A Brand New Year

The Bird House Garden January 1, 2015 You can see before and after photos of the Birdhouse Garden here.

I like the way 2015 is looking already.

The turn of the calendar to 2015 gives us a chance to reflect. As far as the garden goes, I find it fun to look back at my photo archives because they tell the story. 2014 will forever be etched in my memory as the year we left behind my garden of 30 years and started building another one. My initial reaction was to feel cheated. Cheated out of growing old with my garden. Cheated out of what I felt was my ultimate peaceful, private haven. Truth is, once I let go and embraced the change, my creativity for this new garden began to flow. As it did my vision was freed and my strength was renewed to accept the challenges of starting over. So without regret I can say today I am completely satisfied and even still very excited about the possibilities in this new garden. 2015 is going to be a good year!

There are many opportunities in this garden for lots of *before and after* photos. Many projects were undertaken in the last 6 months. I'll be back with more soon.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2015. Thank you each one for following along with my journey. Garden more, dream more, dig more, plant more ... tell me what you'd like to do more!


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My New Garden

A cross view of the front garden. Sidewalk leads to the front door (to the right). I've made very few changes to the front so far. 

Yes, I'm embracing my new garden fully after these few months of working in it and learning to love it. I purposely didn't get attached to this new garden initially because our plan was to resell quickly once our primary house was remodeled. For that reason I also held off making any significant changes in this garden. Then we made the decision in June 2014 to make this our permanent home.  [If you missed the story about why we bought the house next door you can catch up on that here.]

Some fall-like colors in the back sunny garden. Maple leaf hibiscus and Swamp sunflower.

When we made that decision it changed my perspective instantly. My adrenalin sent my planning, organizing self into overdrive. I was consumed with how/where/when to move plants and to start cuttings from my old garden. I challenged myself to get this garden started without spending any money on new plants. That's was super-fun. I worked straight through the heat and humidity of summer in order to accomplish that first phase of making my new garden a place of respite.

The fire pit doubles as a big family room with plentiful and roomy seating. There was nothing here except and weeds when we moved in. (The banana trees in the background are my neighbor's and you can see the cypress hammock in the distance.)

With all that said, I'm trying my best to take my time and really think out what and how much I want to add to this garden overall. Some would say it's too late for that because I've already added so many plants and created so many new spaces. I guess what I mean is that I want to try to stay true to the overall feel of this piece of property. This property has a natural, woodsy feel to it.  Mature saw palmettos gather in clumps beneath tall old oaks throughout the front and back. We are only a lot away from a cypress hammock that surrounds a conservation water area.

The view across from the fire pit and on the way out to the far back yard. This was a huge bed of invasive Mexican petunia when we moved in. I am still pulling out pieces of it as it shoots up. 

So far my thoughts are to keep this garden looking more natural. Less manicured. Maybe even less plants. Did I just say that? By less plants I mean planting less crowded in some of the beds.

Tiny slips of rooted coleus from my old garden were planted in the Birdhouse Garden in June 2014.
Our rainy Florida summer was just what they needed to flourish. 

The views in the shadiest part sorta contradict what I just stated. That's okay. I'm not committed to less crowding everywhere.

This is the back side of the sunniest part of the garden. The plumbago in the center is the only plant that I left in this bed when I started adding my own plants.
Grass was removed from the front 8' in early July to enlarge and enhance the shape of this large bed.

I have to admit the whole challenge of moving to a new garden, although heartbreaking at the outset, has been an extremely rewarding and fun endeavor. As I look back on the decisions we made with a clearer perspective I think I actually needed a change-up. It has given me new inspiration and sparked fresh ways of thinking and designing. Especially in my sunniest garden that is in the wide open back part of the yard.

The partially shady area that I created first thing in order to move my birdhouses and the plants you see here.
You can see how I did it and the before and after photos here.

My old garden was filled with literally thousands of plants jammed in so tightly there was hardly room for anymore. I loved the layout of that garden. I'm learning to love the layout of this one.

