Back from a long Labor Day weekend where I did a lot of labor in the back yard. There was a pool to backwash (it was fun seeing dead bees amidst the usual dirt and detritus), bushes to trim, and a back yard to lay topsoil and peat moss as I attempt to turn my grass to dichondra.

Here’s the story. A few years ago, I grabbed a can of what I though was grass seed and tossed it all over the bare spots in my back yard. In a classic case of Leaping before I looked I realized that it wasn’t grass seed I was spreading, but dichondra, which, as you can see in the link above, is a kind of clover-looking lawn cover. Horrified, I spent an entire afternoon with a broom and brush trying to sweep up all the seed I had sown. I thought I did a pretty good job of it, but a month later I’m seeing clover sprout from all over the place. And three years later it has taken over a vast section of my backyard, crowding out the grass and kicking ass and taking names.

And I’ve found I like the dichondra. It’s bright green, it doesn’t seem to care if I over water or under water the lawn, it stays the same color through summer and not-summer (the only two seasons we have here in the Valley of the Sun), and, best of all, it’s like walking on a lush, soft carpet. So I decided, if you can’t beat it, join it.

Which I did this weekend. A couple of trips to Lowe’s for bags and bags of topsoil and pea moss, and three canisters of dichondra. Spread the topsoil out, sprinkle the dichondra, cover with peat moss, work it all in and walk all over it to pack it down, and give it a good water. I will say this: the vibrant green color of the dichondra will really set apart the Tiki bar area and the deck I installed last year.

I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.