thistlebloom
Garden Master
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2010
- Messages
- 16,473
- Reaction score
- 17,411
- Points
- 457
- Location
- North Idaho 48th parallel
We pulled in at 10 last night, very thankful for a safe journey and very, very thankful to be home.
We had a bittersweet visit with my parents, enjoying their company but realizing that we may never see each other again.
Old hurts were forgiven and laid aside, shared some laughs and shed more than a few tears.
My husband and I pruned and pulled and raked and blew and mowed and edged and hauled (whew!) about 5 truckloads of plant debris out of the garden. For such a small lot there was a lot of material. Mom hasn't been up to doing much maintenance for over two years, and in that climate things grow wild fast. Her garden is beautiful again and she was profoundly moved and thankful for all our work.
I'm so proud of my mom. At 60 something when they moved into that place she designed and installed nearly everything herself, with a bit of help from dad. ( At 70ish my dad built a garage onto the house with out any assistance. I'm proud of him too.
)
She built a berm by the road for her rhodies, to screen the house from the street. They are now huge and beautiful.
In the side yard she built a dry creek bed to meander down to the street curb. Dad routed the house gutters to drain into it so it flows when there's rain. After a few years of battling the moles disrupting it she cemented the creekbed and scattered beach rocks that she had collected in 5 gallon buckets from the beach down it. Not just any beach rocks either. She chose the prettiest, or most interesting rocks for her project. She also mixed and poured cement for a small path through the gate into the back yard, all by herself.
What makes that so amazing is that my mom was never a real physical person. More of a girlie girl with nice finger nails.
(I take more after my dad apparently. )
She has massive, layered beds that always have something blooming, and she has made it a little Eden. But taking care of all that is beyond her now.
We talked to them about living with us so that we could help them, or living with my sis in MO, but they declined. They like where they are and wish to stay there. But it's a worrisome neighborhood and they are so terribly frail....
For now I've made arrangements with a gardener to come weekly and do the lawn maintenance and anything else my mom needs done, but it's no substitute for being close by personally.
I guess we had some rain here the week we were away, and you should see my new crop of weeds. Practically knee high! Why don't my tomatoes grow that fast? My clematis were also getting unruly and wandering all over the beds instead of climbing up where they belong.
Today was a day to hang out at home and rest ( and catch up with you guys, man, a whole week without internet!) But tomorrow I'm going to have to hit the ground running.
edited because I'm not sure what bunruly is but I don't think my clems have it.
We had a bittersweet visit with my parents, enjoying their company but realizing that we may never see each other again.
Old hurts were forgiven and laid aside, shared some laughs and shed more than a few tears.
My husband and I pruned and pulled and raked and blew and mowed and edged and hauled (whew!) about 5 truckloads of plant debris out of the garden. For such a small lot there was a lot of material. Mom hasn't been up to doing much maintenance for over two years, and in that climate things grow wild fast. Her garden is beautiful again and she was profoundly moved and thankful for all our work.
I'm so proud of my mom. At 60 something when they moved into that place she designed and installed nearly everything herself, with a bit of help from dad. ( At 70ish my dad built a garage onto the house with out any assistance. I'm proud of him too.
)She built a berm by the road for her rhodies, to screen the house from the street. They are now huge and beautiful.
In the side yard she built a dry creek bed to meander down to the street curb. Dad routed the house gutters to drain into it so it flows when there's rain. After a few years of battling the moles disrupting it she cemented the creekbed and scattered beach rocks that she had collected in 5 gallon buckets from the beach down it. Not just any beach rocks either. She chose the prettiest, or most interesting rocks for her project. She also mixed and poured cement for a small path through the gate into the back yard, all by herself.
What makes that so amazing is that my mom was never a real physical person. More of a girlie girl with nice finger nails.
(I take more after my dad apparently.
)She has massive, layered beds that always have something blooming, and she has made it a little Eden. But taking care of all that is beyond her now.
We talked to them about living with us so that we could help them, or living with my sis in MO, but they declined. They like where they are and wish to stay there. But it's a worrisome neighborhood and they are so terribly frail....
For now I've made arrangements with a gardener to come weekly and do the lawn maintenance and anything else my mom needs done, but it's no substitute for being close by personally.
I guess we had some rain here the week we were away, and you should see my new crop of weeds. Practically knee high! Why don't my tomatoes grow that fast? My clematis were also getting unruly and wandering all over the beds instead of climbing up where they belong.
Today was a day to hang out at home and rest ( and catch up with you guys, man, a whole week without internet!) But tomorrow I'm going to have to hit the ground running.
edited because I'm not sure what bunruly is but I don't think my clems have it.