A large area of lawn was removed in late July to create this space in the very back corner of my back yard. The mature plants in view in the background are actually in my old garden. I'm using it as a backdrop to this new seating area. :-)

Seating arrangements are a key element in any garden to instantly add a sense of warmth and coziness. I moved most of my Adirondacks, benches and captain's chairs from my new garden. Finding suitable places for all of them has involved creating inviting planting beds.

Part of the front garden. I moved the lime green coleus, the iron chair, the begonia, and the birdbath from my old garden.
Lots of mixed white Caladiums were planted from bulbs in July.

I'm feeling blessed and satisfied that we made the right decision to stay here. Now that I've embraced this new garden my mind whirls with ideas and plans for improvement. I'm gonna take my time. As much as I LOVE maintenance (I really do) I'm trying keep maintenance low. We have other interests and we like to pick up and leave when we want to for short periods of time. So far we've been able to do that without worries.

What about you? What's new in your garden? I hope your fall garden is off to a great start.

Meems

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The Summer of Change

I purposed not to get connected with this new garden because our sincere plan was to resell this house quickly once our primary house was finished with the intended remodel. I didn't make too many changes here nor did I let my mind wander with gardening dreams for that reason.  ***If you are just arriving here and need to catch up on why we moved to the house next door you can catch up here for the back story and here with all the post entries regarding this new garden so far.

This is the closest photo I have to a BEFORE shot. It's taken from the open back deck.
It dawned on me after we got started that I should be documenting this transformation process.

The very day (June 1, 2014) we made the decision to sell our primary home and garden of 30 years my mind kicked into overdrive. It was time to pay attention to the conditions of this garden. The first and practically only thing I could think about was how in the world was I going to transfer my old garden to make a new garden in such a short period of time. There were so many plants I wanted to keep from my old garden. I would need to move them or take cuttings from them in order to preserve them.

June 6, 2014
Time to remove some lawn between some scrubby Swamp Bay trees and a Red Maple on one side and
one Drake Elm next to the open deck.

You would think I would have been consumed with figuring out how I was going to pack up the three rooms and full closets I needed to move from the original house to the new house. I sensed a huge garage sale was looming in my near future along with everything else that needed attention.

June 11, 2014
After all the grass was removed up to the curvy line on the left, I brought in a yard of potting soil to cover the pile of grass. It help create a a small hill between me and my south neighbor.
I had privacy in mind with all the plants I chose for this new location.

When we moved to the house next door 7 months prior I had taken only the furniture and goods we needed for everyday living. Was that ever a lesson in how much extra *stuff* we have! If I didn't need it or use it more often why did I still have it? I had a whole lot of purging to do. :-)

June 11, 2014
I purchased the Sweet Almond Bush at the garden center where I picked up the potting soil. It is the *only plant I purchased* for this entire area. All the rest came from my old garden. 

The usable areas (the beds that had open space for plants) in my new-to-me back garden are mostly sunny. In my old garden I had created a very shady oasis in the back garden and the front garden was also mostly shady. For appropriate conditions and enough space to transplant my shade-loving plants it was necessary to dig some grass in the shadiest spot available in the back garden. I had to make the most of that sliver of shade.

June 6, 2014
The same shady area from the angle looking south (deck is to the right).

I was in a hurry. I hired some help. Two strong boys (brothers) that regularly help my elderly neighbor. Their schedules were busy with summer activities and other jobs so it was a little frustrating only being able to grab them for a few hours at a time. I honestly couldn't have made so many quick changes without them. They did the digging and heavy lifting while I designed and planted. They worked hard right in the middle of Florida's hottest summer humidity.

June 25, 2014
June 22 we started moving some of the bigger accessories.
The birdhouses and the fire pit (not visible, but behind the birdhouses) made a big difference
in the look and feel of the new garden.

I had made a list 3 legal pages long of plants to either move or to make cuttings from. There were plants from neighbors, friends and family I couldn't bear to leave behind. Some of the plants I needed to move because of their mature status. For instance, I divided/transplanted my own plentiful shell gingers rather than buy new ones. Moving my mature plants means larger plants from the start.

