I've been converted into a hellebore fan after reading Margaret Roach's first book (about checking out from her high-powered job with Martha Stewart and blissing out on gardening) and her blog, awaytogarden.com. I bought this hellebore, above, after reading that book when I first arrived on the mountain, and I'm ready to buy about 50, oh maybe 100, more. Hellebores are evergreens, love shade and shoot up these gorgeous flowers in late winter and early spring. Mine's been blooming for at least a month now. Stunning.
I still haven't made my first purchase at the Barn (my new employer), but it will definitely happen next week. I've finished shaping up that new backyard gathering area here, so now I need a little landscaping to set it all off. I'm thinking blueberry bushes, combined with some evergreen shrubs. It's always a challenge to find the right mix that doesn't look too suburban for the middle of the forest.
Today Mason celebrated the return of his main chainsaw (after a replacement part finally arrived). He took down three small maples (each about 40 feet tall) and a small oak (about 40 feet, too) to make room for downing a 70-foot oak that's got to come down for the solar panel project. He wore himself out, taking the small ones out by the roots (plus taking down a pair of dead "sourwood" trees that we have to split tomorrow for firewood, as spring is refusing to arrive), so the massive oak may not come down for a few days.
Meanwhile, can I bitch about the weather? On Tuesday, I worked 8 hours. Outside. In 40-degree weather. (That morning an inch of snow covered our yard.) It almost made my newspaper days look pleasant (almost, if I wasn't hearing about how miserable my former co-workers are ...). And the average temp here for that day? Supposed to be 67. Ugh. This prolonged winter is KILLING US!
And yes, we once again have run out of firewood and have been scavenging to keep ourselves warm at night until the real spring arrives. Mason's already built a bigger firewood storage area for next year, so maybe we'll finally get it right for our fourth winter in the woods.
Up tomorrow: A trailer load of free mulch in Soddy Daisy to tidy up some other deserving areas.
Yes you CAN bitch about the weather. No fair. But I love that you're getting paid for your landscaping creativity. Who needs writerfind anyways? Glad Mason has been reunited with his chainsaw.
ReplyDeletecomment part deux ... I am eager to learn from your adventures in rural landscaping. My hillside awaits at Loveless (when all this snow melts), and all winter my brain has been tilling for ideas. (More like churning, but same difference....)
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of sun exposure do you have??
ReplyDelete