I truly enjoy the upkeep of my yard. To dress up our very plain house, I have two room-size beds of flowers in the front yard. Last night, in the (abnormally) cool evening air, weeding was a comfortable, meditative activity.
Although I started with an ordinary Stella d'Oro daylily border and some basic greenery and perennials, I have been drawn to rare plants in recent years. We planted a tiny Ginko tree a few years ago, and the beds have been sewn with seeds collected with care from a grandmotherly garden.
Next year, we'll add an enormous bed surrounding our patio in the backyard--one we'll add to for years to come. The scope of our plans is a bit intimidating, but it's taken us 12 years to get the front yard "done" so we know exactly how much to tackle in one reasonable year.
I've always planned a vegetable and fruit garden, but except for a few potted tomato plants, this dream remains in the "next year for sure" category. Now that I'm reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, however, I am determined to grow food. Next year, for sure.I mean it.
For starters, we'll need more dirt...
