Do I ever sleep? Yes.
Should I be sleeping instead of writing a blog? Most definitely.
Do I want to sleep? Absolutely.
Can I sleep? No, clearly not.
If anyone tries to tell you that gardening is a leisurely activity, call them out on their bullshit! It is backbreaking, aching and painful work if you do it properly, and have a huge garden that needs a facelift. Who needs a gym when you can work out in the garden, with fresh air, sunshine and the sound of birds and cats as your background sounds effects?! Before we began with Project Magical Garden, the first question I was asked, am I here for the long term? Yes. Because all the blood, sweat and tears to be invested in this project will take over a year for the first stages, and it is not to be taken lightly. Gardening is a calling, a conscious choice and commitment that you cannot turn your back on, and with the magnitude of this particular project, there has to be a higher and more profound driving force.
My hands, knees and back are aching like they have not done so in a long time. For someone with torn knee ligaments and lumbar problems (the reasons I had to give up running and martial arts). I sure chose one hell of an activity at this stage in my life! But, it is incredibly therapeutic to go out into the garden after a long day’s work at the desk and pour out all the pent up energy into pulling those darn overgrown plants!
Stage II of the garden transformation was underway from Thursday to Saturday, with a more dramatic result. The main vegetable beds and terraces have been carved out and sowed. If you recall, the first level vegetable bed looked like this:
This time around, Vendy focused on the next three terraces. Here is the before and after look (please click on the individual images to get the full picture):
Essentially what happened is that this wild area was transformed into three tiers, two of which have been sowed, and and the third will be in a couple of weeks once the raised beds are repaired.
The open sitting area which I have now declared as the Celtic living room looks like this:
Vendy is the Vegetable Bed Overlord and I don’t question or meddle with the process. The mastery with which she works is beyond reproach and I couldn’t have found a better partner for this project! The woman is fearless, even when it comes to sawing off tree branches, which usually entails climbing the tree. My personal project is the creation of a sensory and meditative path to key markers in the garden. Clearing the sea of nasturtiums is one hell of an undertaking, but in doing so, gorgeous patches of calla lilies and periwinkles have been freed up. Thus far the humble little path goes from the stone steps to the orange tree, cherry , elderberry tree and back. It is still in the development stages and a lot more cleaning and clearing has to be done, but the path is taking shape.
The cats have definitely taken to the transformation, and now I find myself in the wonderful company of butterflies, birds, cats, fresh air, and sunshine. Could I want for anything more? So in the spirit of homesteading and healthy living, I also baked bread and this evening, concocted three new batches of essential oil mixes – for shoulder and knee pain relief and hand arthritis! The neighbours have taken cognisance of the developments in the garden and are curious to see where this is all leading. Frankly, so am I!
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