Surviving Spring Break and Yard Work

Spring Break has been exhausting.   I had all these great plans for getting closets cleaned out and spring cleaning done but I've spent 2-1/2 full days working in the yard.  My backyard used to look fairly nice (pictured last summer pre-drought) but lately...well, it looks like hell.

 The drought last summer did a real number on my backyard and over the past few days I've cut out dead shrubs, cut back the English Ivy on my fence (a pollen nightmare, I'll tell you), weeded four large flower beds (the weeds survive even in drought), planted a few bedding plants, two azaleas, and replaced some doomed perennials.  I've spread ten bags of mulch, mowed the grass, edged, and have blown pollen tassels from the neighbor's oak tree off the driveway for three straight days.  I've just finished pruning the boxwoods, the nandinas and some dark green and yellow variegated bushes.  I've raked leaves and bagged all the trash.

There's not a muscle that doesn't ache right now.  I still have one more flower bed to weed and mulch but I'm going to hold off on that for a few days.  I also need to find someone in this town who sells sod and fill in some places.

Another day.  Right now, I'm exhausted!