Yard work in winter

Though not as relentless and monotonous as summer mowing, there is still yard work to be done in winter.  A mild day in winter is usually when I try to tackle pulling up or cutting down some of the common privet by the back fence.  I'm hoping also to pull up some ivy.  The next two months will be when I try to get some pruning done. 
I guess burning the Christmas tree counted as yard work since I also burned some other limbs with it, which I did Tuesday evening.
Yesterday was mild, and I worked on a small project in my mixed border.  I had a cardboard carton from the washing machine we bought a couple of months ago.  I figured it would be good for suppressing weeds.  I pulled off most of the markings, which may not have been necessary if the ink is soy based, but who knows. 
I spread out the cardboard...

 

added a little compost to the edges to weight it down...

 

 and spread it over with some pine straw I had raked from my neighbor's yard.

 

While I had the wheelbarrow around front, I raked up the weeds (a lot of Bermuda grass) that I had left to dry out beside the edge of the border.  I put them on the compost pile.  It doesn't pay to put Bermuda grass roots on a compost pile before they've died from freezing or dehydration.

I also shot a picture of the pansies in the evening sun.  From time to time when I'm passing by them, I pull up the henbit and chickweed that is sprouting all around them and deadhead some of the spent blooms.





Whatever the season, there's always plenty of work to keep me busy.