Operation: Scorched earth.

They seem sweet and pretty and innocent. Actually, right now they’re my enemy. At least one of them. These wild violets are one of the new unwanted invaders to my back yard. They crept in over the years and this spring it looks like they’ve taken almost half the yard.

I could pay some lawn care company hundreds of dollars to take care of this. But as most know, I’ve already spent hundreds of dollars on a new bike (which I still love!). So I have to do this as economically as possible. I have garden tools, organic non-selective herbicide (key ingredient being acetic acid, aka vinegar) and time. Every day, I’m going to conquer the violets patch by patch by getting on my knees and clawing those fuckers out of the ground, pulling them up as much as I could by their veiny little roots. After that, I will liberally use the herbicide to kill any stragglers and possibly new growth. I’m also going to ruthlessly dig up dandelions and knotweed. I’ll wait a week or so, then till in new soil which I will then seed with grass. I will water the seeded areas methodically, twice a day every day until they are established. Even if I don’t have the prettiest wildflower garden, at least I’ll have a lawn again.

Maybe I’ll even like gardening again.