June 29, 2014
The background transplants were settling in nicely and for the most part June blessed me
with sufficient rainfall to save me time watering them each day. 

It was one thing to move plants and cuttings. When the process of moving accessories from one garden to the other began it made me feel like this whirlwind move was really truly happening. My emotions were pretty raw about leaving my old garden. But there was no time to lollygag nor did I have extra energy to waste on sadness. It was taking every minute of every day to tackle the garden move and packing.

[Side note: I'm so very grateful to all my family and friends who helped out with packing/sorting/moving/garage-saling (I'm sure that's not a word). They were amazing! Each one with a gift for efficiency. My poor mom had to practically drag me out of the garden (many times) into the house for me to finish inside when I wanted only to be outside.]

June 30, 2014

In my old garden the birdhouses were the focal point in a partially sunny area. Their surroundings were much different there. I decided to change it up a bit here and moved them into the new shade bed. At their feet are Florida-Friendly tropicals, perennials and newly rooted coleus (all from my old garden).

July 1, 2014
Photos create an amazing visual journal that can't be duplicated with words or memory. I planted 'Creamsickle' Caladium bulbs on June 13. In each photo you can see the progression of their growth which would otherwise have been missed.

At the same time I was working on this shady part of the garden I was creating the fire pit area.  The boys (my helpers) were digging out grass in the blazing sun to make room for more plants in the existing sunny area and also digging out another large area of grass for part-sun/part-shade plants.  I would follow them with plants and mulch. I will update on those spaces in the future.

July 1, 2014

The existing *island* made up of the tall Red Maple (to the left), scrubby trees and palmettos curved in a pleasing fashion to create a natural screen. It made the perfect natural divider between the new shaded Birdhouse Garden and the fire pit. All I had to do was deepen it on both sides with suitable plants which elevated the design in each area with depth and intensity.

July 8, 2014

July 8, 2014

I had three objectives prior to turning over my garden to the new owner.
1) To dig up all the plants on my long list and find suitable new homes for them.
2) To put any plants I didn't have room for at the time into grow pots for future planting.
3) To make cuttings of plants too large to move and/or plants I knew I would want more of later on.

July 11, 2014

We closed on the sale of the old house on July 9, 2014. I spent the entire last day in the garden. It was the final time to be in my own garden. I started very early and didn't stop until dark. It meant the world to me to be there one last time without interruption. I can tell you, it was a most memorable day of gardening.  It was the day I checked off the last of the 3 page legal sheet of plants and cuttings. I felt quite satisfied about what I was able to transfer to this new garden.

July 18, 2014
The angle looking directly south. The large banana trees in the background belong to my south neighbor. It's nice for me that both properties flow visually together nicely.

The new shade garden connects my south side into one continuous series of varying sized planting beds. There's a large area at the SE corner that is full with overgrown vines, ferns and weeds. I've not been able to do anything there yet. Eventually it will become another shade garden. Lots of work still to do in that far-back section (it's beyond the fire pit).

July 20, 2014

If you look to the top left of the above photo you might notice there is mulch where the other photos still have grass.  I'll update on that later as well.

July 25, 2014

The view from our open deck has changed quite a bit. We've already removed a lot of grass and replaced it with winding pathways and suitable plants, grasses and shrubs.

August 17, 2014

It's been an insanely busy summer of change! The difference in the way I feel about this garden now and the way I felt on June 1 has completely changed. I'm not gonna lie. It's still hard to think about my old garden and to realize it isn't mine anymore. But it's a lot less hard each day. I'm still finding the blessings at every turn. This garden is feeling more and more like it's mine and more and more like I belong here.

Sometimes the opportunity for change sneaks up on you. That's when we have to decide how we will respond.

"We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don't have something better." ~ C. JoyBell C.

