an old sidewalk that was previously  overgrown and unusable and much closer to the house, and moved it further out.

The next step is to terrace the remaining and sun-soaked lawn to the street, then build and install raised beds for vegetables. Perhaps a job for the cool autumn.