It was a long time coming, but it's done

One of the items on my To-Do List never seemed to get done - until yesterday. I've long wanted to redo the hardscape at the gable end of the house, beside where I park.  The old underlayment had dissolved over the last thirty or so years, and the space had turned into a weed garden. Try as I did, I couldn't keep up with it. It had to go! 

Yesterday, I moved six big flower pots, lifted out sixteen pavers using the John Deere, and gathered up all the other loose pavers I had scattered about. Then I used the tractor to rake the pea gravel out and away from the area. 

Today, I put down the new underlayment - woven weed ground cover from Grower's Solution - laid out the pavers for stepping stones and shoveled the pea gravel back in.

Yes, I shoveled it by hand. With a shovel. I have a blister, too. I asked the Lord of the Manor for help, and oh, yeah. He fucking helped, all right. 

I asked him to scoop up the pea gravel and then drop it in close to the house. He dug down and got dirt, the very thing I told him needed to be avoided. 

I didn't want any dirt going on top of the woven weed cloth that could harbor seeds and grow new weeds. I thought I was very concise. He just didn't want to help me, just like with the knee wall I built. 

Well, guess what? I got it done. I worked three hours yesterday until I lost the shade, and about four hours today. The hard work was finished by the time I lost the shade today, but finishing up was done with the John Deere, so working in the sun didn't affect me too badly. 

I'm going to spend the winter haunting the dollar stores for suitable pots, and next year, put the flower and herb-filled pots between the stepping stones. I want the plantings to look unplanned even though some planning has gone into it. 

It feels great to have the project finished and even better to have done it myself. Did I get angry with the spousal unit? Yes. I hate it when he looks at a project based on what he can't do instead of what he can do. You might think that's sad, but after thirty years, I'm out of patience with that mindset. 

Don't avoid a difficult project based on what you think you CAN'T do. You CAN do it, even if you need to break it down into stages and take several days to get it done.  YOU CAN!!

The Lady of The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, John Deere 1023, gardening, home projects, do it yourself, DIY, pavers, empowerment, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life, hardscapes, flowers