One of the things we love about the Northeast is the seasons. And one of the things we hate about the Northeast is the seasons. Putting them away and taking them out: the lawn furniture, the machinery, the plants, the rain barrel.
Autumn has its colors and pumpkins and apple pie. Winter, with its beautiful snow makes one appreciate spring. Spring is delightful, watching the snowdrops blossom and the daffodils and tulips poking through; the Robins and the Crows and the Mockingbirds making noise.
They don't seem to have many chores to do - unlike us humans, who spend inordinate amounts of time putting summer away and dragging it all out again.
Like hauling the cactus plants out to the rock garden. I spent two days cleaning out the debris of winter, re-arranging rocks, and putting out the cactuses (my spell checker allowed this one). Sometimes I wonder why I keep these prickly creatures - though the collection is smaller than it used to be. I've tried selling them; I've tried donating them. I think they'd make a nice display at some Mexican restaurant or museum greenhouse. But I can't seem to just let them freeze to death.
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Each rock was gathered from (or near) our property and lifted, hauled,
or wheel-barrowed, and placed by hand. |
The garden has been Roto-tilled and half the fencing is in place. The stone wall needs some remodeling and vegetable planting is still a few weeks away.
But today we are in a real chill - bone chilling damp like November. I think we have 12 seasons in New England: Spring Equinox, Little More Winter, Spring, Hot, Real Spring, Rain, Summer, Autumn, Indian Summer, Winter, Real Winter, and More Really Real Winter.
8 comments:
A charming little garden. And lots and lots of work hauling those rocks, you should get a medal for that.
Mockingbirds that far north? Who knew? State bird of TX and half a dozen other states down here.
You do beautiful work. I enjoy my garden so much that I have even thought that if I could do it over again I would have become a landscape architect instead of a lowly language college professor.
I think the plural for cactus is cacti...
saludos,
raulito
According to wikipedia: In Connecticut, three species [of Mockingbirds/thrashers] have been recorded [including the] Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglots. But our state bird is the robin.
Sisyphus got no medals, neither will I.
Raulito, I work with what I have available - lousy soil, lots of rocks and compost of leaves and kitchen scraps. I beg, borrow and dig up plants for the garden. Most of my "cacti" (I still like to say cactuses) are from cuttings.
I'm not sure I could have done this for a living - though I'd love to have the budget for some nice exotic plantings, a thick layer of top soil and real grass ... and some slate for the patio and a new retaining wall by the driveway...and...
Very nice.
The garden looks beautiful. It makes me miss those Northeast seasons... Except that I really don't miss those Northeast seasons.
Where in Connecticut are you? We lived in Guilford for years.
We are on the other side of the tracks so to speak. We have a toe (.2 acres) planted in "Litchfield County" but reside (2.5 acres) in Hartford County, North East of Waterbury. It is a blue collar/semi-rural, semi-suburban area with the only claims to fame being Otis Elevator and ESPN. We've lived in Bristol for only the past 11 years. Ugh! Bristol, England, it's not!
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