Finished at Last, Finished at Last - Almost

I thought the last corner of the front yard was going to defeat me. It certainly set out to. The thatch was a snarled tangle of devilish tendrils deeper than any other patch. I got enough rocks out of the soil to cover a 2 square foot area an inch deep (finished off the top dressing of a Bird of Paradise nicely). The ground was harder than any other section and for some reason the slight breeze wafted the dust up into my eyes - no matter which side I chose to attack from. With hips and legs creaking and aching, all I wanted to do was hang up the tools for the day and walk away. I was also determined to finish before the reported rain for today. Rain was part of the grand scheme to get the soil workable for the next step. If that last pesky section wasn't done, then the next phase would be held up. So kneeling and pounding away, just as the last rays of the sun dimmed, I stood in triumph. Done at last! Well...except for the little bit I missed in the middle. But the little bit is not essential to the grand scheme for the architectural piece, so I'm calling it done. Yes, I'll go back to the the other one of these days. 

Information sheet on the ground cover - click to enlarge

Now lest one think this past week of no posting has been idle, I will report that a generous neighbor, who was taking out big sections of her ground cover, Dymondia margaretae, offered what she dug up. The last time she offered, I dutifully planted (about a week later) and the squirrels liked it for nut storage. Not surprisingly, it didn't take kindly to being left in a bag too long, planted in large clumps and then being harassed by squirrels. Yes, it died off. So this time, pick-up was prompt, the next afternoon spent on hands and knees made a nice border around the bottle border and a rock grouping along the walkway to the front door, and all was well. Neighbors and dog walkers commented - nicely - on the new addition. And for one entire day, it did look fah-bu-lous dahling. And then the temperature dropped. And some critter (I'm gonna go with squirrel) found a section in a corner to dig up. I refuse to give up hope, however. Though this is NOT the right time of year to plant, and my squirrels are a rowdy bunch, I will continue to plead and cajole to make it grow. Frankly, as of today, it looks a bit like a pig's breakfast, but if it can just hold on for the next two months, the temperatures will return to balmy in the evenings, and some of it may take off, be fruitful and multiply.