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| First of the Month Photo: June 2020 |
Well, that looks very different from the title photo, doesn’t it? Yes, when we retired, we downsized from 2500 square feet of row gardens with a few raised beds to about 500 square feet of raised beds (unimaginatively called the Raised Bed Garden or RBG) and containers (located mostly in the Garden Pen). You might notice a different pup, too. That’s Logan, my pointer mix garden guard guy...we adopted him in 2017 after we moved to our smaller abode in Loganville (called Casa 303), where we helped our hearts heal after having to say an unexpected goodbye to Abbie (who developed cancer of the spleen).
Logan is one of four current members of Our Drool Gang, the others being Winston (you remember him...Aussie mix); Pepper (another Georgia adoptee...supposed to have been part black lab; turned out to be mixed with either Great Dane or Appaloosa); and Rowan (the family basset hound...you know we have to have one, right? He is technically Missy M’s dog, but he has lived with us since he arrived...when he bonded with then-puppy Pepper.) All of that is to say, if we want to grow anything here, it must be protected by a fence or barrier of some sort. Sigh. We do what we must, right? At least we do not have a deer problem!
As we near the 3rd anniversary of closing on this property, I’m happy to report we have made great strides in putting down roots and making this our own. We started with excellent bones, including mature landscape with trees (including a gorgeous magnolia), flowering shrubs (like the gardenias ), and fencing around the rear and sides, as well as well-established bermudagrass lawn, front and back.
The first thing we added was the garden shed...the exact model as we built in HPNC...but we paid a bit extra to have this one built onsite for us.
Then, Mr. T built the U-shaped, hip-high raised beds...and we promptly enclosed the RBG with a gate. After one season, we knew we needed more growing area that could be a bit more adaptable to changing needs...and the (enclosed) Garden Pen was born. This year, he added a newer version of a feature of the Wayback Garden in HPNC that we missed (visible in the title photo): the tuteur!
Additionally we have planted our roses in our side yard, visible from our Coffee Room just off the kitchen. And we have recently tested the waters to see if any can survive the Backyard Dogs by adding 4 container specimens we bought at a recent estate sale of the former Prez of our local Rose Society. Mr. T took inventory last week of the survivors after the first winter: 33 bushes. Half of the number we had in High Point, but that’s ok...especially when it comes time to do the monthly rose care chores. One of the 6 successful transplants from the HPNC Rose Garden includes Don Juan, in full bloom on a trellis as I write this.
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| Don Juan |
And you know we have our share of irises and day lilies...many brought as transplants when we moved. This is the first year to bloom in their new home for several...and we are doing our best to chart their new locations around the property.
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| Forever Redeemed |
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| Elvis’s Cape |
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| Strawberry Shortcake |
So that brings us up to date...sort of. At least it gives us a place to begin...again.
Stay tuned!
