Thursday, January 5, 2017

Keep it Small Sweetie

I wake before dawn a few days ago, thinking how the potager beds can be made larger.
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Planned since moving in 1.5 years ago, the potager has its location, and mission statement, easy to maintain, gorgeous to look at when I'm 80+.    Nothing drawn.  Nothing flagged.  Aka, the cheapest form of gardening or a highway to hell.  Me, the expert, still fighting Garden Ego.
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Wisdom thinks, How will I cover the ground during down time, pull weeds during the high season.  Keep deer, armadillo, possum, birds, away from my harvest?  Shrink, the potager went, properly sized.  Keep it small sweetie.  Already knew, Keep it simple sweetie.  How many more of those are there to learn?

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Pic, above, here.
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No wood edging for us.  Cobblestone.  I don't want to replace the wood.  Once & done, cobblestone.

 ...vegetable garden with walls...former owner of Ballard Designs:
Pic, above, here.
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Single layer of cobblestone, not my budget, above.

  :
Pic, above, here.
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Wise.  Incredibly wise, above.  Every inch easy to work.

 Portfolio garden 2 - Arne Maynard Garden Design:
Pic, above, here.
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Have seen my price point version of cages, above, lovely.  A delight seeing these, fully broughamed.

 cloches:
Pic, above, here.
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Cloches have been waiting since moving in.  A few are atop a bookcase in my office.  Their sound, fingertips trilling atop a table.

 chicken wire "greenhouse" to keep out birds, deer and rabbits Projects X 2: The Berry Barn:
Pic, above, here.
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Hope I don't have to resort to this, above.  A friend has 2, both made by her son, they're gorgeous,  shaped like a traditional single room school house/church.  And, made of rebar.  Love it when girlfriend don't play !
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Who was that person thinking of a large potager?  Keep it small sweetie.  A first, thinking that.  Won't be the last.
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Garden & Be Well,   XO T
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"To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden."  Seneca, Hercules Oetaeus, 231-232.
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Bless that wiser voice.  When a client goes big, Beloved is not afraid to say, Build your own prison.  They don't get it at first.  Time passes, they all mention it to him later.  They understand.
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Designing landscapes, my job is more about what to say 'No' to.  Realized that decades ago.
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Most homes have a builder installed landscape, with rare exception, that misfortune is kept for decades thru myriad owners.    

2 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

'Keep it small, keep it simple'. Great advice.

Since losing my dear husband 4 years ago and as I keep aging, I must garden smaller and simpler to keep my sanity and for my health. Before he left this planet, before he was even sick, he told me to not plant any more gardens. What? No more garden areas? But I now understand why. They can become too much work, too much worry, especially to handle on my own.

I happened to see a quote in your sidebar for the first time today and it is this "Gardens are a moat of grace around our life & home." Ah yes.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, the photos of wonderful gardens and so much more.

Have a wonderful 2017 ~ FlowerLady

La Contessa said...

ALL The ABOVE LOOK GOOD TO ME!
I sent you a XMAS CARD it came back to me..............
HAS IT REALLY BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF???