The Favorites
The Japanese Maple in the front yard is my thing, and yes my wife got it for me because I truly love the way that they look. Next is the Weeping Cherry tree. It is so my wife’s. It is like a person who can’t control their hair. It always has some weird hair going off in a random direction. Next we must talk about the flowering quince. It was the first plant that my wife and I both looked at and said, “We must have this”. It also tends to be the first plant to flower in the spring. It makes both of us very happy and reminds us that the warmth of the summer sun is coming. This is just the beginning of the world that we have created called “The Yard”.
The Roses
These twelve plants are the things that I pay attention to the most. I am like a helicopter father that can’t let them grow up to be proper adults. I won’t allow them to have a damaged leaf, or a single aphid (I hate them by the way, the site of them boils my blood).
We have five white rose plants, one pink, one red, three orange ones, one baby one (don’t know how I kept that one alive (it came from Safeway, and it just keeps coming back)), and one that has never bloomed (it was replanted this year to allow it to get more direct sunlight, here’s hoping).
I walk outside every day and inspect these roses. I check for aphids, buds that have lost their petals, black spot, and other things that could hurt them. I have sat back many times and thought of how I could just build trellises that could handle their infinite growth. I know that this is unreasonable, but I will continue to dream. They do truly make me happy.
The Pots
The herbs are confined to pots. Silver thyme, rosemary, oregano, and two types of mint. These are not allowed to mingle with the others for fear of them taking over and becoming unreasonable in their size. This also allows ease of access that is confined to the patio.
The Garden
This year the garden consists of three cucumber plants, one rainbow chard, three broccoli, one purple pepper plant, 11 marigolds, one beefsteak tomato, one sweet 100 tomato, a couple dozen radishes, 6 yellow string beans, one sweet pea (as of right now, it is the only one to come up), one horseradish (at least I think it is one), and three Scarlett runner beans (I stole these, sorry, they looked so cool). Look forward to more pictures of this section along with recipes to pair up with them.
The Ferns
We have a total of ten ferns in our yard. Two of them will be transplanted soon (location to be determined by the wife). The others I cut back every year on my birthday weekend. Seems to work out really well, they seem to love it. They are like that cook that just needs to be beat on. They insist on it, and then they transform into this tremendous cook when you do. I truly respect them for their resilience.
The Fig Tree
This is a newer addition to the yard. Last year was the first year that it was planted in our yard. It provided us with two figs that I devoured myself (completely selfish). This year it is keeping a low profile, but seems to be leafing out quite well. We shall see how much fruit it gives us. I have high hopes, and waiting taste buds.
The Trees
We have several enormous trees in our back yard. They are a bone of contention, and a love of nature in our lives. They constantly drop branches, pine needles, and pine cones of sorts. There is a total of six fir trees, four pine trees, and a couple of conifer types that I don’t know. They are all roughly 100 feet tall. They control the back yard for the most part. Stunning examples that remind us everyday of how small we are, and that we live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
The Grass
This year has been a year of learning. I blame COVID-19 for the condition of my yard right now. I have completely torn apart my front yard. It has had weed and feed spread on it, and moss killer (that was the start). Then it was thatched, and aerated (destroyed everything that was not grass). After that there was lime put down, fertilizer, and then finally grass seed. Next comes the constant watering of the yard (I feel like I should have to pay for water rights, like the farmers of Eastern Washington). Now we are waiting patiently for new grass to come - to bring a light to the barren waste land that I have created. Please grow. I beg of you.
The Frog
The Frog is a very recent addition. It is a concrete bull frog that stands guard like a gargoyle placed to defend the castle. I really believe that this thing comes alive at night and defends the plants of the yard. Utilizing swords, fire and magic to push back all of the nasty bugs, slugs, and caterpillars. Organizing the onslaught of lady bugs and praying mantises to protect all of the defenseless plants. Then with the break of dawn he turns back into the docile toad, poised on his spot during the day. During this time, as the light from the sun beams down, he acts as a protector of the ground from a constant drip whenever there is any moisture in the air that comes off of the roof.
Keeping Me Sane
There are a few honorable mentions that I should include that don’t really fit into any of the above spots. The California Lilac (my wife is completely blown away by this one. Should never have lived), the Rodie that was planted to start a privacy bush to shade us from our neighbors (this will only take 5 years to get there), and the columbines that came back this year with a vengeance.
Right now I am paying more attention to the yard than I have in the past. We all must grab on to the things in our lives that bring us happiness. I always loved the satisfaction of watching everything grow and flower. My Grandmother had a spectacular garden. It was so much fun to walk through and gather the fruits of her labor. To watch daily as the flowers came to life. I think coming out of this whole pandemic we will all find new things that will pull our attention. Hopefully this will allow us to enjoy more than just work.
