Crunch Time

Saturday it seemed like everyone was working in my front yard.  It wasn't quite so, only the landscaping crew but it was exciting to watch as we are getting so near the end of the job.  I almost felt bad about not being out in the yard working myself, but I would have just been in the way.   Besides, the mason tells me he will be done on Thursday and that is when my work really begins.

We came home Saturday evening to see the final results on the north side of the house.  Final for now anyway.  The mason's work is done, the gravel is done, but the two other planting beds, the ones framed by cedar landscape timbers on either side of the gate are still to be built.  That is my job.  The final beds will be higher, even with the bottom rail of the fence behind them.  Once I have built the beds, I still have to plant everything, but planting here will wait until next spring.

There is still masonry work to be done on the front yard, but here is a glimpse of progress so far, again a shot at dusk.  You will have to wait until the end of the week for more.

And of course, after the crews go home, the fun part will begin.  It will take me some time to work my way through the various beds, planning and planting, but I am looking forward to it. Well, frankly, I was looking forward to it, but now I wonder if I have lost my mind.  After spending a few hours clearing out overgrowth from the old vegetable garden so that I could make space for some sun perennials that need relocating as well as a place for a few hundred tulip bulbs, every muscle in my body aches.  I can't believe I used to do this on a daily basis, although I assume, if I've done it before, eventually I will get those old gardening muscles back.  At the moment that looks like it will be a lifetime away, but I'm determined to give it a go.