Happy gardening,
Meems

****
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Let's Not Spend Any Money on the Garden

Mr. Meems and I agreed at the start (April 2013 when we bought the new-to-us house) that we probably shouldn't spend any money on the new garden. It made no sense to dump too much energy or cash into a yard that was quite acceptable just like it was. We were looking at it as more of an investment property than like it was our own home. The plan was to resell it as soon as possible. Besides that, I was very preoccupied with plans for renovation ( of both houses), packing to move and actually caring for my own garden. If you missed the story about why we bought the house next door you can catch up on that here.

Trees in the back yard with big gaps for lots of full sun plants.

That said it's important to note that this new yard has really great bones. After all it is as old as my previous garden and has undergone many years of change and evolution. The front yard has wonderfully mature live oaks and a couple of pine trees. The back has different trees. Different from what I've been used to in my old garden. I think I've identified them as Red Bays and Swamp Bays and yes, there are a couple of oaks in the back corner. There are several planting beds throughout the yard. Most are fairly large.

The back yard just before we purchased it... camera pointing west. 

The ones in the back are rather awkwardly shaped and stretch horizontally across at least 2/3rds the width (about 100') of the back yard. One end of the sunniest bed (maybe a 5th of it) had some existing perennials (plumbago, lantana, and Mexican petunia) that were literally covered with that awful (invasive) skunk vine and the rest of the bed was completely empty. Empty. Are you kidding me? Now you tell me. Who in their right mind would expect me to live in a house with a large empty planting bed and leave it that way. Even in a temporary house. I don't think so.

Maybe this will help explain. The back yard just before we purchased it... camera pointing west. 

I didn't do much in this new yard from April 2013 (when we bought the new house) until September 2013 aside from lame attempts at controlling weeds. Sometime last summer (2013) I had the lawn man trim all the existing overgrown-with-weedy-vine plants in that back sunny bed (you can see them in the left side of the photo) to the ground. They were so overgrown with skunk vine that you could barely see or identify the plants. I just thought I'd take my chances. It was a survival test. If it survived I'd work with it. If it didn't ... oh, well.  I was able at that point to start pulling the skunk vine out at the root and then stayed on top of it to eliminate it. Well, at least it is under control finally. We will never be rid of it. The plumbago has been slow to return, but finally looks healthy again. I ripped out the lantana and Mexican petunia even though it keeps trying to come back. I ripped out the dying roses in those awkward brick planters except for one healthy Knockout rose that was planted as a memorial to the previous owner's deceased wife. I've kept it trimmed and fertilized in honor of her.

Same awkward shaped planting bed with photo taken from the side ... camera pointing south. September 2013.

Last September (2013) I started spending a little bit of time in this garden. I decided to plant a few plants in that large, mostly empty bed. In keeping with our decision not to spend money on it, the few things I did plant came from divisions or transplants either from my own garden or some from the new garden. I made stabs here and there at minor improvements to this yard. Really minor. For instance, one of the first changes I made here involved discovering a big batch of chartreuse bromeliads overgrown and hidden under an Azalea shrub in the back.  I pulled them up, separated them and more or less plopped them in some containers (found those hiding in some bushes also) and also spread them around in an empty front bed under a big pine tree.

Indian Hawthorn Standard 'Majestic Beauty' struggled in my garden due to lack of sunshine so I decided to donate them (two) to the new garden. Photo September 2013.

Then gradually I started digging up plants from my garden. There were those that were not getting enough sunshine in my garden like two Indian Hawthorn 'Majestic Beauty' standards and a cuphea (Cigar plant or firecracker plant) I moved to the new garden. The back garden faces east and stays sunny almost all day. Yikes. So-very-different from my previous garden that is mostly shaded by huge oak trees.

Camera pointing south on the second mostly sunny bed that parallels the first one I showed you.

The next step was to move some native ad ornamental Florida-Friendly grasses over to fill in the big center space of both sunny gardens.

20 yards of free mulch delivered in January 2014. It helped toward mulching both yards.

I mulched as I went along from the giant free pile a tree service delivered. Gradually, I added some flowering plants from my own cuttings of Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' and Pentas. The butterflies were following me from my garden to this one and that was inspiring me onward.

