After fifteen years of fighting a clay rich and rock filled (non) soil, I have a new yard, with real dirt. Dark, rich dirt that will surely yield an abundance of life. I cannot express how exciting this is for me.
Already planning the variety of edibles and ornamentals to put in, the real excitement is to see what is already here. My new home is well over a century old and there have been many hands tending this soil over the years. I have only vague memories of what was once growing here but locals have filled me in on recent decades. I am excited to see what volunteers in the coming weeks and I go from there. It could be just about anything.
An old friend has already invited me to help he thin her Hostas in the spring, which I will gladly do. I am sure to find a shady place at the base of the maples for a few to call home.
Having been here several weeks already, Romey and I have already found a few treasures and certainly an oddity or two.
Moved the trash can to find some lovely yellow buds popping from the warmer soil beneath the can. Not what I expected for a cool January morning.
I can only guess- Surprise Lillies? Time will surely tell.
There are three stumps in the yard. One is more than twenty inches tall, about thirty inches in circumference, and rotted. Covered in mushrooms that the squirrels love, I really don’t want to be rid of it. This spring I plan to pack the rotten center with soil, throw a few seeds in and see what happens. I think it would be an awesome place to grow something that vines like pumpkins, squash, or cukes, but I am afraid the squirrels will really enjoy that more that I will ever get to.
One of the other stumps is close to the house and right near my office window. With a base about the size of a small dinner plate it looks as though it was a mature Holly Bush.
I was thinking, what a shame, until I looked closer.
Looks like the birds will be eating berries again soon. More than a dozen sprouts are popping from the base. Nature wins.
A close family friend lived in this home several years ago. She asked if the rose bush she had planted was still here. I told her not only was it here, it was going to be beautiful this year.
I look forward to watching this place come to life in the coming weeks. If I am seeing all of this in the dead of winter, well, I just can’t wait!
And while I miss seeing the sunsets over the lake back in Missouri, you really can’t beat some of the sunsets I get here.
The cotton candy looking skies get me every time.