WEEDING DECORATIONS

“What are you doing?” My son Alex had just pulled up in the driveway and was walking up our front walk when he’d noticed me crouching over our fall display.

“Never thought I’d be doing this but, it seems like I’m going to be weeding our decorations this season.” I complained as I yanked another patch of grass from our decorative hay bale. I pointed to the already growing pile of weeds that were next to the pumpkins and mums. “I bought this hay bale from the craft store wrapped in plastic, no less, and now I’m weeding it!”

“That’s weird.”

“Tell me about it!” I was tugging on another weed. “These weeds are really stuck in this thing!”

“Maybe it’s not suppose to get wet?” Alex asked.

I looked up at Alex. “I’ve had real hay bales from the farmers market that never did this.” I sighed as I grabbed another weed and began tugging. “I can’t believe I get a little decorative one and this happens.”

Just then my husband Steven came around the side of the house carrying his file case he wanted to put in his truck. “What are you two doing?” he asked.

“Mom’s weeding the decorations.” Alex called.

Steven came over to get a closer look.

By now the weed I was pulling on was actually lifting the small hay bale up from the ground. “Oh, this is getting ridiculous!” I cried.

“Why don’t you just flip it over?” Steven suggested.

I look confused. “What?”

“Take the gourds off and flip the hay bale over so the weeds are on the bottom.” He put the case down and began taking the gourds off and placing them on the sidewalk. He flipped the hay bale over and began stacking the gourds back on. “See, good as new!”

I looked over at him. “But they’re only going to start growing on this side.” I complained.

“Sure, and when they do, the weeds on the bottom will be dead and you can just flip it over again.”

I looked over at Alex who shrugged his shoulders. “Looks like it might work.”

I looked back at the hay bale with the grass now peeking out from under the bottom. “I guess I could do that.” I began scooping up the weeds I’d already pulled out.

Steven pointed to my handful of weeds before picking up his filing box. “Make sure those don’t get in the grass. We have enough weeds growing in our lawn already. We don’t need any extra.”

I nodded as I looked over at one of my pumpkins. “Oh, come on!” I cried.

Alex looked to where I was pointing. “That doesn’t look good.”

I tipped the pumpkin and could see the bottom had already rotted out. “I was hoping to have these around until Thanksgiving and it’s not even Halloween yet!”

“So throw that one away and go buy another one.” Steven called over his shoulder as he headed for his truck.

I looked over at Alex. “These were already the second ones I bought when the first ones rotted out.”

Alex shrugged his shoulders. “Looks like you’re going to be keeping the garden center busy.”