The new planting bed I made behind the open deck. Caladium bulbs were given to me also from Classic Caladium.

That's how it all started. We weren't going to spend money on this garden. We physically moved into this house mid-November 2013 but only moved the furniture and what we needed in a temporary home. Ha!

Once January's inspiring cool weather rolled around, I broke with our agreement not to add any new beds and I added ONE. Just one. And it was small. The area around the newly re-built deck was begging for some continuity. You know, for resell purposes. I spent money on some potting soil after the grass was dug out, but the plants I installed were again cuttings or transplants.

This is a current photo of the awkward sunny bed. I've enlarged it to create a better flow. More details on this to come.

The challenge to enhance a garden without spending any money became a motivator. It was fun. I would see a plant when out shopping at a garden center and I'd have to remind myself that I wasn't going to spend any money. It caused me to 'shop the garden'. I looked around at the new garden, thought about what I might need to add that wouldn't cause me or a buyer too much work, then I'd go dig up something from my garden to transplant. Or I'd go dig up a plant like bulbine and separate one plant into 10 for edging. (Example is in the new bed behind the deck photo above.)

It's amazing how fast a garden can change with a little bit of attention. When we signed the contract to sell our original home and garden and stay here on June 1 I went into high-gear to make this garden my own. I'm excited about the progress and about having some sunny areas to play with. I've lots of before and after photos to share in future posts... so stay tuned.

By the way, I just made my first purchases for this garden THIS week. Until now I really didn't spend any money of the garden (except for that one tiny departure I mentioned earlier).


Happy gardening,
Meems

****
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Finding the Blessings

Often in life you have to look for blessings. Especially in sadness or loss or hurt. With an open heart and a big dose of gratitude, the blessings can be found even in the most difficult times. I'm finding the blessings in leaving my beloved garden behind and starting all over.

Front walkway that leads to front door.

The couple who lived in our (new-to-us) house/garden previous to us were original owners. They had lived here for even longer than the 30 years we lived in our previous home (the one next door). If you missed the back story and want to catch up on why we moved to the house next door, you can read about it here.

Street view to the house.

The husband ended up selling us the house as a widower. He had remained here alone for 6 years after his gardener-wife (and my dear friend) had passed. He did his best to keep up with basic maintenance, but gardening wasn't his passion like it was hers.

Side view of front street side (all those tall shrubs in the far background are in my *old garden*)

In the garden there are a couple of Old Shrub Roses that I've admired for many years. There is a prominent Knockout Rose that was planted by her sister as a memorial to her after her passing. Scattered here and there are many other suitable plants and established perennials.... liriope, Agapanthus, bromeliads, society garlic, Cordylines, a perennial peanut patch, peacock gingers, and a few extremely old Caladiums that have survived despite the gardener's absence. Azaleas galore, mature Camellias and a large stand of Indian Hawthorn are the notable shrubs. Mostly it's fabulous trees and woody shrubs that provide the structural elements for the yard.

Palmettos and a lot of overgrown Cordylines in the back garden.

There is also quite a bit of lawn weaving around the existing planting beds. Quite a lot of lawn actually (updates to come on my progress of removing portions of it already). Native saw palmettos (Serenoa repens) cluster among the oak trees in the front and among other random trees in the back to fill in parts of the understory. My original garden had lots of  palmettos beneath the oaks. I dearly love them. There is no mistaking that palmettos say "Florida". I'm so happy and blessed this property has them!

A view of the back deck looking out to the back garden (the banana trees belong to my neighbor).

There's a lot more to this new property than just the simple sale of a home and a switcheroo from our house to this one. As I've mentioned, the wife who passed seven years ago (this week marks that anniversary) was an amazing woman. Claudia was gentle, kind and very talented.  She and I often took long walks together and we shared our favorite recipes and life's ups and downs along the way.  I wrote a tribute to her in the earliest days of this blog. You can read it and see photos of her garden at the time (my garden now) here. In that post I shared a photo of the pink impatiens she planted to make the bed next to the driveway a pretty vision for passers by. In turned out to be the last time she'd add her beautiful gift of gardening to her front garden. I'll be forever blessed the ways Claudia touched my life.

