He's struck again

RustBeltCowgirl

My father and his need for a photo worthy yard. I came home from work and he was so pleased that he got almost all the way around the yard with the weed whacker. That includes the ditch area. Stinging nettle.....gone. Joe Pye weed....gone. Milkweed.....gone. So much stuff down to 4 inches high.

After a long day at work, I just wanted to scream.

JodieDownUnder

@RustBeltCowgirl just breathe and count to 10, actually make that 100! He thinks he done good. Hopefully he left you with some goodies.

Michelle D

@RustBeltCowgirl I'm sorry to hear that. It can be so frustrating when people that mean well try to help and damage things that matter to you.

We have Lily of the Valley growing wild on the back corner of our property. I have to make it a point to mention to my husband not to mow it down.

Torey

@RustBeltCowgirl My sympathies. I have a similar problem with a husband that wants things tidy, orderly, in rows. But my best weeds don't grow like that. I have had to put stakes around herbs that aren't quite up when he starts the spring digging. I have had to put flagging tape on shrubs that aren't to be cut. I have had to threaten him with bodily harm with his own weed eater. He is getting better but I still manage to lose a few plants every so often.

Maybe the benefits are that he has pruned everything and it will rebound even fuller than before. Here's hoping.

Monek Marie

@RustBeltCowgirl Would mixing flowers in the ditch help? Or its has to be in row tidy?

Sorry, been there and its no fun.

Annie Kate

Oh, that is so hard! Maybe you can rope off clumps next year so it's obvious that those bits are what you want and he can get rid of the stuff that's not so valuable.

RustBeltCowgirl

He wants lawn level neatness. If he could plant grass at the ditch and mow it, he would be ecstatic. He was trying to get the farmer who plants the field across the ditch to spray our side with weed killer. Farmer said he couldn't. County wants vegetation to keep dirt stabilized along the ditch.

Part of the list of things that I am unable to work on as I mentioned in Hyperinflation post. Weeds are weeds, if you want medicine; go to Rite Aid.

LaurieLovesLearning

Well, at least the farmer wouldn't spray it! That is really good!

I can't imagine fighting for my weeds.

I know this is more work, but could you make a lovely little flower bed and plant it with the weeds? I know this most likely wouldn't work, as your dad sounds super aggressive, but I thought that I would suggest it anyway.

soeasytocraft

So sorry!!! Your post reminds me to get a protective fence around the patch of stinging nettle that is growing in the middle of my garden! Might protect me from a accidental stings too! My husband is not able to dig yet so he's not a threat but we have an older fella living with us for awhile in exchange for some garden work. He has forced me into compromising some of my methods but I need the help if we are going to continue to grow our own food supply. Good luck with your education program too! Kinda hard to "teach old dogs new tricks".