Saturday, July 17, 2010

Blended Families

(a pictorial love letter to my new dirt...)

Dear Yard,

You are a marvelous thing! I love having grass to tickle my toes and my puppy's belly and a big enough space to run.



You'd been neglected by your previous caretaker; overgrown with weeds, big dirt spots where grass used to be, last year's freeze killing two of your trees.



But there are beautiful remnants of the first owner on your green lush skirts. From what my neighbor has told me, your first owner truly loved you. The same neighbor that passed along a beautiful Lilac tree cutting that has reached the roofline in the past 10 years. Your first owner planted the trees out front, two of which were killed in the blizzard. One still stands though, and is a haven to no less than 3 bird's nests and adds lovely morning shade to the front of my east facing house.



My mom has added some beautiful flowers to your weed riddled beds to add a burst of color.




You hid from me some of your most lovely secrets for the first few months, it was almost as if you were holding your breath to see if I would care for you like I should. Like the sweet pink roses, the surprising presence of a cactus, and the bright happy yellow wild flowers that fill the south and west beds.






But my greatest thrill is blending in with your beauty. Adding my own treasures of veggies and greenery. Borrowing the shade of your big flowering I-don't-know-what-you-are bush for my cukes, peppers and tomatoes.








One of your best features is not a part of your natural state, but rather a command central for us bite-able, overheating weak creatures. The screened in gazebo that was such a deciding factor in our choosing you, provides a fan to cool us and protection from your fearsome insect inhabitants.



From here I can see the beautiful Crepe Myrtle that just bloomed last week, and our second garden complete with late Silver Queen and a Pumpkin Patch. The Pumpkin leaves are getting so big, I've dreamed that the vines overtake the entire house!






Last but not least, the air and sun have been so good to your "step-children:" my potted plants from a previous residence :)






You are so good to me, little yard. I appreciate you and hope we will continue to take care of each other for a great while. I'll even overlook the fact that you provide sanctuary to the earwigs from Ceti Alpha Five!

-Amy

p.s. I've enclosed a picture of Alex, he grows as fast as your weeds!

3 comments:

  1. wowser, how is he only 4/5 months old??!! I love the whatever you are bush line :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the post script. Again, I am so jealous of the green! Can't wait to go back east and see that the world is not only shades of brown.

    ReplyDelete

be nice to other people commenting....