OnTheRocks Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 i have a half acre corner lot, and do my own. i love it. It is relaxing to me...and a great stress reliever. Right down to spraying the weed killer...and spreading the weed and feed. i have a rider so the lawn mowing isn't much of a problem for time. I have a wife that loves the yard work and we really enjoy doing small landscape projects together. Last year we dug around two maples and put a flower bed around them. this year (starting this weekend) we are going to build a small rock garden wall. About 20 feet in length...18" high. It is great fun to take before and after pictures. we have hedges...(not sure what type of hedge it is called), but they go 8 feet high. They are nice for privacy from our two neighbors....50 along the backyard and 100 feet along the side yard. The previous owner didn't take care of them so they are over grown. I am hiring someone to trim them down 18". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 your own ? i hired it out, just no time . sending them to the apt house allso . . 303355[/snapback] I was outside most of the day yesterday doing some. I bribed my brother with a 6-pack to help me cut some landscape timbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Tate Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I've always done it myself, including clearing, fencing and cross-fencing 5 acres, but if it's not your bag and you can afford it, I have no problem with hiring it out. Just please take care of what you have somehow. Don't be the guy that brings down the neighborhood. Doesn't have to be a magazine cover, just keep it cleaned up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Isn't this what children are for? 3 daughters...and they can work the tractor, trimmer and leaf blower with the best of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I agree with you. I have a self propelled mower that I walk behind; total time to mow the lawn is about 3 1/2 hours. I mow it in sections of about an hour each, a day or two apart. I also have a small vegetable garden (tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, pepper and eggplant) that is very low maintenance. Others get on the treadmill, I walk behind a mower. My "break" is an cold brew and a swim in the pool. 303377[/snapback] I don't have near the size property you have, but on the other hand, we have to mow our lawn year round. Still, I do all the yard work, including handling the various landscaping around the pool and it's particularly cool out here because of the different tropical plants you can have; in particular, sago palms, brugmansia and plumerias. This time of year is best because everything is starting to take off again after we spent the past two weekends turning and mulching all the soil. And when you're done: ice cold beer and a half-gainer into the pool while you fire up the grill for some steaks. Not a bad way to spend the weekend at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyMark Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I do all of my own yardwork except for removal of large trees. Then I hire a pro. Smaller trees I will do myself, including digging up the stumps. It is good exercise. 303395[/snapback] What he said..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 And when you're done: ice cold beer and a half-gainer into the pool while you fire up the grill for some steaks. 303684[/snapback] in my best homer simpson voice: ohhhhhh....ice cold beeeeer...ummmmmmm steaaaaaks!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Just purchased a house in March here in Richmond and I actually enjoy doing everything myself. Of course, the yard we got with the house was in pretty good shape, I am sure I would be much more miserable if it was a complete disaster. I agree with Rich, I enjoy digging in the dirt after a day of mixing chemicals. This is my first yard, so my goal this year is not to kill the grass! Our current project is tearing up the former tenant's bark bed used for the kid's playhouse, and converting a portion of it into a veggie garder. Fun stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Just purchased a house in March here in Richmond and I actually enjoy doing everything myself. Of course, the yard we got with the house was in pretty good shape, I am sure I would be much more miserable if it was a complete disaster. I agree with Rich, I enjoy digging in the dirt after a day of mixing chemicals. This is my first yard, so my goal this year is not to kill the grass! Our current project is tearing up the former tenant's bark bed used for the kid's playhouse, and converting a portion of it into a veggie garder. Fun stuff! 303713[/snapback] Since it's your first house and first yard, I would offer a tip that I had to learn the hard way: every few weeks, make sure you adjust your sprinkler heads so they're covering your lawn properly. They tend to get tweaked by getting hit with a dose of water pressure each day, and you won't realize it until there's suddenly a patch of grass that is turning yellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Here's some documentation of our project. And proof that the woman who owned the house before us was insane. Photos of the landscape project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 do it ourselves, more accurately my wife does it mostly. I am late starting, but i need to get my veggie garden going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I do the regular maintenance myself on a half-acre lot. I usually farm out the spring cleaning and the last