7-9 May — a new garden is created

Wednesday, 9 May 2007: Monday we made another big change at the Shelburne, this one deliberate rather than the repairing of the truck incident. Because the original garden design (not ours) had included two shrubs bracketing the front entry, and because they had grown up so tall that they blocked the signs showing the history of the inn and the delicious food offerings of Shoalwater restaurant, out they had to come.  The weather suddenly took a hot turn, leading to the unhappy realization that I am rarely satisfied with the weather and that I had dressed for a much cooler day. Just the day before, I complained of rain and cold.  Surely in no other area of life do I long as much for perfection as I do with the weather.

Above: During (not quite before), with Allan sawing; after, with the signs quite readable now.

For the remainder of the day, we had the pleasure of weeding Laurie’s lovely garden on the bay, where I marveled again at the beauty of her Enkianthus tree.  I have one, my purchase inspired by hers, but it is still so small.

Enkianthus, with detail of flowers, which will be followed by many berries

Laurie with Elé

Tuesday and Wednesday we unleashed the full force of our efforts on creating a brand new garden area at Andersen’s RV Park in what used to be the children’s play area but is now a drainfield, so must be turned into  garden area or lawn.  Of course, I was all for the idea of garden, especially when I saw that one determined Stella D’Oro daylilly (which I sometimes scorn for being common) had sprouted its healthy self in the midst of the sand after the backhoes were done.  So sweeps of different coloured daylilies and other sand-tolerant plants such as Lavender, Gaillardia, Verbascums, Armeria, Geum, Achillia, and Sedum were given a planting bed of Gardener and Bloome Soil Building Compost, some horse manure, and some excellent washed dairy manure (now available in bulk at The Planter Box, and it’s wonderful stuff).

By the end of day one, all the plants were in and just needed fluffing and tweaking.

Beginning and end of day one.  Photos by Allan, Because he’s better at standing on the picnic table. That’s Me shifting manure buckets.

end of day two, after being fluffed and edged (except we need more rocks to edge the nearest section). There will be a bench in the wide area, to the right.

After a couple more hours seeking perfection of some sort by edging and weeding the rest of the garden areas, we were invited by Nick and Vernice for a burger barbecue feast for all the workers.  For the sake of fun socializing, we all huddled from the chill wind by their RV and had a yummy repast.  And yes, I’m still complaining about the weather: While on Tuesday the rain came and went, ‘twas an inoffensive rain, and good planting weather.  Today was bright but so very cold and gusty with the bitter wind.  I am thus reminded of Karel Capek’s classic garden poem.

 The Gardener’s Prayer by Karel Capek

 Oh Lord, grant that it in some way may rain every day, say from about midnight until three o’clock in the morning…but You see, it must be gentle and warm so that it can soak in;grant that at the same time it would not rain on Campion, Alyssum, Helianthemum, Lavender and other plants which You in Your infinite wisdom know are drought-loving plants…I will write their names on a bit of paper if You like…and grant that the sun may shine the whole day long, but not everywhere (not for instance on Spirea, or on Gentian, Plantain-lily or Rhododendron), and not too much…that there be plenty of dew and little wind, enough worms, no plant lice and snails, no mildew, and that once a week thin, liquid manure and guano may fall from Heaven.