Weeds Galore

I’ve started swimming, or more accurately, paddling, back and forth in the pool, adding laps each day as I build up to the half hour swims I was doing last year. My shoulder still hurts, but I’ve had a cortisone shot, which seems to have helped somewhat. According to the doctor, as long as it only involves uncomfortable stretching, not acute pain, any exercise is good. So no excuses. Plus the water feels good after working in the yard for a few hours each morning.

I’m determined to get the weeds under control and the new vegetables in. Okra is growing wild (note to self: we need only 3-4 plants, not the dozen we currently have); eggplants are starting to mature. I’ve planted tomato and pepper seeds for transplanting next month. In the meantime, I have to uncover the tomato ring, clear the bed where I’m planting Roma tomatoes this year, and mulch the current beds with the hay bales I used to grow peppers last year. I need to build a sieve I can put on the wheelbarrow so I can make my compost ready to use. 

While I’m working on the veggie garden, I’m also finishing the front native plant gardens, rooting out the torpedo grass, shovel by shovel. After I spread another layer of pine straw, I’m going to use Roundup on any of that nasty grass I missed. I can only dig so much. The runners are at least 6” deep and break easily. A good evolutionary response on the grass’s behalf, but really annoying. Chemicals to the rescue.