A Spot of Warmth and Sunshine

My neighbor Rick across the street has given me some helpful advice regarding winter yard tasks, with top of that list being to cut back all of my monkey grass and liriope right around the start of the new year. Given that this is North Carolina, I can usually count on there being some random sunny somewhat warm day either before or after January 1st, although sometimes that day will inconveniently coincide with work or travel.

Such was not the case on January 12th, when it was sunny and an absolutely glorious 71°F, with just the lightest of breezes. We have had so doggone much rain and wet weather this fall and winter that it was pretty awesome for the sunshine and the warm temps to coalesce around a Sunday afternoon when I was free to hit the landscaping task list. Not only did all the monkey grass get trimmed down but I also was able to gather up all the sticks and branches from the previous evening's storms, as well as cut back a lot of last summer's growth from shrubs like the mallow hibiscus bushes and such. The yard cart was full as dusk came on...and just as it began sprinkling again!