Grandma loves flowers (as evidenced by the things she painted) and had extensive garden spaces going all summer long. The flower beds have been neglected the last couple years as the house has stood empty and the last year Grandma was out here when she was having more and more trouble with endurance and mobility. My mission is to get these beds uncovered and see what comes up this year. Next year we can make changes, but with everything else going on, we'll just see what we've got for now.
The biggest problem is corn husks. There is nearly a foot deep of husks in many places around the farm, but most of those places are gardens. And under the corn husks are another two or three inches of leaves and what I assume used to be leaves before they decomposed into a dark goo. This is going to take a very long time!
On a side note, many of the fields around here are completely devoid of corn husks and stalks. Hey neighbors, I know where your husks went! Feel free to come get them at any time. Seriously.
I didn't bring any tools with me, not that we have much at our house. Grandma had at least four rakes and some shovels and plenty of other garden and lawn tools. Those would still be in the garage, right? Because why wouldn't they be left at the house, considering their age and wear and the fact that I'm moving in? I don't think I saw them at the auction, did I?
Yeah, big mistake there. The rakes are all gone. No garden shovel, no hoe, no pitch fork, no wheelbarrow. There's a shop broom. And an old walker. And a broken vacuum. Plus a dozen mops, all in various stages of use. A DOZEN MOPS! WHO NEEDS A DOZEN MOPS? And how did THOSE not go to the auction?!
Okay, I may be exaggerating a little. There were really just nine mops. I did count them. And they weren't useful at all. Although you'd think they would be, since this is "spring cleaning".
I finally located a manure shovel that could more or less work. Mostly less, but it was something. And the abandoned trash can from Grandma's trash service, which hasn't been touched in months, was great for hauling husks, since there is no wheelbarrow. I had to leave a small pile of rubbish on the ground while using it, but I can put the trash back each time I finish just in case someone decides to come and get it. It does hold a lot of corn husks!
I focused on the driveway garden today, although I was only successful in clearing about a quarter of it. It's a very long garden. It starts off to the far left of what is visible in this picture, winds down and around the driveway off to the right, and ends by the garage. In other words, everything in the photo that looks like overgrown dead weeds and then some.
There's still a large iris bed, a little garden across from where a yellow shed used to be, an even smaller space by the front/back door, and all the garden patches around the house. What I'm saying here is that clearing overgrown gardens better be my new favorite past time, because it's what I'll be doing for the next month.
So after just four loads of husks, there are a few patches of plants seeing light. Mostly the patches closest to the door, because that's what I was working on right up until I noticed it was time for supper. And also I got hung up on a very unfriendly rose bush who won't stay in its plant cage. Remember the leather gloves next time. No, buy some leather gloves and then remember to bring them.
There's still a lot of garden space to go, but seeing this every time I pull up to the house will help me keep working at it. Let's grow!
No comments:
Post a Comment