After years of threatening, we finally did it... we took out the aging 3-rail fence across our back yard (soon to be recycled into a fence around the dog run which is on the right (west) side of the yard).Although the fence was kind of charming, it really boxed in the back yard and separated it from the very pasture that convinced me we had to have this place.
We're all loving the new arrangement and open feeling. I'm also thinking about taking out an ailing crabapple and moving the raised beds to the yard on the left (east) side of the house (where water is more easily accessed and the bindweed is not as plentiful).
High on the (long) list is to give our backyard grass the same rejuvenating TLC given to the front yard. My prescription for great (aka Smokin') grass is to topdress every year or two with ~1/2" of compost in the spring and fertilize 1-2 times during the growing season with alfalfa-based horse feed. I buy damaged bags from the feed store and sprinkle the stuff around as evenly as I can. I then water well for a few days. No risk of overfertilizing (because the microbes have to break the feed down before the mineral nitrogen is available to the plants), sustained-release by design, and CHEAP (especially compared to specially-formulated "organic" lawn fertilizers). If you want to know more (a lot more) about organic lawn care, check out David Hall's FAQ.
Now, in better-late-than-never news: a gratuitous shot of a ripening Brandywine tomato (and yes, that is a veil of bindweed forming around it. Drat!!). A little salt, basil, garlic, a couple of these beauties, all drizzled with olive oil plus a few slices of mozzarella... mmmmm, dinner!
Happy long weekend, y'all (have I mentioned I was born in west Texas? "Y'all" is my birthright)! May your sunburns, BBQ overindulgences, and hangovers fade more quickly than your happy summer memories!
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