Daunting but Doable

April 9th, 2011 I pulled up the window shade in the kitchen a couple of mornings ago and experienced a mix of emotions. The sunrise was pink and sweet and the glow it produced caused my shoulders to drop about three inches; my tense, winter composure finally leaving me for good...or at least for a few months. However, the morning light provided a spotlight on my backyard, now devoid of all snow, and I was taken aback by how absolutely horrible it looked. Muddy tufts of poop-laden grass ( I have a cairn terrier); soggy, brown growth from last season's lily's, peonies, ornamental grasses, hostas, and the rest; a wild rose bush who lives up to its name and its unruly neighbor, a lilac tree that could very well end up needing a whip and a chair to tame. I was too scared to go take a good look at the front yard; daunting to say the least.

My husband and I bought this house last spring. I was seven months pregnant and by the time we moved into the house, all the landscaped and garden areas were unruly, everything needing a good clean-up and over-haul, but they were green and full and the yard smelled sweet, so I decided to let them go until I was able to see my feet again. Well, now it's next spring and I am a little mad at my last-year self. I had the baby at the end of July and the least I could have done for myself was to head outside for a couple of hours in October and cut back all the dead growth. Our yard would at least appear a bit less abandoned-haunted-house-like.

I am tempted to hire Home Sown Gardens to come clean it all up. After all, they do a great job at an affordable price (shameless plug). But I won't. I won't because first of all, how would that look to my boss? And second of all, this is my season to apply what I have learned and learn more. Though I do some gardening for HSG and have proved a quick study, the majority of my work hours are spent scheduling, writing, communicating with clients, and managing staff. This season will be no exception for my duties, but at my home, it is time for me to take the reins and see what I am capable of on my own; from design to implementation to maintenance.

My goals for the season include building raised beds for vegetables and herbs, removing and replacing a patio area, redesigning flower garden areas and transplanting most of the current perennials, taming the wild wild rose bush and lilac tree and possibly moving them, and making a sandbox area for daughter and dog to play.

I will keep you posted on my gardening endeavors, hopefully providing practical gardening insight as well as entertainment. I will include pictures too, to prove I am keeping up with my goals and to show off my accomplishments...fingers crossed.