What I have been up to

Over 5 years ago. Tim and I built a little greenhouse. 

As is my nature, I started stacking stones on the west side of it for a flowerbed. 

In the intervening years, I did not keep up with it because we were building a house, and Tim got sick. A lot of upheaval there. Nature started taking that little space back. 

Yesterday, I started work on it. I weed whacked. We have blades on the weedeater so it does a good job on the tangley overgrowth. When I chopped back to the stone wall, I was able to kneel and begin sorting out the mess inside. I was happy to find a nice patch of aquilegia/columbine and it reminded me so much of Weaver. I miss her voice.

I dug on. Tiger lily. Spearmint. I am going to replant wild flower there. 

I had a meeting at 5:30, so I only got halfway done, but before I headed back to the house, I decided to give a quick weeding to the front of the greenhouse. I was shocked to see a hydrangea stubbornly doing battle with the tall weeds. 

I'd seen that struggling little plant in the store years back and it reminded me of my old friend who died of brain cancer close to 20 years ago now (how is that even possible?!!)  I got it. Planted it. It promptly died. I chalked up as one of my poor plants that did not make it. While I may have given up, that little plant did not, and yesterday I found it. I was so pleased at that little miracle!

There is something very grounding about weeding and sweating and thinking about other people and other times, even if it is hotter than hades. It was a sweet afternoon and I really enjoyed my quiet time.

My nephew made me a bottle tree and delivered it when he came off his hill on Sunday. That was something else I did yesterday. I transplanted some established morning glory vines at the base of it. The vines will climb the trunk and spread across the branches. Maybe not this year, but we will see. 

Yesterday, those vines looked wilted and unhappy. Today, a series of thunderstorms are rattling through. Between downpours, I snuck out to take a peek. Things look a lot more hopeful today.

Step by step.