I finally admitted something to myself this weekend.
I had given myself a long list of yard work that needs to get done and I did exactly 20 minutes of it before deciding that the pool was a better idea.
It was at that time that I finally admitted to myself that I hate yard work. Now I know you are thinking, "duh, big revelation. Everyone hates to weed and lay mulch and cut the grass." But I'm not talking about the basics. I have grown to hate planting things, even going to the nursery is no longer fun.
The irony of all of this is that I swoon over beautiful landscaping. The smell of mulch puts me over the moon with excitement. I love taking drives in the summer to look at everyone's beautiful yards. And when I travel, the different plants and vegetation are things I comment on so much it starts to drive my family crazy.
I just don't want to do any of the work.
When we first moved into our house, I loved working in the yard, then I tolerated it and now I avoid it at all costs. I want a beautiful yard, I really do. I just don't want any part in creating it. I'd rather be at the pool. So this is the summer I think I'll finally admit that I want no part in improving my yard. I will wait for the landscaping fairy to wave her magic wand on my yard and in the meantime, I will do my best to maintain what I've got.
How about you? Do you love working in the yard? Have you ever had something that you loved to look at but dreaded to actually do once you realized what is involved? Any chance there really is a landscaping fairy?
I'm right there with you my friend - would love to have the most beautifully landscaped yard but don't enjoying doing anything with it one little bit. And I don't want to pay anyone to do it either. So no improvements coming to our yard anytime soon - maintaining status quo is hard enough!
ReplyDeleteI used to love it but it is wearing off I have to say.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if love is the word, but I get satisfaction on looking out and seeing what I have done. There is something therapeutic for me in getting dirt on my hands and digging in the soil. I landscaped one lawn, including a large garden pool. NEVER again! Never, but love fooling around in the flower an herb garden.
ReplyDeleteTeresa
xoxo
I feel that way about house work. I hate to clean! However I love the smell of a freshly cleaned home.
ReplyDeleteSo I can relate to what your saying about the garden!!! I do still enjoy gardening. Growing food is so rewarding for me.
Sharon
Oh, haha, I love this post and these comments! I hate yard work AND housework. I definitely need a couple of those magic fairies that you speak of to make my yard lush and to implement all of the indoor projects that forever swim in my head...
ReplyDeleteMy friend had a perfect motto for yard work..."Cant we hire someone to do that?!" I personally like to plant seasonal color in beds and pots...and I have been known to push a mower now and again. Yet, with the option of weeding or lounging by the pool! Pool wins out every time!
ReplyDeletei am not methodical with my yard work- i have to be in the mood. chris does so much more if it.... i like to decorate and make it pretty but i don't like the maintenance. ;)
ReplyDeleteI actually do love working in the yard. The hard part is finding time. I love doing it in the morning with a cup of coffee..watering, pruning, etc. or in the evening with a glass of wine. ;) Although weeding is tough!
ReplyDeleteAbout 25 years ago, I decided to become a gardener. Along the way I have replaced all of slopping yard with stone beds, built paths, built two stone staircases...and planted hundreds of shrubs and trees. We have no grass. I still enjoy the creating. I hate the maintenance: raking leaves. That has been mostly hired out. The plan was always to have something to do when we both retire. My husband is more like you. There are many things he would rather do than yard work. But he does say nothing is more satisfying than working in the yard. Don't forget the sunscreen!
ReplyDeleteI am an avid yard laborer! I wouldn't necessarily say gardner, cause my gardens hardly are magazine worthy, but I work at it constantly. With 6 acres you never catch up, the weeds never stop and the grass always needs mowing. I always wonder if one day when I don't have all this if I'll miss it, or if my cup will be full of doing it...don't have the luxury of finding that out now. At least we have a pool here so I can jump in repeatedly when doing yard work. Enjoy every bit of your summer and good for you for admitting it and moving on! xo Nancy
ReplyDeletePhew! I feel like I can breathe again now that someone else has admitted it! I just can't get into it. If it's warm out, I want to be near water. Luckily my mother-in-law gave us "landscaping" for our housewarming gift, so we've been able to leave it to the pros...so far.
ReplyDeleteI love it, but I definitely find our big yard overwhelming. It was one of the reasons we bought our house, but if I had know then what I know now...sometimes there's too much of a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - I like the idea of a nice yard, but the work involved is a real turn off. Getting started with outdoor projects is the hardest part because I know that no matter what I do there is going to be a lot more work involved with maintaining it. Maybe if the grass and weeds grew more slowly I wouldn't look at it all so negatively.
ReplyDeleteI am the queen of indoor girls. I do not do yard work. That is why I got married. I don't even do pools.
ReplyDeleteIts OK to hate gardening.
I'm with you Girl! That's one reason we live in a community with an HOA that does ALL the landscaping!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind working in the yard as much as I used to, but I have to be in the right mindset to get out there and knock our some projects. I'm all about low maintenance, and my mission is to get our yard to a point that requires as little work from me as possible. I still have a LONG way to go. I don't mind mowing though, now that I have one of those speedy, zero turn mowers. :-) Give me a gardener ANY day!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Gardening blows. And every time I go outside I get mauled by Mosquitos. Over it. What I hate most though is painting which is the one thing that I always seem to be doing. Working on the foyer and HATING every minute of it.
ReplyDeleteI too hate yardwork....and never bothered to hide it. I wish I could enjoy it. These images are amazing though....makes you want to change your mind.
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful my husband doesn't mind doing it! :) I always start out pretty good early in the season, but then I get bored with it and when it gets hot, ugh no way! I plant mostly perennials, (they come back every year on their own)!
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on what you have going on in your life at the moment. When my kids were small and physically needing me, the last thing I wanted to do was labor over my gardens in addition to caring for them and the house. Then I went through a stage of wanting to have amazing gardens and working my butt off to get there. NOW that I am an old lady I think I've come full circle…I want pretty but low maintenance gardens, something that I can manage myself or with a little child (teenager) labor!
ReplyDeleteI am probably going to be the only one here who likes yard work! Yikes! I just haven't had the time to anymore with two kiddos. Beautiful inspiration in these pics.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you! I want the pretty yard without all the work! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you! I want the pretty yard without all the work! :)
ReplyDeleteAMEN. I love a beautifully sculpted space I just don't want to do it. It's a tremendous undertaking!
ReplyDeletewww.designsbykaty.com
There was a time when I loved it and I spent every free moment in my garden - and I've had some good ones. But as the years go by I've learned that I love the planning, design and implementation of the garden but I hate the maintenance. I haven't even started on the yard of our latest house - and we've been here three years now. My husband just mows the lawn, which is mostly weeds. When its short its not so bad.
ReplyDeleteI love buying and watering plants but I hate actually planting things and I don't really weed. In fact, I used to spend a lot of time convincing the neighbors that all the weeds were there to shade the roots. Luckily, as long as you aren't too particular, you have two small yard work fairies who have the summer off!
ReplyDeleteSame exact way...I LOVE beautiful landscaping and really do long for it...but feel that I'm too far gone and the margaritas usually win over on Saturday afternoons. If you spot the landscaping fairy...send her my way!
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