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The Art of Homemaking

The Art of Homemaking: Dig it Out

For the past few summers our lawn has been infested with dandelions. 

 (Which I don’t mind…I actually kind of like them.  But it drives my husband crazy!)
 
So last year in an effort to help my husband I started googling ways to get rid of the dandelions.  I wanted something quick and easy—I don’t really know what, just something I could do in a jiffy and then show my husband that I had single handedly solved the whole yellow epidemic.
Maybe there was an organic spray, some sort of home remedy to sprinkle, or some voodoo I could chant and within minutes be done with the problem.
 
But it wasn’t to be.
The more I read the more I realized what needed to be done:
 

“Dig out the roots with a trowel or a special tool called a “dandelion digger” for digging out dandelions. Work the end, which looks like a screwdriver, into the soil and pull up the whole weed.”
  Source :eHow

“Hand-weeding is still the best defense…”
Source: This Old House

If I wanted to solve the problem I needed to first, dig out each individual weed and then work to grow a thicker, healthier lawn that wouldn’t allow the dandelion seeds to grow.
 
This is NOT the answer I (or my husband) was looking for.
But finally one afternoon I made the trip over to IFA and purchased a “dandelion digger” for each of us.  Then we spent the next month or so daily spending a few minutes out in the lawn together pulling dandelions.  And by the end of the summer we were all green and dandelion free.  The hand weeding had made all the difference.
It’s spring time now and guess what…our lawn is a lovely see of green COVERED in tiny little ships of yellow navigating their way throughout the entire yard.
 
We pulled out each dandelion but…we didn’t work on make our lawn healthier and it wasn’t strong enough to keep the weeds out.
 
So this week we are starting over.  The dandelion diggers are back…but we also have a plan for the lawn to help strengthen it as well.  And what, you ask, does any of this have to do with “the art of homemaking”?  Well, I’ll tell you.
 
As we’ve dealt with this dandelion issue it’s reminded me of problems that come up with our families and in our homes.  Often our problems don’t have simple solutions..no sprays, simple remedies, or voodoo.  Usually the only way we can solve them is to get in there with both hands and dig it out…with sweat…and tears…and sometimes over long periods of time until the problem is solved.  And sometimes (as crappy as it is) we have to do it more than once.
 
That’s just the way it is.
With everything from potty training to getting out of debt to addiction to establishing bedtime and homework routines.  It takes work…everyday…day after day…and once you’ve got the problem solved then you need to keep at it so the problem doesn’t return.
 
 I don’t mean this post to be a downer…maybe I just needed a reminder myself.

Ruth will be back at the hospital this morning having a tube replaced.  It’s a small, simple procedure but one that I am dreading non the less. 
I’d like to complain now about the amount of illness we’ve had in our home, the number of doctor visits we’ve had, or count the trips we’ve taken to the hospital over the last 18 months…but I won’t…they just happen to be the weeds that our family needs to pull right now.  And we’re working on it.  Slowly but surely…just like your family is working on your own personal dandelions.

That’s just the way it is.

In a way it’s kind of nice to know that we’ve all got some yard work to do…and that we all need to do it the same way…day after day, one problem at a time…

(And sometimes, if we’re lucky a friend or two will help us out and pick a few of the dandelions for us along the way…which reminds me…thank you for all the help yesterday on Facebook with the stinky kitchen conundrum—it still isn’t solved but at least right now we know what the smell isn’t! And you helped me fret my time away worrying about the smell instead of freaking out about this morning.  So thank you, I appreciate it.)

Wish us luck today.
-liZ

P.S.  The “Summer Sundresses” are up for voting at Project Sewn!!!! Go check them out….and VOTE!!!

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Comments

  2. Karla Hoffmann says

    Unsure if you have it in America..? But we have a spray called weed and feed, it’s not organic or natural but it works wonders! We had clover and prickles and dandelions everywhere when we first moved in, it was pretty but it attracted so many bees that the kids couldn’t run through the yard… We did it twice and we have an awesome lawn of grass! We still have weeds amongst the rocks on the driveway tho :/

  3. Mmmmm...cookies! says

    In my family we call dandelions God’s favorite flowers. Has to be if he planted that many of them.

    As for the fridge smell it does sound a wee bit like small dead animal in the wall. Try simmering a small pot of water with something slightly spicy in it like cardamom or cinnamon sticks. It can help minimize the ick factor until it subsides.

  4. Sweetbug Studio says

    It is not a downer post at all! It made me smile! What a lovely example of trials and tribulations and working them out, day after day, and then finding a way to fill the unwanted with goodness, full and brimming, in hopes of keeping the “damdelions” out. Perfect! As far as the lawn goes–pre emergent, post emergent, (kids off the grass for a few days at this time of course!) aerate and seed in the fall, and fill in larger spots with seeds after roughing up ground first. We have a lawn guy do all this and it is reasonable and well worth it. We are in the process of thickening up the grass so it keeps out weeds and it will takes years. Worth the money:)

  5. Celeste says

    I’ve pulled out SO many dandelions this year. Unfortunately, all my neighbors tend to tolerate theirs, which means they come back every year thanks to those flying seeds. I think I still have fewer than most people around here, so it’s got to be doing something – right?

  8. Judy says

    We went to a seminar at the Horticulture Center last night and it was about all the different types of flowers that are edible. they served us salad made with Dandelions, lilac blossoms, Marigolds, and Mum blossoms, and different herbs from your yard. But the most amazing thing was all the jellies that they had made from flowers. Hibiscus, Marigold, Lavender, Dandelion, Mint, Rose, Elderberry, and most interesting of all was Pokeberry Jelly!! We were always told from childhood that Poke berries were poison, well not only are they not poison, they make wonderful jelly, you just have to make sure you strain the seeds out with a cheesecloth. So don’t be so quick to dig up your Dandelions, just pull the blooms off before they go to seed and snip the yellow part of the flower off, not the green base!

  11. Emily says

    Hope Ruth is okay now. 🙂 I will have to get a dandelion digger. Our backyard is getting out of control.