HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUSBAND

Never again will I have as much to do in my yard as I have had in my first year here. Getting caught up on years of neglected pruning, adding in new garden beds, moving hedges, reseeding the lawn, the list goes on (and on and on…).

Like many fervent gardeners I know I am lucky enough to have a partner-in-crime in my gardening adventures. My husband Stewart also enjoys being outside in summer and he truly appreciates the fruits of our labours.

While I tackle the garden & landscaping design, plant selection, weeding and pruning, Stewart is a great help with hardscaping and maintenance. To celebrate his birthday today here is a list of just some of the areas he has helped out in our new digs this past season.

Where water pooled at the entrance to our lane he has lifted the stones, added sand and voila, no more wet feet for us or the dogs.

He dug the long narrow garden strip along the back fence being used for sunflowers and corn.

He cuts and waters the lawn regularly which takes a significant amount of time.

He has learned to patch stucco to ensure our ‘cantina’ is looking its best.

He helped to transplant the cedars from our front yard to our back yard, heavy work!

He helped to spread soil in the darkness last fall when I was racing against the first snow of the year.

He regularly picks up the random piles of plant material I leave in my wake while pruning and weeding.

He has packed up dozens and dozens of bags of yard waste for city pick up, including all of the old grape vines and even small trees that have come out of the Moon Garden.

He tackled the unruly hedge in the front yard.

He put in the path to our bench in the Moon Garden.

Lest you think he is just muscle…

He had the idea that painting just a portion of our home could give it a fresh new look .

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And then painted the bench to match!

He not only put in all of the lighting (both landscape and Christmas) but he planned out the what and how of it all, just as he did at the cottage.

He had the idea to put ‘weeding stones’ into the garden which give me a way of reaching into the garden without stepping on my plants.

Which I ended up expanding into a path between the back and front halves of the front garden.  
What would I have done without these in a garden bed 20 feet deep?

There is more, but I think you get the gist.

Now you know the secret to how I have been able to accomplish so much in my first year in my new home. 

I am part of team.

Thanks and happy birthday husband, I could not have done it without you!