How to become a grown-up in 468 easy(ish) steps.

Step 249: Figure out how to take care of your yard

In the past two weeks, I have taken a major step toward domesticity: I now live in a house. Yes, it’s rented, but it has a yard! And its own recycling bin! And a garage! And a porch! I could own a dog. I could sunbathe nude in the backyard. I could have a cactus garden.

But … but. There is now a whole new galaxy of dull chores to attend to, and ways to not upset neighbors. And while some of those chores are great and make me feel like the Little Blogger Housewife on the Prairie (see: sweeping off my adorable porch) others are unspeakably drab. Like making sure to drag in the recycling bins in a timely way, since everyone else has them off the street by, like, 8:30 a.m. And watering. And weeding. 

So. Since this is a new thing for me, a question for readers who have outdoor spaces/yards/etc. to look after: How does one become a responsible, um, yard-haver? Especially if you hate doing yardwork?

12th Oct 2012 98 notes , Comments
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  1. wolbaz reblogged this from adulting
  2. daisydip reblogged this from adulting and added:
    In the past two weeks, I have taken a major step toward domesticity: I now live in a house. Yes, it’s rented, but it has...
  3. whenshesathome reblogged this from adulting
  4. myssr answered: I highly recommend doing to research into dryscaping. It is lovely, low-maintenance, and environmentally friendly.
  5. stolethecookies answered: Do a wildflower garden with a mini-fence: requires no watering and no weeding and if it is fenced in it looks cute! Mow at end of season.
  6. theartofperfectingimperfection answered: pay someone (prefferably a neighbor kid) or plant a rock garden that needs minimal maintenence
  7. timhettler answered: Find podcasts you love. Listen to them while you work.
  8. lifeasanewmom answered: A schedule for all the yard chores, so you don’t do them all at once. Like shurb trimming, mowing, bug spraying, etc.
  9. notsomolly answered: Pay someone. It’s the only way I have found to get it done in a timely manner.
  10. alexisdearr answered: buy plants native to your region, so that there is minimal yard work!
  11. 0mimi0 said: Determine whether your time is worth more or less than paying someone to those tedious chores for you.
  12. orangesalt reblogged this from adulting
  13. bobinwales answered: Find a neighbour/sibling who wants to earn some money? Or, we dug up all the grass and gravelled it! & then just put in a few plant pots
  14. panserbeane answered: Plant daisies instead of flowers that aren’t weeds…they need no care and explode all summer! You can cut them and vase them- pruning done.
  15. shiptobeasquare answered: Find a teenage boy (or girl, maybe) in your street and pay him/her to do it for you. Or maybe even a retiree, old people love gardening.
  16. ragingjewbunny reblogged this from adulting
  17. thepoeticsofsex answered: Make it look good in one shot, then keep it that way. It’ll take longer the first time, but its better in the end.
  18. notanadult said: OH AND? buy plants that you love. You are more likely to go into the backyard to water for that ONE rosemary plant that you bought for 50c and now it is 6 times the size than for an entire bed of mondo grass that you are “meh” about. Assuming you’re “meh” about mondo grass….
  19. notanadult answered: Small bits. Never do more than 20 minutes. Before you go INTO the house of an evening, go into the backyard and mow the lawn.
  20. jadeashlee reblogged this from adulting
  21. deviouslydamned answered: You have to set aside time for it everyday. Try to take care of your plants/ chores at the same time so it becomes a routine.
  22. petite-a-petite said: -care book and make some long term brainstorm plans so that when you’re doing the horribly annoying things, you have something to daydream about. Sorry that this was split.
  23. petite-a-petite answered: I’ve recently moved into a unit with my best friend -swapped plots for pots- make a playlist (incl CLASSICAL MUSIC), invest in a good plant
  24. imsimplyconfused answered: Invest in a wheelbarrow. Heaving trash bags full of leaves around is not fun. A weedwacker, too. Makes your yard look much much neater.