The Spring Garden- update April 2020

It's been a long while, Dear Reader! And I can tell you that most of the "free" hours I've had when I might have been writing to you have been spent in the garden. If you remember, I actually started the week of Christmas when we had the unseasonably warm weather. Then in January the hubby helped me rip out my invasive wisteria, along with a beloved smoke tree and crepe myrtle that were casualties of the devastation. But with the thought of spring came new hope! And as soon as the seeds and roots appeared in the stores I started potting. Below is a sampling of what I started with.

I am not a person to water. Ever. This is why I do not have house plants. But I made a concentrated effort because the thought of renewing my garden was so strong...

And this is two weeks ago. Yes, there are some store-bought herbs and tomato plants on the table, but all the rest was grown by me. And, I am delighted to say, it is all in the ground now!

 Months of gardening wreaked havoc on the hands. And I think it is very much worth it.

Here the hubby is about to help me use the lumber I managed to save from the original pergola to make a support for my climbing rose. All I wanted was something to get it up off the ground, and to frame the end of the flower bed.

I couldn't resist these pictures because the cows were so interested in our progress ;)

It took me weeks to dig out all the wisteria roots that I could with a grubbing hoe, rake out the ground, reform my bed and reset the rocks, then seed grass. The mound laying in the fence line is all roots that I dug and piled to be burned. You can imagine that I fell asleep each night when my head hit the pillow!

Just in case you have forgotten, here is what it looked like when the wisteria was being ripped out, and before the pergola had completely collapsed.

What a tragic mess...

But look at it now! In just four months it looks like a new spot, and my rose is very happy with her support and trying to see if she can cover it in a season. I put a chair there, just so I could sit and relish the fact that we had finally won the wisteria battle!

 And here is the tiny pool beside it that could never be seen. I realigned all the rocks and put my frogs on guard.

This it a picture of the gate into the field. The whole path was filled with weeds, but they were so pretty when you get down to eye-level that I had to take a photo before they hit the weedeater.

 Here is a very old topiary that I haven't used in years. I dug her out from behind the shed to take the place of the arch with the lady's head that was here, that I moved to the pond bank. She is a pot-bellied little thing, but she makes me grin.

 Just a shot of one of my favorite shade flowers- Sweet William phlox. Dad and the boys and I dug up a sprig from our woods at least 15 years ago, and now it has seeded all over my garden. And it smells heavenly!

 I moved my table and chairs from Grandma Tommy out from the back of the bed so I would be tempted to sit at it more often, and put the old bench that was in the pergola in it's old place. It's nice to have lots of seating.

 And I dug up my special stepping stones to put in front, where I could see them. I made these of the boys' hands and feet when they were about 4,6 and 7. I love them so much. Especially when I think that one of those tiny feet is now a size 15, and belongs on a 6'7" frame.

 This is looking down the shady bed. There is a stack of paving stones from where I originally had my table. I intend to remake the little "patio" where I have moved it now. All things in good time...

 And looking from the gate down to where I settled the bench. I love winding paths that lead somewhere special.

 And here is my poor choked out fish pool. I had planned to take out the lotus plants for several years, and now it was to the point where there was almost no space for water. It was a solid root mass!

 My son, Seth, came over and helped. He hooked the farm truck to the sump pump to try to get out some of the water, and drove the tractor back and forth when I filled the bucket with roots. Hundreds of pounds of roots! He took the photo below on his phone. I have rubber waders on and I am standing in straight muck.

 I was wielding a Ginsu knife to cut the roots apart in approx one foot sections because that's all I could lift into the bucket. This pond is 2-2 1/2 feet deep and the root mass went all the way to the bottom. So I had to saw out the hunks and then heave them from the water. There was a lot of flinging mud and goo everywhere- sometimes on Seth, he he!

 Here is my size 11 shoe to show you the size of just a piece of a lotus root. These are eaten in some cultures. I swear I could have fed a village for a year out of this pond!

And here, is the finished result! All the backbreaking work and mess was worth it. And you know what is awesome? Under all the roots, and having been choked out for years, was a tiny piece of one of my Grandma Tommy's water lilies. I was SO happy. She had both pale yellow and pink. I will have to wait to see which one it is. Just look at the reflection of the arbor in the water. It is delightful just to see water again! We also found two sweet baby snapping turtles as we cleaned. One was re-homed in a slough, the other is the size of a quarter and going to live with my Pop until he gets big enough to be set out again. And my frogs are so happy with their new "pad" ;) 

 Another picture showing where all was devastation. Just look how well my grass is coming in!

 Below is a very blurry picture of my flowerbed from four years ago. Here you can see the pergola to the left of the birdhouse pole, the smoke bush to the right, the stand of yellow is the iris in the fish pool, and to the far right is the 15 foot crepe myrtle. So lush and beautiful.

 And here is the same view now. I've lost all the differing height interest, and lots of color. But I am just so thankful that (as of now, and hopefully FOREVER) we have killed out the wisteria and I am able to enjoy that area again. It takes time to have a garden that is filled out and mature. I have faith that I will be able to reach the level of beauty above once again! But I also know that this year has only begun. I bet you will be amazed at how it all changes, Dear Reader! So I will do another garden post in the height of summer bloom, and then again in fall so we can both see the changes.

What about you? Have you done any gardening in this time when we are supposed to remain close to home? Are you a flower or veggie gardener? I will have to take pictures of the veg garden proceedings soon. It will be a bit different this year, so I will have to tell you all about it. Until then, I hope that you are finding or renewing hobbies that you love. Stay safe and healthy, and I am sending you big hugs that smell like dirt and plants :)