Living the dreams.

My gardening is often quite like my drum fills.

I can imagine something really spectacular, but I don’t yet have the skill (or the money, or the time) to execute on the grand collection of flourishes that dance around in my head.

 

In the meantime, I just try to keep it solid (or affordable, or speedy). At the very least, I try to make sure I’m doing something. (Quite like this blog, in fact, now that I think about it.)

 

Existential musings aside, I’m very excited for the dawn of the true 2014. It doesn’t seem like the year has truly started until I’m bemoaning the condition of the post-winter grass…or obsessively checking for the reanimation of last year’s perennials (always fitting for an Easter weekend).

For 2014, I’m quite excited about the following OMG projects:

• A new cedar board fence, scheduled for installation just ONE WEEK FROM TODAY.
  • This will refresh the existing stockade on the front/side of the yard and, most dreamily, obscure the back view of the soulless chain link fence, the AL Prime gas station, and the Dello Russo Funeral Home. The latter two are both fine Medford establishments (though only one of which have I personally sampled), but I feel confident that I don’t need perpetual reminders of impending mortality or my ability to get gas. (Snicker.)
• A flower-scaping project to revamp what’s currently known (as of the last 4 seconds) as the Parched and Miserable Hosta Alley of Death to the left of my driveway. (Note: not affiliated with Dello Russo Funeral Home.)
• A cosmetic refresh of the front steps formerly known as the Nice Not-Peeling and Rotting Front Steps. Contractor and timing TBD, but it must happen!
• A brand new honeysuckle on the back deck trellis.
  • You see, when I had my Big Landscaping Project way back in…whatever year that was…I requested a yellow honeysuckle from my trusty landscaping associates. Inspired by (of all things) a parking garage, I was driven into a romantic fervor by the divine-smelling car-stacking structure near work, laden with the most dreamy springtime honeysuckle you ever did sniff. I knew I just HAD to have it at home. Sadly, I somehow ended up with a non-fragrant variety and did NOT have it at home. Over the past…whatever number of years…I have sniffed quiet, scentless tears over this fact, and decided it was finally time to do something about it. Just yesterday, I dug out the old guy and planted a new, allegedly fragrant, Goldflame Honeysuckle. When flowering it should, allegedly, look something like the picture below.

 

These are just four of my lofty garden dreams, but as I said, I’m keeping it simple. In the measure of a summer, I’m sure I can hit at least four things…whether they’re highs or lows or leave me kicking and screaming.

So come along with me, dear reader, and let’s see what mischief we can drum up this year.