Landscaping

Do any of you have ornamental grasses in your landscaping?

Word from the wise: 

1) Split them regularly

2) Weed out new growth shoots regularly

3) Do not plant with landscaping rocks

Here are some untended ornamental grasses:

 

They don't look so bad, you say? That's because they just started growing for the season. There are actually two grasses back there. The smaller one on the left is about two feet in diameter, and the big mambe-jambe on the right is about 3 feet in diameter. They are big, and they are heavy.

Also note the half-dead looking shrub to the left of the grasses. Do you know why it looks like that? Because it is in fact, half dead. The grasses get so large (6+ feet) that they block all air flow and sun from the plants around them.

Note the hidden flowering bush to the right (picture two above). This sad, beautiful fella is growing up the side of the house desperately gasping for breath (closer shot below).

Also the grasses engulfed the air conditioner. I'm not sure if that affects the performance or not, we rarely use it anyway.

Using the powerful forces of a lever (aka shovel), I worked my way around each grass, prying up a little at a time until I ripped those suckers out.

Now, you might say, why didn't you just split them and plant them again? Or why didn't you donate those lovely greens to some other landscaper in need?

I will tell you why. First, there are so many rocks grown into the roots due to lack of 1) and 2) above that it is impossible to get a shovel through. Second, it took me an hour and a half to dig those suckers out. I believe I'm entitled to the satisfaction of throwing them out.

In case you still don't agree with me, You are free to come dig them out of my yard waste container. They will remain there until garbage day on Monday. Important facts to know: the small one took both Dan and I to lift into the yard waste container, and the big one had to be rolled into the overturned container. These are not light.

On a brighter note!

I was given some beautiful canna bulbs, so I planted those in place of the grasses. I also trimmed (murdered) the half-dead shrub. I'll update when/if those three come back to life!

Oh, I also planted grass seed outside the landscaping area. Do you see how much bare dirt there is?? That's how large those grasses got each year! They would slump over into the yard killing our beautiful grass. Sniff, tear. 

Ta-da! Finished!