"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Monday, January 14, 2019

If I could have one wish granted.......

I would wish for a big machine with a shovel........or even just the use of one
If I had the use of one, my hands and ankles would not ache as much as they do
and I could get what I want done...........in a day.......instead of months.....or years.
However, since I do not have a "fairy Godmother" for wish granting.........
I continue my work..............slowly.
I have decided to focus much of my attention on this center
space between our drive.  This will be (I hope) my main dry garden for succulents and
certain cactus types.

I have already piddled out in this space, placing a decorative  cement paver floor and a bench
underneath the wire archway and I have planted a small garden
of "devil's claw cactus" or pincushion cactus. 
But there is much more to be done.  Large paddle cactus and sharp spike yucca is 
over- running the area and needs to be removed , along with 
weeds that need to be cleared.  Ground squirrels , who keep pushing up the earth is a troublesome problem.   It will look sparse this year, but
hopefully, if I keep working on it, it will be beautiful in 
a couple of years. 
Right now , everything looks so drab and dry.......doesn't it?

But just a few yards away............a lovely  yellow
is cheering up a space.  With  wild tousled branches that are covered in blossoms.
 The Italian Jasmine
is awake and blooming. 


How much I look forward to seeing this cheery plant in the cold days of January!


So tell me...........are you underneath a blanket of snow...........
or is something blooming in your back yard?
by the way..........do you have a big machine I can borrow??  or a fairy Godmother to grant wishes?? 
I would love to hear!

13 comments:

lil red hen said...

Poor Gertrude! She's guarding your new space. Dry looks good right now; we've had so much rain this winter it's difficult to get hay to the cattle because of the mud.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Amazingly, we don't have any snow here in Nashua, NH, as of this writing although friends in [arts of VA and Washington, DC have received quite a few inches. It looks like you have a lot of work in store, Kathleen, but I know the results you achieve will be wonderful. That yellow bloom is indeed lovely to see in winter months, even if your winter doesn't look all that bleak.

Nancy J said...

I love the bare branches in winter, then those first few shines of colour. Gertrude, you do well to stand there and look at nature reviving itself after cold days. Lovely ideas to have that area planted. it will all develop gradually in time.

Prims By The Water said...

No machine nor do I know of any fairy godmother. All I can think of is when I had my rocks...snakes..YIKES...and I hate them. Good luck with your new garden. Cannot wait to see the finished look. Janice

Granny Marigold said...

Sorry, no machine here either although the one that demolished the house next door in less than a day can be rented for a mere $400 an hour.
Your Italian Jasmine looks lovely and I wouldn't be surprised if it also smelled wonderful.

The Wykeham Observer said...

Something about this time of year, one gets so ambitious and impatient to see results. But you DO have results there, with the stone borders and pavers. I think the cactus are a good idea. It's too bad the big paddle cactus is so invasive, because I think they are beautiful. You will get there.

Henny Penny said...

That will be such a beautiful spot when you're finished. I kinda know how your feel. There's so much I want to do, but it is slow going. I have big dreams and ideas...my husband wants to maintain. I love those big trees on your property. The yellow blooms are so pretty.

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Oh Gee, I look around and see lots of places I want to focus on to renovate in our yard. Our weather just will NOT co-operate. I can only hope that we will have a bearable summer this year so I can at least keep the weeds at bay.
xx, Carol

peggy said...

That tree alone is gorgeous. And the yellow blooms oh my.

Debra said...

Your spot is perfect and will be nice to see every time you drive around it. You've already made so much progress. I dug out some yucca from my garden this year-what a pest it is-I love the flowers but that's it. It's also hard to completely be rid of. Horrible big old roots...I do wish I could plant or dig now. I have been cutting the dead stuff and hauling it, but that's all I can do-besides dream about spring. We're supposed to get a lot of snow this weekend, so my gardening will be through books and catalogs for a while.

Connie said...

I wish I could grant your wish, but unfortunately I can't. Good luck with your new garden. I'm sure you will make it flourish. I love those cheerful yellow blooms. We have snow here with more on the way.

Tanza Erlambang - Speed Up said...

lovely Italian Jasmine.
have a wonderful weekend

peggy said...

The sun is shining here in Michigan but is very cold. I am going out to see if anything has been brave enough to come up yet. I love your greenhouse and that is something I would wish for instead of a new car. Flowers you grow are so beautiful and the work you do is moreso.