And just like that, we are back from vacation and slowly adjusting back to east coast time. It was a great trip with memories that will stick in Markowski lore, plus the realization that we like California … like a lot. Just knowing I could grown my own avocados is enough to push us all there at some point in the future.
The weather wasn’t so bad either.
Returning home to the garden after a long absence is always a bag of mixed emotions. It’s exciting to see progress and exciting to see what is newly blooming. At the same time, the weeds could dramatically expand without fear of eradication and I know that will set me back in my journey to create the perfect garden.
That last statement was sarcastic, FYI.
But what was more surprising than anything else was one emotion that stood above all else. One emotion I never anticipated upon our return. An emotion I don’t typically associate with the garden. But it was and is still here days later.
BOREDOM.
I need a change. Scratch that, I need many changes.
I need new and different. I’m bored with all that I’ve created and madly attempted to curate all these years.
I don’t like the feeling but I can’t deny it.
I have no time to implement these changes. And it wouldn’t be wise to start moving plants around during the dog days of summer. They wouldn’t be happy.
So I’m taking deep breaths and assessing the potential changes. I’m aware (finally) that my plant palette is somewhat limited based on my conditions, but oddly enough, I’m not looking to add new plants as much as I’m desiring a new look with my existing plants.
So maybe it’s a series of tweaks that I desire more than anything else. When I say that out loud it doesn’t feel as intimidating. It says “a little at a time”. It doesn’t erase all the blood and sweat I’ve poured in all these years.
A SERIES OF TWEAKS
I like that. I’m going to roll with it. I think I addressed my issue on the fly as I wrote this post.
Thanks for listening.
Boredom, eh? Then your vacation did it’s job. They’re great for changing one’s perspective. From my perspective, your garden looks very, very beautiful. Nice photos. While going through some of your archived posts, in one of them someone mentioned a pergola. I envisioned a long-ish, curved pergola with twining vines/climbing roses to the left of your house which greets a visitor at the end of your driveway. Tweaks, you say? I laugh at your tweaks!
can you delete this? thanks.
Jane – A pergola has been on the “to-do/want” list for so long and I just need to pull the trigger. It’s either that or grow a vine up the basketball pole and I don’t think my kids will appreciate that. Love TPB reference by the way. You nailed it.
Boredom, eh? Then your vacation did it’s job. They’re great for changing one’s perspective. From my perspective, your garden looks very, very beautiful. Nice photos. While going through some of your archived posts, in one of them someone mentioned a pergola. Thus I envisioned a long-ish, curved pergola with twining vines/climbing roses to the left of your house which greets a visitor at the end of your driveway. Tweaks, you say? I laugh at your tweaks! . . . (ala Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride)
Looks good to me
Thanks Raymond. I only showed you the “good” parts.
A series of tweaks? Isn’t that what gardening is all about?
It is Jan and yet my thick skull still struggles to comprehend that. Ha.
When is a garden ever done? And really, how horrifying that would be to a true gardener! There are gardeners, and then there are homeowners who want to “set it and forget it.” You know it when you see it: the polite, bland police line-up of the usual suspects, something in front of the house that you don’t have to fuss with. I don’t know how long you were on vacation, but I am always shocked to see how much difference I see in a mere 7 days when we are in NH each June!
Susan – we were gone for 8 days and four days prior to that so it was a massive wave of growth which was great and really filled in some of the barer spots. And the day the garden is done, is the day that I blow it all up and start again.
Enjoyed my longest vacation ever this summer. 18 days. It was 96 degrees with intermittent rain and lots of humidity the whole time I was gone. When I got home, everything was so massive, I could hardly recognize my own garden. There were weeds everywhere–as tall as corn! I weeded for 9 hours straight. I got about 40% of the weeds. I can relate to your homecoming. It was wonderful and horrifying.
I’m also obsessed with mentally re-arranging my plants and keep lists and ideas on a spread sheet so that I don’t forget them when it’s too hot (or too cold) to move things around. Fun times!
Bill – 9 hours of weeding is insane! Did the back hold up ok? We are scarily the same and happy to know you too use a spreadsheet. Here’s to the obsession!
Addressing BOREDOM … how about sneaking a couple of Marijuana plants within your garden? TWEAKING a little pot into your gardening will definitely perk you up.
Maybe plant some MARIGOLDS, one of my favorites.
Grow SUNFLOWER plants. The family will love the seeds. I know I do.
Grow a GREEN APPLE tree like the one our Pop had. It was fun to throw them at people :)o)
As long as you tell the authorities that it was your idea then I’ll do it. I still laugh about those green apples. Never ate one but hit plenty with the wiffle ball bat. Ha.
Color. Texture. Variety. You’ve got em all. But yeah, it’s fun to mix things up.
Thanks Chuck!
Wow! Things have really grown. If there are weeds they don’t show. With all the flowers blooming and the grasses getting bigger it is really beautiful.
Oh the weeds are there Kay. I just couldn’t bring myself to share them with you all. At least not yet.