Reinventing My Garden
“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.” Anonymous
This is what I said to myself when we finally made Inverness our permanent home in 2003. We loved our escape to the country over the years and enjoyed the recreation this beautiful area provided. However, I had never paid much attention to the landscape surrounding our house. I realized that I had inherited a “hand-me-down-garden” lovingly cared for, but which had, over the years, become so overgrown it was hardly recognizable. Should I be content with this? No! How could I transform this garden into a garden of my own?
I began by digging, digging, digging the back garden, making flower beds and paths around a lovely, magnificent old rhododendron. I planted whatever caught my fancy, including “starts” gratefully received from friends’ gardens. It is an interesting “helter skelter” garden enhanced by a chicken coop in the corner of the fence which I call my feng shui. The chickens love to garden with me, and the chicken manure is wonderful fertilizer. This garden will always be a work in progress.
Should I be content with the slope covered with onion grass below our deck? No! How could I conquer this fast growing bulb? Weeding during the rainy season has proven to be most successful. While the ground is soft and moist, it is much easier and very satisfying to get the whole plant, bulb and all! In addition, each fall I place cardboard covered with mulch over the area. This helps too. Thus, year after year, the bulbs are disappearing and I am now tempted to put some in salads.
The slope already had Shasta daisies, calla lilies, and forget-me-nots in the spring. What else should I plant as I began to see landscaping potential? Native grasses seemed to have the most potential, and to mention a few others: some French lavender, salvias, penstemon, Mexican sage, rosemary, bergia on the fence, and Japanese maples. Railroad tie steps and a redwood bench built on an old log platform were other additions.
After the excellent “dirty” movie provided by Alice Eckart at the January general meeting, I came home to inspect my soil. As the film suggests, I DO spread chips, cardboard, chicken manure and worm compost throughout the year. And it’s working.
I am content with what I have now, but I have discovered that reinventing a garden is a wonderful recreation which will keep me busy for years to come.