Yesterday I did some barefoot gardening. In the give and take of life, that meant, no QT, and peaches and chicken and rice for dinner. Chicken and rice is my "go to" recipe. It takes less than 10 minutes to throw together and everyone loves it.
I spent HOURS in the front and side yard. I trimmed branches, pulled up trees and lots of weeds. I raked and dug. I rebuilt our stone edging, and hauled 280 pounds of top soil, plus 2 cubic feet of potting soil. I planted a flat of flowers, and spread two packets of seed. I think my next door neighbors must be pleased that our shared side yard looks less like a jungle. Freckles was in hog heaven, as all the dirt turning produced many fat worms.
I always feel rather overwhelmed when I am planning what to plant. There is much I don't know. That I actually have no desire to know-except when I am trying to figure out what to plant. I went to the nursery looking to meld 2 concepts-carefree and limited sun exposure. It seems like the nursery was full of "full" sun plants, and very few shade ones. I wanted flowers, not just green. I had just pulled up tons of green. The wildflowers promise ease of care, lots of blooms to cut, and flourishing anywhere.
Gardens are full of lessons. Life present even when not visible. Patient waiting for fruit. The miracle of new life. The reminder to bloom where you are planted. I also think that gardens are rewarding because they yield very tangible results. Seeds will yield food or flowers (or weeds=)). It is exciting to plant, then watch the seeds crack the soil, and new plants pop up. Watching, watching, for blossoms, then little beans or tomatoes or peppers. I don't want more garden than I can weed in a couple hours. But I do find it very satisfying to gets my hands and feet dirty. Plus, it is nature's microderm abrasion.=) All that digging takes off the old cells.=) But, you don't want to take it too far. Chipped nails are also a hazard.=)
Anyway, I am very happy with the orderly look of my front yard now. Well, minus the brush that needs hauled away, and the grass that needs mowed. It is a big improvement. I am for simple in everything. Non cluttered. This is totally "me". I am also glad that I can take my QT outside, in the sunshine, guilt free, because my yard looks much better.
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| "before". big green bush. |
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| lots of unruly, green ground cover. bricks all over the place |
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| bush pulled up, replacing edging stones |
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| one row lying down, one row standing up |
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| repurposed bookshelf, that my optimistic bro tells me will maybe last all summer. |
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| all in a row |
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| doing work |
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| pulling weeds |
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| brick border complete |
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| all prepped for more dirt and flowers |
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| pot arrangement on the porch-plus Freckle's worms |
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| some kind of perineal-violets? |
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| a view of the whole thing. bare, but orderly. |
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| another view |
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| close up of the end, seeded with a wild flower perineal blend |
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| the brush for Mr. Hippie to remove. |
Now, all it needs is sunshine, warmth, and occasional rain and/or watering. Hip-hip-hurray!
