au natural

A few weeks ago, I was sitting on my completely overgrown patio, looking out on my completely overgrown back yard, watching the hummingbirds and butterflies and orioles enjoy the completely overgrown morning glories and cosmos. Now when I say overgrown, I mean overgrown. Like, you can't see the flagstone beneath the patio chairs which you can't see either because the sunflowers have taken over and the outdoor furniture looks like big mounds of green and yellow and brown. 

Which isn't the worst thing in the world because it attracts hummingbirds. 

So how can that be bad, right?

overgrown patio

flagstone? what flagstone?

So there I was, sitting, surrounded by rampant flowers and weeds, and my friend J comes by. 

Now J's yard is well kept without being anal. And she has a great eye. And she gently and without judgment offers advice only solicited to help me reign in my wild quarter acre. So I know when she sits down and looks at my backyard she's thinking holy shit, but she doesn't say it. She just laughs when I tell her the reason I'm not mowing and weeding and wacking is because the hummingbirds and butterflies and orioles prefer it this way. That they'd be scared off and leave if I manicured my space. I'm building a natural habitat, I say. To attract wildlife. I'm thinking maybe I'll plant some fruit and nut trees. Maybe a water feature.

Yeah, right.

overgrown perennial bed

and more overgrown flagstone

The truth is, it's overgrown cause I just can't be bothered. I do like the natural look though. If I walk through the grass with my head down, I can pretend my land stretches for acres. That the tall grass and wildflowers cover rolling hills. I can ignore the ugly fences 10 paces to the left and 10 paces to the right. This is my land. My domain. It's wild and carefree. Nature doing it's thing.

Whatever.

Reality check. I'm lazy. I don't care all that much. It does look better when it's trimmed, though. Kinda like body hair. Which I've also ignored this summer.

overgrown wheelbarrow full of dirt

and overgrown weeds

if you squint, it looks like my right armpit

I broke down, and mowed. Kind of. Looks more like a hatchet job. There's crazy stuff growing all along the periphery that I can't possibly mow down. But at least it hides the ugly fence. Well, that's what happens when you ignore the yard for almost an entire summer. And let me tell you, the same thing happens when you ignore your body hair. That's the next place to mow. At least there's no wildlife there... yet... I don't think

oh look... flagstone

but still a little overgrowth

just to keep that wild feeling

And by the way, the wisteria my neighbor cut down earlier this summer... 

It's growing back like gang busters.

You can't keep a good wisteria down.