We had our morning coffee in the Secret Garden. It may be the loveliest time of the year in this space. Although, when the wild roses bloom, I may take that back.
We can take credit for some things: adding the cinder block edging, clearing out the little area that leads to the crabapple tree, adding stepping stones there and at the entrance to the garden, as well as up the little hill to the back forty, adding the chairs and table, adding vintage pots filled with plants, and, last year, lugging rocks to form a rock garden.
But the wild phlox, the wild mint, the wild roses and mustard, the tiny little flowers called fleabane, all of which fill in the spaces, spring out of gravel and grow between the rocks – they make the space magical.
It’s very natural back there, not at all manicured or precise. I love it so much.
For a long time – many years – after we moved here, the area in back of the kitchen was just a wet space at the bottom of a hill. We ignored it. The change began when I added steps up the little hill and then, one day when Don was away, lugged many heavy old cinder blocks from the woods to this space and created a dividing line between the wild growth and the grass. Suddenly, it was becoming a purposeful space. And then the rest followed. Don put in all the stepping stones. He cleared out some of the undergrowth. He was a bit overzealous and suddenly we had a lot of bare dirt, which made me unhappy. Hence, his atonement; his idea for a rock garden, which ended up being the perfect solution.
I’m having a grateful day. Grateful for this little bit of property that is somewhat wild, for our woods, and our huge expanse of lawn, for our gardens and our flower-filled porch, for our trees, for the wild turkey that walked by the front porch this morning, for the wee groundhog who dined on our grass yesterday, for the birds and the baby birds.
We created much of this on a tiny budget, often for no cost at all, using materials we found on the property.
This place has become my dream-of-decades come true.
I never will take it for granted.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
