Tuesday, January 27, 2015

In The Garden, part 1

I haven't posted much in the last year. There was a solid reason, and that was The Garden.

We speak of it in Those Tones still, even now. 
Thing One & Thing Two are pining for it, as am I. We spent our summer in it. We're still dining on its bounty. And like many things, it started out...well, ugly. Let's see just HOW ugly...


before picture

This was our yard.



Not very pretty. Our caliche soil is inhospitable to the grasses our predecessor had planted- at least, without major chemical propping-up. And we've refused to do that for the past few years. 
So we had this.

before pic

This was the wood pile left over when a microburst mini-tornado took out our trees. And the clothesline and greenhouse. (Ugh.)


The greenhouse (disused), and the pallet pile. It was just a heap of...um, potential? 



The first pallet fence that the Mister built. Although you can't see it well, this is actually a quite-functional raspberry patch...but in March of 2013, it had anything BUT promise.


Side of the house. More piled wood. And more crappy weeds.


Other side of the AC unit. 


The long view of that side-yard.


This is where treads from track machines came to live. I had them brought in, from my work. And the tan things are cardboard. Lots and lots of cardboard.
(You'll see why in later posts!) 


More of 'em. (There was a method to my madness. Honest.)


Aaaand finally, a view down the other side of the yard, by the patio. 

Yuck, huh?

This didn't start out "nice", or perfect. It hadn't been for a long time, but we refused to use toxic weed killers, pesticides, or any of that, and last year, the soil started really coming to life again. And frankly, we couldn't afford to do anything much about things for a long time- we'd been a one-income household for a number of years. But things changed. 
Once we saw that the earthworms were back, along with all of the other critters that should have been there, well...we went for it. And it didn't cost us much at all, except some sweat equity.

I'd like to invite you to see our journey in The Garden. I promise, it'll be worth the trip. 

~

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