bit of fall cleanup because we have some very old and humongous maples and oaks here. Six huge maples in the front yard alone; two huge oaks and two more maples in the back. You can imagine the leaf work. I had to buy a rider mower just for that the first fall we lived here; otherwise, I'd still be using a walk-behind. Walk-behinds are better for the grass anyway.... it's harder to vary your mowing patterns effectively on a rider. Out of 21 houses on our street, we are one of only four or five that don't farm out our regular yard work, and three of them are retired and spend their entire summer working on the yards. There are yardwork trucks on our street every day all summer. That's one big difference that I found between Penfield and Pittsford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I have mine done year round. They do the lawn, the landscaping, edging, weed whacking and blow it all clean. Every so often when I am home when they arrive I tip each one of them $20 and tell them they are doing a great job and I appreciate it. The neighbors have to keep up with The Surfs. 303459[/snapback] My son-in-law does landscaping, mowing, and snow plowing and makes enough to support my daughter and grandchildren. We appreciate folks like you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 do it ourselves, more accurately my wife does it mostly. I am late starting, but i need to get my veggie garden going 303739[/snapback] I can turn over the garden and add some fertilizer, but planting (sets) is a good 6 weeks away to avoid frost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I do the regular maintenance myself on a half-acre lot. I usually farm out the spring cleaning and the last bit of fall cleanup because we have some very old and humongous maples and oaks here. Six huge maples in the front yard alone; two huge oaks and two more maples in the back. You can imagine the leaf work. I had to buy a rider mower just for that the first fall we lived here; otherwise, I'd still be using a walk-behind. Walk-behinds are better for the grass anyway.... it's harder to vary your mowing patterns effectively on a rider. Out of 21 houses on our street, we are one of only four or five that don't farm out our regular yard work, and three of them are retired and spend their entire summer working on the yards. There are yardwork trucks on our street every day all summer. That's one big difference that I found between Penfield and Pittsford. 303740[/snapback] Does anyone else remember being a kid, raking up rows of leaves about 6 ft x 3 ft x 30 ft and burning them? That used to be the best part of fall in Wyoming County. Every kid would rake - hell we'd rake everyone's yard just for a bigger fire. Parents kept an eye on us so if anyone caught fire, they would get put out quick, heh. Then they changed the laws...... Rake yer own damned yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Me too! And I do it without a husband. Also clean my own pool. Great exercise and I love the tan. But I've noticed this spring that those bags of top soil and mulch have gotten much heavier. 303433[/snapback] I do it without a husband too. I took the winter cover off the see-ment pond this weekend (16x32 inground - 25K gallons), cleaned off the deck, and laid the solar cover on. It will be a good 6 weeks before I can open it, but I'll be ready when Memorial Day gets here. Then me and my son split a few ice cold Guiness Draughts. Life is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I can turn over the garden and add some fertilizer, but planting (sets) is a good 6 weeks away to avoid frost. 303826[/snapback] Yeah, I'm itching to plant some stuff now. I've started turning the compost bin again, and have added some accelerator. Hopefully it will be ready by the time I'm ready to make the new raised beds so I can mix it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyBall4Buffalo Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Seeing how I'm pretty young yet just a spring chicken of 21. Yeah I do the yard work by my parents house, grandmothers, aunts.sisters, and I am a self employed landscaper from the spring-fall. Just a legal way to earn some pocket cash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfmeister Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 My son-in-law does landscaping, mowing, and snow plowing and makes enough to support my daughter and grandchildren. We appreciate folks like you. 303803[/snapback] I have found the very best thing to do with my lawn service guys is to let them do my lawn and landscaping maintenance exactly like they want to do it. When I keep my ideas out of it, the whole thing turns out great. Hang in there ~ Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I do my 1/4 acre. My wife does the garden planting and cutting - I do the digging, watering and fertilizing. I also cut the lawns of 2 elderly folks, and have a gas-powered 2-cycle edger so I edge my neighbors twice a year. I have a secret weapon - a 2-stroke rear-propelled LawnBoy mower. I tuned it up which amounts to cleaning the plug, clearing out the drive belt from clippings, wiping off and re-oiling the filter, lubing the drive wheels with a grease gun, then scraped off last year's crud underneath, retorqued the blade and ground off any nicks and squared the edges with a hand stone. Took a 1/2 hour. Filled the tank with pre-mix, choke on, 5 pumps on the primer bulb, two pulls of the cord against that killer 5:1 compression and away she went! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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