Saturday, July 20, 2024

Summer Cool Down

We are enjoying some rare cooler mid-July days here in SWMO. Yesterday's high was just about 80f (26c), and the same is expected today, tomorrow and Monday. It's nice to turn off the a/c and open the windows. I thought about sleeping on the deck last night, but opted for the comfort of my bed and opened windows.

I've been pretty lazy recently. I took advantage of the cooler temps and walk-mowed most of the yard yesterday. I'll finish up doing the yard today and I might tackle the field on the riding mower. The flower gardens also need some TLC and I'm sure I'll be working in them over the course of the next few days. I will definitely be spending plenty of time on the deck (okay, I always do that, but it will be a little more comfortable temperature for a few days).

I've been thinking about that native meadow thing and I am trying to figure out how I can do it with minimal cost. Where I have killed off the non-native fescue grass for the flowerbeds, I have tilled the soil and grasses, covered the ground with corrugated cardboard, covered the cardboard with topsoil, planted my flowers and covered it all with mulch. All of my flowerbeds put together are much less than what I need to do for a native meadow so that approach doesn't seem like it is a good idea unless I plan on doing it just a small section at a time. I guess I need to see how much it would cost to have a section killed, plowed, and seeded. I understand there may be subsidies available from the Department of Agriculture or of Conservation. It may be best to spend the money and have someone else do it if that's what we decide to do.
It doesn't occupy too much of my thoughts, so it likely won't happen this year. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. Status quo may prevail.

I should get busy working while the temp is still around 70 (21c).
What's your plan for the weekend?

John


1 comment:

Mike said...

I still think you should plant a grove of black walnut trees that your kids could harvest.