Watching

I’m about 25% through the job of stripping the landscape cloth out of the new north garden. It’s harder than it might seem. First of all, most of the old mulch is still sitting there. Secondly, the material is now tied to the ground by coastal bermuda grass which has deep roots and strong runners. Finally, grass has grown through the material and holds the mulch in place. So, even when it’s finally pulled up there’s lots of weight.

On the good news side, I’m seeing earthworms, and that’s a plus. And I found a little snake under one of the rocks edging the garden. That feels good, too. I also think I might be moving out of the heaviest zone of grass infestation because once upon a time, when I started the garden, I was digging up the grass before putting down the material, so perhaps my burden might be eased shortly. We shall see.

Doing this work reminds me very forcefully that I am old. Although I get a daily reminder when I look in the mirror. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing I can do about that. So, I’m just going to plod on and see what happens. At the moment, it seems likely my back might go out. I just hope it waits until I’m further along. I’d really like to get this little garden into shape so I can plant some things there to see what grows. Because I do feel as though I’m at a stage in my life where watching things grow might be all the excitement I can handle.