Sorry for the lull. It’s been a while, and it’s not for lack of action around here, just creative burnout. You see, we’re doing a little fixer-upper in the yard right now, and I am enjoying it as much as I’d anticipated I would. It’s been tempting me since the day we looked at this house two and a half years ago. I couldn’t do anything the first year we were here, because you’re just not supposed to do that, and I had that other lovely excuse for sleeping every spare second…I was pregnant. Then last Spring I was nursing a six month old baby every other minute, and was too exhausted to even consider the prospect of doing anything but plant our tiny vegetable garden, and put together my annual flower pots.
This year though, everything is different. Both the kids enjoy playing in the yard while I work, and there is even the odd time when I can get out there alone and dig to my hearts content. Hence the new nickname from Len: DiggerWoman. I have a whole bunch of little sprouting seeds in the greenhouse. The radio works out there, and I can listen to the CBC while I work. Geesh. Funny what gets you off in your thirties, eh?
I love the sense of accomplishment I get from a project completed. It’s so satisfying, especially when the majority of my daily grind is so repetitive and never, ever done. The laundry heap is always there. The house always needs more cleaning. The kids always need more attention, love, food, drink, etc. The garden on the other hand, is full of mini projects that can be dreamed up, started and completed in an afternoon.
Last week I planted the cherry tree, and created a new perennial bed around it that borders the sidewalk. This week, we removed our quota of garden waste to the boulevard for the annual compost pick up. This is sure a saviour for folks like us that don’t have a truck or trailer to take it all to the drop off centre. We have hacked our poor Laurel back to the wood, and it’s looking rather grim, except for the amazing amounts of sunlight now allowed into the front yard. I had no idea how much shade it was creating, and am glad to see the sun out there.
All the added light has encouraged me to continue hacking up the grass in the front yard. Our goal is to get rid of all the grass and eventually have it filled with just trees, shrubs and perennial beds. I added a pink Lilac out there, and have another lined up for planting as soon as I can decide exactly where it belongs. There’s so much to consider when you are putting a garden together, and the mulling over of all the ideas is half the fun. I only wish I had a little more experience, but I suppose that’s when I call my gardening neighbours, friends and family.
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