Baker's heartbeat

For the last week, we Bakers have spread hardwood mulch throughout our 1-acre property. It's mid-May; we bought it in bulk from a supplier who cuts the wood up in Clinton County. The supplier dumped the mulch on part of our driveway, allowing us to get the cars out. After that, Steve and I loaded it into his garden wagon and tractor, or in our new wheelbarrow. We also shoveled it into containers for smaller parts on the property. We use mulch to make all our gardens match, to an extent. I also know that it improves the soil, and helps keep weeds down. These assets came up again this year as I help others to design and shape gardens. Daughter Kirstin just finished an initial landscaping project at her home in Ankeny; she chose a hardwood mulch, as opposed to decorative rock. My argument was that mulch can easily and more cheaply be used in the garden in the first place, decorative stone can be added at another time. Stone is pricey, heavy, and plants struggle to thrive in rock...

It was last summer when we hosted the third of three major parties in our backyard. This was a wedding reception, for one of the three girls in the family, and I had several months to prepare before the big event. Some time in the summer of 2017 I decided to dig consistent lines of clay-based dirt, which I call 'gutters,' to emphasize the ornamental stone outlining the several gardens on our property. We have just over one acre in rural Scott County, Iowa. This is a lot of work, but I think it makes both the grass, and the garden areas, stand out. Last week I spent three days weeding the 'gutters,' and trimming the grass that borders them. This is before the 6 yards of mulch I've ordered arrives in three days. I've included photos of the areas I'm writing about: One is a finished gutter in a circular garden in the backyard. Two are unfinished areas on the north and south sides of the house. My husband Steve appreciates these 'gutters' since h...