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As some of you know, we are having some (more) garden work done in our entire front, sides and back garden! The first time around, the installation of the rock walls a couple of years ago just didn’t cut it for the needs of our garden. I’ve been trying to do my part and “Go Organic” for the entire garden, and it just wasn’t there until now. Not only was I afraid of any and all fertilizers, I wasn’t properly feeding my plants and this wasn’t a good thing. I went “natural” in the opposite direction by doing nothing except watering and hand-pulling weeds. That’s not what Organic gardening is. So, I’m still learning, but have really gotten the concept now and am well on my way to being a proper gardener.

Today held a MASSIVE installation of 25+ yards of homemade compost, a whopper of a huge bag of sterile compost for the existing flower/herb beds, 104 pine needle mulch bales and a Dingo and a very large caterpillar device. Not to mention the 5 people it took to get it all done today. The work isn’t quite finished, but it’s well on the way to completion. Even with 5 people, it’s hard to do that much shifting and scooping in 6 hours. I will post a final “after” shot so you can get the entire scope of what exactly has happened (if you even care! ).

I mentioned what they put in, but just listen to what they took out. They brought three massive landscape trucks, one being a literal dumpster size, and they hauled out two trucks of nasty, mucky clay and rocks… and a fence panel that just had to go! With the entry to our back garden now open, it feels so much more grand and more welcoming. It was past time to take down the barrier. It’s going to be really something special getting it to come to fruition over the next few years. This was a brilliant first step.

Marvin, the owner operator of Marvin’s Organic Gardens, was at the helm, followed by Ricky organizing all duties to be done. They worked splendidly well all together, a total of 5 people, and it truly seemed like they all respected each other, and the plants. They were all very careful not to disturb a newly made nest of a Robin on the fence post. Marvin drew it to everyone’s attention right as I told him. I watched in sadness all through the week building up to the work day, hoping she’d wait until after the digging and noise, but she laid her eggs and sat for two days and nights right before they got there. I do hope she returns and the two blue eggs hatch and fly away someday soon. I know she came back soon after they left. Perhaps she’s there now?

My first experience two years ago, with the “rock wall” project, I didn’t feel this way about the crew of the other landscape outfit at all. I almost felt I was just barely tolerated at my own house and felt I was intruding and not welcome if I came to see what was going on. But this time that wasn’t at all the case, thank goodness! Marvin and his crew are fabulous to work with on site. There’s never a wrong question and they actually want you to be happy. What a concept! I’ve been going to Marvin’s place (greenhouse/garden center) for many years now. I will continue to go back and promote them in any way possible. It’s not just about the work they do, it’s about what they plant along with it. Hope.

My “other parents”, also known to most people as in-laws (but I hate that term), Peter & Carol also had their garden done by Marvin last Fall. They are loving the spring flush of bulbs that Marvin and Ricky planted. Plus, all of their new plants are doing very well. Their Hellebores are spectacular!! Now, they will have a relatively maintenance-free garden full of life and color. It’s because of them that I learned of Marvin in the first place… a flier in the mail that Mummy Carol thought I might find useful. Boy did I!! I’ve never been so grateful for a flier in my life! Now, we all share a love of Marvin’s Organic Gardens. It’s the only place we’ll get plants from now on!

So, as they left for the day, I joyfully went out, wellies on feet, and began uncovering some of the little babies that were under their fresh mulch. The thing about the pine straw mulch is that it’s so easy to cover and uncover a plant without disturbing the plant itself. I’m loving it already! So, I’m winding around, plant to plant, making sure everything is ok. And, happily, everything is. War-N watched me from the kitchen window enjoying the joy I expressed as I tended to my babies. It has already given both of us so much joy and it isn’t even finished yet! Not one new plant has gone into the ground yet, but I feel that the garden has already benefited tenfold just from today alone. Things look greener, seem more alive and look much, much better. Step two with a few plants and re-seeding all grassy areas will follow within a week or so. I get to meet with Marvin again to decide final plant choices this week. That’s the ultra fun part. Plants!!

In the meantime, Marvin gave me a task list of things I need to do before they come back. Excellent!! One of those tasks is that I get to build another new rock wall in front of the house. I’m building it out of existing rocks that are around my trees and such. Turns out I wasn’t giving my trees enough of a “ring” around them for growth and water absorption. One of the many lessons I’m learning. So, I’m getting them away from the trees and building another raised bed for compost and new plants. When it’s all nice and done, it’ll just be grow, grow, GROW!! This has forced me to really clean out the garden and all that will remain will be … a Garden! No storage bits, extra wood pieces left strewn about, empty pots, messiness and the like. Only a nice, glorious, healthy green space full of life. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. A true garden.

It’s funny… as Marvin & co. were cleaning up, one of our neighbors had been watching the process. He is a very nice man that I’d waved to on occasion on our nightly walks. Very friendly guy. He was very interested in what they were doing and asked (rather forcefully, but nicely) that Marvin come to his house right after he was done here. So, Marvin did! He was dog tired, but off he went to help another potential customer. I do wonder what time he and Lily (the wonder-dog) finally got home?

So, this will be a good garden year for me. I’m constantly learning and constantly hungry for more information that I can learn about organic gardening and plants in general. I used to think I was too old to learn new things a few years ago. Turns out, I was just trying to learn the wrong things. If there’s no interest, there’s no learning. It just won’t happen. I never want to stop learning. That much, I know.

I shall report back again when the project is complete. There will be some grand photo “before & after” shots. It’s so amazing I can hardly believe it’s finally happening! Even War-N is excited to see the final product. Even at this at this stage, he’s so impressed!

And whether you garden or not, enjoy the great outdoors and all it has to offer. There’s something for everyone… somewhere.

Much love to all.

cb