First Poppy of the Season

Syracuse Poppy

Poppies start blooming here in the first few weeks of May.  This was taken a couple weeks ago!  I need to do a lot of work in the garden.  It has become overgrown and I'm not sure the flowerbeds are at the point where they can be weeded, they will have to be taken out and started over, or at least most of the plants will have to go.  I've also got some baby trees growing by the house that will need to be removed before they get big and cause foundation problems.  

I wanted to start on this months ago.  It seems like I'm always so busy and I go out in the yard in the evening and do a half hour or so of weeding and you couldn't tell I did anything.

I have contractors who do yard work for me at the property management company but they have been busy doing clients yards.  Yesterday was the first time I had someone come and do my own yard.  As a property manager it's kind of embarrassing to have a yard that is a jungle, a driveway with potholes and steps that need painting.  I decided to make sure that my house was being kept up too.  

Someone bought the foreclosure two-family house across the street and it turned out to be a local investor who did a great job rehabbing it.  He was going to keep it and rent it but someone ended up buying it who will be an owner occupant on the top unit and rent the bottom unit.  I was very happy.

That was the house that had the really bad neighbors who had the parties and fights.  I was worried some out of town investor would buy it, do the minimum amount of work and rent it to awful tenants.