Pink 'Party Punch' and 'Pink Splash' Caladiums in memory of my late neighbor and previous owner of this house.

This past spring when Classic Caladiums sent me a batch of Caladium bulbs to plant, they included some *pink* varieties. I didn't have to think long about where to plant them.  Claudia died of breast cancer after a long fought battle. She seemed to be fond of pink in the garden and often planted the bed by the driveway with *pink* annuals. In her honor and as a memorial to her I clumped 'Pink Splash' and 'Party Punch' Caladiums in the same planter by the driveway this spring. At the time I planted them, I never gave it a thought that it would end up being my pretty pink planting permanently. (Oh, say that fast three times. lol) I'm blessed with the surprise that pink Caladiums will remain mine and with the memories of Claudia.

Our new house from the driveway

Claudia and her husband designed this custom built home to resemble a cabin in the mountains. Their plan was to someday retire to North Carolina. Sadly they weren't able to fulfill that dream, but she had this house to inspire her and it kept that hope alive for her while she was here. For me, this style of home is closer to my dream (than the ranch style house next door) of someday living in a Craftsman style bungalow. I'm blessed to experience a change of home styles.

My birdhouses had to find a new home in the new garden too.

I imagine Claudia is smiling from heaven knowing I'm living here now and tending the very same soil she loved and nurtured for many beautiful years. Even though my heart still hurts a little for having to leave my garden behind, it's quite an honor and a blessing to follow in her footsteps. She was a gardening mentor to me when we first became neighbors those many years ago. I'm blessed and I'm finding more and more blessings in this new journey each day.

I appreciate each of you coming along with me on this adventure of making this new garden mine. More to come highlighting the changes I've already made.

Happy gardening,
Meems

****
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A Proper Farewell

Water feature in the Circle Garden. Photo taken July 14, 2014

We handed over the keys of our home (and garden) to the new owners this past Monday morning. Since the day we signed the contract to sell it on June 1st, I thought I should remember to take a lot of photos of the garden before we left. It turns out I didn't take as many as I wanted nor as often as I wanted.

A slice of the front summer garden. Photo taken July 14, 2014

As life goes, I was extremely busy. Not only was I moving my garden, but even though we initially moved next door in November 2013 we had left quite a large amount of our household belongings behind. It was supposed to be a temporary move. I thought it was wise to move only what we needed for every day living.

Transition from side-yard edible garden to back garden. Photo taken July 14, 2014

Wow. Have you ever had to move after living in the same house for 30 years? I don't recommend it. It is a monumental undertaking. There was a small glitch with the buyer's arrangements along the way or we would have closed the deal in just 30 days. Was I ever relieved when we were given a couple of extra weeks of time. All of this probably doesn't make much sense to you if you missed the story about why we moved and how we bought the house next door.  You can catch up on that story here.

Edible garden opens up to the back garden. Photo taken July 14, 2014

As soon as we signed the contract to sell our home I began moving plants from my garden to my new garden. But I didn't want to move all my garden accessories until I was certain the buyers had all their ducks in a row. Once we got the final word that their financing had been approved I felt it was safe to start moving my birdhouses, bird baths, bird feeders, seating, containers, wind chimes, and all of the other accoutrements I used as focal points in my garden.

Rounding the bend into the open back garden. Photo taken July 14, 2014

I made a list 3 legal sheets long of plants I wanted to dig up or take cuttings from before we closed. Don't worry. There are plenty left for the new owners. Turns out the thinning job I did was actually good for the garden. They have more than enough to keep them busy.

A look to the Circle Garden which then takes you to the Tropical Garden and Butterfly Gardens.
Photo taken July 14, 2014

After spending so many years nurturing and building my garden one planting bed at a time it seems only fitting to have one last look at it here with some final parting shots. There are hours and hours of sweat equity in this garden.

