Garden Makeover Project
Beau May 15th, 2007
We had great weather this last week to get things done outdoors. One of the goals this year was to give the garden a new look. It has always been very beautiful and had many raised beds, roses, lavender and other plants that had grown for many years. But somehow I couldn’t keep up with the variety of plants… and the weeds! I don’t know how my folks did it in the past… determination and passion I think! But we’re seeking something simpler perhaps, and a little easier to care for. But also I wanted to move many of the established Lavender plants to a newly tilled row across the pond, and transplant a few other shrubs. So now we have more room… but what to do!? Actually I hope we can make a larger single space or garden bed with rows for planting. Maybe where we could walk between rows and around the borders. But for now it’s piles of dirt everwhere… the tractor was very helpful but has done about all it can. Now it’s back to rakes and manual labor!
From the back the garden is full of plants and weeds… I didn’t keep up with the weeds this spring, but waited until now to clear it for a new garden project. The short plant in the foreground is a butterfly bush… I transplanted it near the pond spillway. Behind the post is a willow bush, also transplanted by the driveway to control erosion. The large Boxwood at the right was also moved and planted near the driveway.
The back of the garden is cleared and shrubs transplanted. Now to transplant the Lavender plants and begin removing the raised beds.
The John Deere 2320 tractor helps carry many old boards from the raised beds. They are destined for a bonfire at some point- almost all were rotted after many years of service in the garden.
This part of the garden is mostly cleared now. The small Crabapple at the upper left was also transplanted… just a few feet outside the fence.
It doesn’t look much differnet yet, but the soil is mounded up in back to prevent washing away. We had a good rain today but the soil soaked it up pretty well. In a couple days we can begin raking and leveling the soil.
That’s all for now… but it was about three days work with the tractor and by hand removing the wood. The soil is wonderful after many years of composting and loving care by the previous owners! Hopefully in a week we’ll be ready to plant for the year… a little late, but there’s still time enough to grow some vegetables!
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