North and South Sides…
I’ve mentioned my incredible mom before but I’m not sure I shared that I “gave” her the front of the house to landscape. The house is only a couple of steps from the sidewalk and road and faces North. I have plans for the stoop and steps (painting them) but haven’t even been thinking about the rest of the area. My mom has, and this past week arrived with plans and plants. As always, she did an amazing job, alongside my nephew and his girlfriend. What I like about it, besides the fact it’s one less thing for me to worry about in my first summer here, is that it will be colourful for summer and only requires watering. She “stole” one of the planters I had already planted and placed it on the stoop and I know it’s going to look amazing once the stoop and steps are painted. I have other plans for the front which involve the door but that’s for later.
Previous owners used red mulch on the flower beds surrounding the house, except for the front where they laid gravel. With the house being a bright yellow with white trim, I’m not that fond of the choice of red. I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal to just replace it with black. Wow, did I mistake the level of effort required for replacing mulch! I had to remove the red, put down fresh topsoil, and then add on the black mulch. I was also mistaken in my estimate of how much mulch I would need! More bags will be required to finish around the house.
It took a while and I finally got all of the red mulch raked off the back, South facing flower bed. In the process, I was on my knees a lot as I weeded and thinned out some of the plants that had taken over. While digging, I discovered that the rock border was built on top of another rock border. Since I really wanted to clean the bed up, I took the time to dig up both borders. I created a new border and used the large tree trunk in the garden; instead of building the flower bed around it, I used it as the edge of the border. I’ve added three rose plants - one’s a climber, one’s a transplant from the gate area (so we’ll see how it turns out), and the other is a bush. There are lots of mature plants in the bed already and I’m looking forward to learning about them as they bloom and grow. There are also hydrangeas. I love hydrangeas and added one in myself. I think of roses as elegant beauty and hydrangeas as the epitome of summertime; I hope they look good together. With a little luck and attention, my wish is they will continue to thrive now that their home is all cleaned up.
One thing this work reminded me is to listen to your body. My yoga instructor constantly sends that message to her students. Your body knows what it can do and what it’s not up for at any given time. As we get older, it can be difficult to accept that we may not be able to do as much on our own as we did years before. I know this is especially tough for me. I’m quite capable, as I always say. I have a bit of a back issue, though, and I can forget that too much lifting or time on my knees might be painful later. Remember: listen to your body! I did today and left one last part of a side flower bed for tomorrow. I’ll get it finished and then only have half of the outside of the house left!! LOL
The third element of cleaning that has taken place this week is the development of my new fence. I say development because it’s not quite done and has been an interesting process to watch. I hired someone for the work. In this case I did not know how to put in a fence and while I’m a good learner, I didn’t want to take the time necessary to learn and the time to do. Also, the young man whose company I have hired is starting out. It never hurts to trust someone as they are making their way in business. And finally, the area was a mess. Even if I had learned about fencing, the amount of work to take care of it? Yeesh - I’m still working full-time. I was not willing to invest that sort of extra effort myself.
The old fence is quite nice along one short side and a mess along the others. It wasn’t consistent in size (wire fencing that had big holes and littles holes) and it didn’t take the dog long to figure out what section to head to in order to escape. Ultimately I was hoping for a privacy fence. As I’ve said before, I prefer to sit out on my porch or swim in my pool (when I get it), without being viewed from the road. Unfortunately with the crazy increase in cost of lumber there was no way I could afford to put a privacy fence along the open side of my property. Instead, a line of cedars is being planted that hopefully will provide the same atmosphere. It’s taking some time but I think it’s going to look great when complete.
The last item I want to write about is how we feel when we go through changes. This house is a huge change for me in a year that has been full of lockdowns, changing rules, restrictions, and lack of connections. Give yourself permission to feel lousy sometimes. I know the last couple of weeks have had me wondering about this house. Is it ever going to feel like a home? Am I getting enough done to satisfy my needs? Can I live without the renos and still feel at home? [I know the lack of renos won’t last forever but with the pandemic, getting a contractor is no easy feat and I’ve already been delayed by a few months.] How do I make it okay? What can I do?
Some of the answers that have come to me over the last week:
look around and prioritize
what can I do on my own that will have the biggest impact now, with the current restrictions
keep moving forward
it’s okay to take a break but don’t stop dreaming
my plan for my upstairs bathroom changed after some input from a friend so I’m celebrating the fact that the reno hadn’t already started
use the resources that are available to you and that you can afford
take a chance on a new business - they want good reviews and I find, they put everything into the work to get those reviews
sometimes you can work out a deal with someone who just needs a few hours of work to make ends meet
make sure you use what you own
if you have personal touches around, it helps with the feeling of belonging
work on small projects instead of waiting for the reno to start
who knows when I’ll be able to get the kitchen done; in the meantime, I’ve been doing some painting of decor items and enhancing my china cabinet hardware
Our weather turned chilly this past week and I cannot wait for the warmth to return and truly signal the start of summer. I’m excited to start prepping my bedroom - the pieces needed to change its look have all arrived and I can’t wait to get it done and share!
Have a great week everyone!
Bottom right corner is from a couple of weeks ago. Bottom left is after my mother went to work on it. The plants have some growing to do but I know it won’t take long.
On the top left is the gnome my mom felt was perfect for that spot. Take a look at the top right - I can’t wait to get that changed!
Top and middle left show the inherited red mulch. Bottom right is the pile of rocks dug out from underneath the border!
The rest show the finished product with the black mulch and new border.
A few pictures of the mess that the fencing company is dealing with as they install a new fence and line of cedars. Doesn’t the bottom left have an inviting appeal about it?