Front Garden. Photo taken July 14, 2014

It's hard to believe this 1/2 acre+ garden began as almost all lawn when we started. In the back garden I planted every tree (except 2) and every single shrub and  plant with my very own calloused hands. All of them began from small sizes, including the trees. I rarely buy anything over 3gal size and those are few and far between. More often than not I'm looking around my own garden to see what I can divide and transplant. So many of my plants came from friends and neighbors. 

A view from the back open patio. Photo taken July 13, 2014

My style evolved from a well-manicured lawn to a more naturalistic design combining lots of native plants with Florida-Friendly choices. I was able to spend some serious gardening time during the past 15 years, which is when the major transformation began. I dug out most of the grass the hard way ~ with a shovel~ to eliminate lawn and to create beds and pathways. Eventually I learned how to layer paper or cardboard and top it off with either good soil for planting or mulch for pathways.

The landing for the fire pit area and a sweeping border of Caladiums mixed with perennials. Photo taken July 14, 2014

Truck load after truck load of mulch was purchased every season and distributed by way of carting my trusty wheelbarrow around to shrubs and plants. Over the years I've hauled hundreds of pounds of rocks, stones and gravel for various projects. Using my own compost I amended the beds seasonally and regularly scattered grass clippings and shredded leaves directly into them to increase the organic structure of the soil. I cultivated my first ever edible garden and incorporated annuals and perennials to draw in beneficial insects. The more I learned I decided to eliminate the use of pesticides and learned to garden organically.  A peaceful garden filled with wildlife and butterflies was the result.

Back garden view. Photo taken July 14, 2014

I love to do all of it. As I'm sure you understand or you wouldn't be here reading this. Gardening is part of who I am. It's second nature to me. I actually love the design side of gardening and helping others to learn and to achieve beyond what they think they can. I'm also passionate about the maintenance side of gardening. Picking weeds, pruning, watering, seasonal chores and keeping up with every little part of my garden all year long. Honestly, I wouldn't want to garden anywhere else but Florida. I'd never want an entire season (or two) when it wasn't possible to garden due to weather conditions that prevent outdoor activity.

Back garden view. Photo taken July 14, 2014

I would be lying if I said the transition of moving from my house and garden has been easy emotionally. Leaving my mature garden right at the point when I felt like it had finally come to the stage of full development has been extremely heart wrenching. It was fiscally prudent for us to sell our home so I have chosen to accept our decision with peace. Some moments over the last 6 weeks have been harder than others. It takes time to process this kind of loss. There are times when I'm caught off guard by sadness and then I come full circle back to reason and my heart calms. Only the grace of God has given me the strength to do it. It has been an intense period of time emotionally and physically.

Back garden view. Photo taken July 14, 2014

All that said, I can also say I have gradually embraced the challenges of starting over and creating a new garden. (I'll be sharing more about what I've done so far in the new garden in another blog.) But I can tell you that rather than shrinking from the hard work (like I first felt like doing) it has invigorated me. Design ideas and project ideas have kicked into overdrive. Of course it will all take time... don't we all know patience is key for any gardener.

If you missed seeing it on my Hoe and Shovel Facebook page, you can watch this brief video I filmed of the back garden the last morning I was there.

Front garden view. Photo taken July 14, 2014

I plan to help my new neighbors to the extent they want or need. I'm sure I'll get to be in the gardens I created in the future. In my new role and capacity as neighbor and helper it will be very different.

Tropical garden view. Photo taken July 14, 2014

Life is full of surprises and lessons to learn. I can't say that I have all the lessons in this rather surprising move figured out, but I'm confident they will be revealed to me as I continue to count my blessings.  I've said my proper farewells to the old garden. Now I'm looking ahead with great anticipation to a brand new garden and whatever the future holds in our new home. AND you can follow along as I continue to blog about the progress at Hoe and Shovel.

Happy gardening, Friends, and thank you for being a valuable part of this journey!
Meems

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