Today’s first celebrates a huge accomplishment in the backyard makeover. I completed planting and mulching the 36 foot border that runs along the southern edge of the yard. The border follows the contours of the garden path that curves to the meditation area and has a 12 foot width at its widest point. I was very excited to finish this project.
Because of the number of plants involved, and the time it has taken to tuck them carefully into the ground, this border has been weeks in the making. I began about six weeks ago, on the section closest to the meditation area, and I’ve been steadily planting six foot sections as I had the time. I sometimes wasn’t able to work in the border at all, on those days we had heavy rain. I had ideal planting weather the first two weeks of July and made good progress. And then the weather turned hot and I could only plant for a short time in the evenings!
Today I was determined to finish the border. Yesterday, Greg helped me prepare the ground in the last two sections of the border and last night, I purchased an assortment of flowers. Rising early this morning, I was able to get all those plants in the ground before I cleaned up and left for a closing. Surveying the small section that remained bare, I was encouraged to keep going. This evening Greg and I made a final run to Lowe’s to pick up more flowers after filling the back of his truck with two scoops of cedar mulch.
This mornings planting in the Border
What I didn’t realize was how quickly I was losing daylight! By the time the plants were moved from the truck to the backyard, the sun was near the horizon. Greg brought in wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of mulch and began spreading it over the plantings from this morning while I raced the sun and dug holes for the last batch of flowers. Greg brought out the rusty vintage cultivator and parked it in its new location in the border and then darkness fell. No worries! Running an extension cord from the utility room, Greg rigged up a work light that he clamped onto the fence. I planted the last few flowers, including a clematis to trail over the cultivator, in the welcoming light that pierced the darkness. I watered and added the final layer of mulch around the new plants.
I was dirty, tired, sweaty and oh so happy as I stood back and looked down the long border. It was too dark, even with the work light and the flash on the phone, to capture the beauty of that section of the garden. I will update in the morning with pictures of the border and the cultivator. The pathway from the Peace Gate to the existing path that edges this border will be added this weekend. And the chucks of concrete removed from the original sidewalk in the backyard will be repurposed to form a walk way along the brick patio to the back gate. There is still work to do on the north side of the garden, but this transformation is progressing so well. I am very grateful to Greg for his many hours of assistance and for the creation of the wonderful privacy fence and the unique entrance.
I love spending time in this peaceful, beautiful space. My soul expands here and my heart sings. My feelings of joy are expressed well by Victor Hugo, in Les Misérables …I’ve just changed the pronoun from he, to she… “A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in–what more could she ask? A few flowers at her feet and above her the stars.”
Garden cats…Momba, Shy Boy & Marco