Yard Work

When we moved in to this house it was the end of November. The yard was dusted with snow but we could tell that it was full of weeds and deceased foliage. In fact, on our rental paperwork we actually listed that there were many dead plants. As Spring crept slowly into this valley, the snow began to melt, and we ventured outside for longer than a few minutes at a time, we began to survey the landscape of our yard. I don't know how many people have lived here prior to us but it seems as though each tenant has planted hoards of trees, vines, and bushes. It's a yardworkphobs worst nightmare. During the long winter we were sure that we'd be yanking up massive amounts of plant debris come warmer months. This is what the majority of our plants looked like:

This is not actually a picture that I took, I just went to Google Images and tried to find something that looked like all my nasty looking plants.

We've been doing a ton of yard work around here. We'll do an hour here or an hour there. Believe me when I say that pulling all the weeds, trimming all the trees, and mowing all the lawn would take forever if done all at once. So, much like the way I keep the house cleaned a little at a time, we have adopted a kind of slow and steady attitude in regards to the yard.

Those dead bushes though, they are another story entirely. We've done nothing to them. We've just left them there, fending for themselves. We've decided they're really better if left to their own devices.

So apparently I wouldn't know a rose bush in winter if it was, I don't know, on fire and God was telling me it was a rose bush.* Our yard has literally erupted into purple, white, yellow, pink, red and light orange colored flowers, many of which are roses. I haven't a clue what to do with a rose bush other than trim it back. Truthfully, I do not want to become a rose expert, I feel that my life is rich enough without such efforts. And they seem to be doing just fine all on their own, doncha think? Given the fact, however, that they are actually everywhere, I decided that the bush wouldn't miss just a few...

So that's what they look like on my table. I cut them last night and those couple of buds have bloomed into brightly colored roses. And the smell is absolutely heavenly. A dozen roses have filled my house with the freshest most wonderful scent. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and not at all like I live in the tundra for the better part of seven months.

*I realize that Moses's burning bush was not a rose bush. Or at least, was probably not a rose bush.