Winter Yard Clean Up

Today I want to talk about something I’ve been avoiding for months – winter yard clean up.

I’ve been avoiding this task for so long that in my part of the world it’s not really wintery, but it’s not full on spring either.

It’s win-pring.

Or maybe wint-ring.

Let’s just call it early spring like a normal person would.

We do have a few flowers poking their heads out of the ground, but the trees and shrubs have not budded or leafed out yet. That means I still have a narrow window of time to tackle winter yard clean up before things get really bushy.

Oh, goodie.

Our property was so overgrown when we bought it that every outside project felt and still, at times, feels very overwhelming.

There are parts of our property that we couldn’t mow last summer because tree limbs were in the way, brush had gotten out of control, tree stumps were hidden by tall grass. The list goes on and on. Also, we have a problem with poison ivy and Virginia creeper. Both of which I seem to be allergic to.

Oh, goodie again.

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I have wondered if light exists at the end of this landscaping tunnel. All the overgrowth was literally blocking the light, so I couldn’t be sure.

Does anyone else ever feel this melodramatic about winter yard clean up this way about the landscaping challenges at your house?

I sure hope I’m not alone.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve tackled a lot of the overgrowth. Each time we do (see below) we seem to find another crumbling rock wall. Those discoveries are kind of fun, but there’s still plenty more to do.

As it turns out, weeds, grass, and bushes just keep growing! And growing. And…you get my point.

Don’t worry though.

I’m not all doom and gloom because I found a bright spot in this field of whining.

Just call me Little Miss Sunshine!

Also, sunshine does wonders for chasing away all the doom and gloom.

For some reason, it seems more manageable to tackle trimming or outright removing bushes and shrubs when the leaves aren’t in the way.

This is partly because I can see exactly what needs to be trimmed. There’s also less clean up because there aren’t any leaves to deal with. Furthermore, I don’t seem to be allergic to just sticks or dormant bushes. Either that or I’ve tackled winter yard clean up wearing more clothes because I’m practical that way that wind chill is no joke.

Our winter has not been bad at all (knocks on a tree stump), but I am happy to finally be outside and feeling productive once again.

Wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow load, I am making progress on clearing this jungle!

Anyone else already out working on your yard and making it look fabulous?

P.S. Take a look at the below picture. Can you spot the hidden treasure I found while clearing this pile of wood? 

Look closely toward the bottom of the pile of wood and you’ll see a diamond splitting wedge. I don’t know how long it had been there, but I couldn’t get it out on my own. Handy Husband to the rescue.

A diamond-shaped wedge is the closest thing I’ve found to treasure on this property. Don’t worry, I’ll keep looking for actual treasure.

P.P.S. I don’t think we’ve come close to utilizing the 1,500 lb. capacity of our Gorilla Cart, but we love it much more than a regular wheelbarrow. It even has a dump truck like feature where the bed flips up to dump the load. I’m not ashamed to say I get great amusement out of this feature. Especially when my son has hopped in for a ride. Hahahahahaha!

Here are some other posts you might enjoy! 

Outdoor Decorating with Farm Junk 

Rusty Machine Turned Bird Bath

House Number Sign From a Wooden Spool

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