Fall Garden Clean Up

I spent most of the day cleaning up the Rosemary Garden which is a side yard large enough

to have a garden yet small enough to maintain with little time.

BUT since I’ve had zero time lately to garden

I am taking the weekend to clear it out in order to capture a bit of what it was when I spent hours each day tending to it.

Hating to see the swamp sunflowers go, I left a few to sway in the breeze –only those still standing somewhat upright. The “country roses” I transplanted from the farm got me twice in my right hand, but they needed a trim so the rest of me would not get bitten by thier nasty thorns!

Many of you know we are undergoing a major renovation. Major in our eyes because of the inconvenience caused by knocking down walls and gutting a good chunk of the downstairs living area. We decided to stay in our home for lack of a better option—very few good lots to build on and nothing on the market that was any better than what we already have. So, here we are opening up the wallet to create the living/dining space I was searching for.

We have been living, eating and cooking on the screened porch. Fortunately for me,head chef, the weather has been perfect! Except for a couple of days when I wore my rain coat and scrambled eggs while holding an umbrella, it has been easy(shhh, don’t let anyone here know that!). With all the time spent outside I’ve realized how neglected my garden has become. Today was a start and I am resting for a moment for a sip of hot coffee and some inspiration.

I keep thinking back to an article I read in the Augusta Chronicle by Sydney Eddison which contained quotes from her book “Gardening for a Lifetime. How to Garden Wiser as you Grow Older” .  I’m thinking why wait to be wiser? Right!?  I just hit the BUY NOW button so  expect to be reading more about what I learn from Ms. Eddison.

The book I intend to write will be about growing your own flowers and food. Two seperate books would be good. One on food and one on flowers. Walking through the Rosemary Garden has reinspired me to share more about gardening smarter and with intention. Yes, I want to work as little as possible in the garden, but I do want every day to be filled with flowers too! My point is to plant with a little thought of what is going to pay me back—not just look pretty and take up space. We are gardeners for that reason—to plant with intention and to develop a connection with those plants. We plant, tend and water and they give us joy both in and out of the garden. That is the ultimate experience for a true gardener!

More on the kitchen reno and the fall garden clean up later.

ML