On my way back toward the house from the shed the other night I realized how bad the weeds have become in almost every one of my garden beds AND in the lawn. It’s so bad right now that for a brief moment I thought I might cry. I felt entirely defeated – this yard is beginning to look like the yard of an abandoned house!

But I didn’t cry. Instead I resolved to get out for at least 15 minutes an evening to pull weeds. The night before last, despite the steamy heat, Marty got out the lawn mower and I got out my gloves and spade and we spent about 45 minutes making our separate efforts to tidy the place up.

Having the grass freshly cut made a significant impact to the appearance of the yard on the whole, of course; while I worked hard and weeded quite a large area around the cannas and calla lilies, the difference was noticeable only to me, I’m sure.

I didn’t get out last night to continue, but I’m going to spend 15 minutes this morning. I have, in my head, sort of divided up the yard into smaller sections so as not to get overwhelmed again by how MUCH there is yet to do. I just have to pluck away at it, little by little. It’s surprising how much area I can cover in just 15 minutes, and I welcome the fresh air, exercise and time in the garden.