Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The big clean up


My parents were over for Easter dinner on Sunday and they took one look at the backyard I'd been working on so hard the day before and I think my mom wanted to get her hands on it immediately.

It's OK, I can admit it: it was a garbage dump. My contractor, although obligated by his contract to clean it up, had left it a wasteland (described in my last post).

So my mom, always wanting to be useful and productive, told me she was coming back on her day off (Tuesday) to continue with my clean-up efforts. I felt bad about that: why should my MOM have to clean up my crappy back yard? But she insisted that she really wanted to do it. And at the last minute my dad found out that he had the day off too and joined her.

By the time I returned home after work yesterday, they had JUST finished picking up the last of the trash, placing my patio stones straight and level. My dad had started regrading the soil and my garden had a stone border on it.

I can't believe the transformation!

I had been so overwhelmed by all the crap back there. I thought it would never look like a place you'd want to hang out. And then this.

Now I can see it all unfolding. I can see that winding gravel or flagstone path back to my gate. I can see my patio set right near my BBQ on the deck. I can imagine that one day, there will be some shade-tolerant low-growing shrubs on the south side and bright, cheery blooms on the north. It will happen. I will one day serve dinner back there and not be embarrassed.

It's a long road ahead, but at least the path has been cleared for this garden-in-the-rough!
Praise to awesome parents!

And check out my bookmarks on planning my garden -- feel free to suggest other good articles.

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