Landscape Love

I often get up at 5:15 a.m. to work in the yard or garden. It may sound crazy, but it’s actually heaven. I struggle to pry myself out of bed that early, but once I’m up and out, I truly relish the chill bite to the morning air, the sounds of the birds getting up, the stillness and how fresh the day seems. Insane work problems have yet to kill my energy, no one has thrown a fit because none of his favorite shorts are clean, I haven’t had to choose between speeding or being late to work AGAIN. In the words of Anne Shirley “Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes.”

Anyway, a couple of mornings ago I was puttering in this yard work Nirvana when I stopped to appreciate all the work we’ve put in. I’m especially proud of the sweeping retaining wall made entirely of reclaimed concrete. There were times when I thought I’d never get that thing done. But it’s done and gradually being filled in with plants and mulch (shredded tree parts from a local tree service company). There are times when I get discouraged by comparing reality to all the plans and visions in my head. But man…we have busted our butts this year. I think it looks great, but more than that, I am really proud that we’ve done all this stuff ourselves.

Success…sort of

first tomato!

Originally uploaded by bluefish_media

So my garden is trucking along, and although it’s doing OK, it’s not quite what I expected. Some things, like the nasturtiums and my peas, have been kind of a disappointment. Other stuff, like the brocolli I got from the Extension Office and plopped in between corn rows, is super healthy. I’m going to have to move it I think, or I won’t have enough corn stalks to pollinate each other. Despite all the thinking and planning I did about the garden, it feels disorganized. I have a hard time conceptualizing space requirements, or even measurements. But the good news is that I get another shot next year, and even this fall. I’m going to start some more spinach and some peas to see if I can get a fall crop. I need to start harvesting chamomile and parsley, because they are doing so well. Sunflowers are coming up which I love, but echinacea has been a huge let-down. Live and learn I guess.