Brooke here:

Mid-July and August set records on heat and general Oh God, so we called time out on the yardwork.  I would have posted status updates but most of it would literally have been about watching grass grow, so let’s jump ahead to the end result.  Click on the pictures for a better comparison:

Oh man the list… okay, so the pool is done, obviously.  The remaining bricks were moved.  The ivy on the lawn was removed, the roots dug up, the earth was plowed, the pH was balanced, and new topsoil was added to level the surface.  Zenith Zoysta grass seed was selected and planted (since it’s a grass that has to be planted in the summer, Zenith has a high first year startup cost in terms of water required for germination and to establish its root system, but this variety of grass has roots that go down a foot or more so it is extremely drought-resistant by the third year, is shade-tolerant, requires little fertilizer, and is death on weeds and ivy).  Then the concrete was pressure-washed, the old concrete patio slabs were painted to match the new concrete poured around the pool, and random bits of junk and trash were removed.

On top of this, we’ve been building a fence sturdy enough to keep Mongols out or Rottweilers in, your preference, and doing some landscaping around the Japanese maples.

There’s still a ton of work to be done but we are feeling so much better about the house.   Specifically, the possible resale value of the house if we have to move; we’re not planning on it, but, hey, it’s a crappy economy so plan for the best but prepare for the worst, right?

Blog posts will resume now that the weather has dropped back into Yardwork Fahrenheit.

p.s.: the grass shouldn’t be that thick and luxurious on the end nearest the pool.  New lawns should be thin and sparse, as seen at the end closest to the camera.  There was a mishap with a cheap seed dispenser, an hour with rakes and curse words, and a trip to the store for another bag of seed.  Looks real nice, though!