Most of the Bermuda grass appears to be dead, so Mike has moved onto the next step- putting in a French drain where the patio will meet the extended raised beds.
I moved onto weeding another raised bed, the one nearest the pool where we planted asparagus plus blueberry and blackberry bushes, rose bushes, and assorted annuals. It's a difficult spot to get into as it's bordered on one side by a thevetia hedge, and there is also a fairly large colony of ants that does not like to be disturbed. I haven't attempted to get rid of it, because (a) I don't like putting poison down where there are things growing I plan to eat and (b) according to the insect experts in my Master Gardener class, ants are beneficial for our heavy clay soils. The lecturer (an entomologist from U of A) cited a study of alfalfa fields that were infested with fire ants. The alfalfa plants nearest the anthills were healthier and produced more than the ones in ant-free areas. However, getting several ant bites on my hands and feet every time I attempt to get some of the bermuda grass and spurge out of the bed does not make for a pleasant experience.
I haven't seen the mother hummingbird yet, but now there are three eggs in the nest!
1 comment:
This is a lot of vegetation in your backyard. I also have a backyard of bermuda grass sod, in Arizona it can get tricky to maintain especially after the weather we've had this year. I'm contemplating laying new sod for fall, how did yours do after this summer?
Also are your blackberry bushes in a bed alone? I've had them for years and they can spread like crazy so be ware, not sure how big or old yours are yet.
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