We are having some excitement at FairWinds. Our old deck, the entrance to our house, was rotting and needed to be replaced. We decided to change things up a bit while we were at it, and the work has begun. I will share before and after pictures when the project is completed. Meanwhile, removing the old deck left me with my favorite flower bed vastly enlarged. Here is what it looked like.
Where you see that tallish green plant in the center used to be the back edge of the bed. Now the whole area is 8 feet or so deeper than it was. I decided to dig up and move everything currently in there, because those plants no longer fit into the new shape of the garden. I also decided to plant a bunch of annual flowers while I get used to the new configuration and decide if I want shrubs or perennial plants. I started digging and made good progress, but the large rose bush on the right was a tough customer. Chris helped me dig and wrestle it out. I gave the long rose canes to the goats, who made short work of them, thorns and all.
There was a Flag Iris in the garden that my friend planted 9 years ago. It had spread so it was the size of a bushel basket, and was one tough customer to shift. I dug and wiggled and dug some more. I finally called "uncle!" and Cheryl and Mike came to my rescue. In about 30 seconds, they team lifted the heavy mass up and out for me. I was sad that I couldn't quite manage it alone, but thrilled for the assistance.
There was a sweet little breeze the whole time I worked, and it wafted the perfume of our lilac bush to me in tantalizing gusts.
The soil that had been under the old deck was hard as concrete, so I got out my mattock and went to work breaking it up. Then I hauled bag after bag of heavy compost to the spot, sliced them up with my wicked pocket knife, and distributed the deep black stuff over the soil I had just disturbed.
Over the weekend, I enjoyed a stroll through a local plant nursery and loaded up with a nice variety of seedlings. I could hardly wait to start planting them. I decided to top dress the soil with some mulch before I put the tiny seedlings in, so I hustled off to the hardware store and bought six big bags of mulch. My friend who owns the store told me she had no help, and I'd have to load the mulch myself. A kind man standing by overheard our conversation, strode right outside, and helped me load the bags. How magical is that?
Once home, I dumped the bags at appropriate intervals and carefully spread the mulch in an even layer. While I was at it, I created a little stepping stone path from the edge of the garden to the water faucet. Then, I planted morning glories, hollyhocks, and foxglove. I planted cosmos and portulaca. After all of that, I decided I'd done quite enough for one day. I gave all the plants a cool drink and sat for a while, considering where to tuck the zinnias and other seedlings that were waiting to get growing. The plan is coming together nicely; every bit of the work and planning has made me happy.
Meanwhile, the construction guys went back and forth, sawing wood and priming boards and chatting with each other as they worked. The quietest of them paused to look at my efforts and said, "You are gaining on it." High praise!
Big things are happening at FairWinds, and little plants are stretching their roots and settling in until they are big enough to fill my new space with loveliness.
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