During the early COVID-19 Quarantine, people throughout the world mourned, wrung hands, and scrolled through endless newsfeeds in search of information, a solution, and hope. Others took refuge in their gardens. Throughout our town, people completed garden renovation projects. We undertook a total transformation of our backyard garden. We dug out grass for a more formal garden and had 10 cubic yards each of loam and mulch delivered. Then came 6 cubic yards of pea stone to create paths that linked several gardens together. After about two months of full time labor and several hip and back injuries, we had a beautiful backyard oasis that we have enjoyed all summer. Gardening is soul work.
If you are interested in creating a garden or renovating yours, start with planning your hardscape. That is the lay of the land, where the paths, beds, and lounge areas will be placed. If you have not already watched Monty Don’s inspiring show, Small Spaces, Big Dreams, check it out on Amazon Prime or Netflix. Paths are best laid directly towards your primary areas of interest that you will be frequently using. Then don’t be afraid of digging up grass and planting garden beds. It was hard for us to do that, both emotionally and physically, but it completely transforms the space and makes the plants more contained and easier to manage. Remember that you can usually order large amounts of loam, mulch and stones from landscape sources, and there are a wealth of beautiful plants you can start from seed and bulb, so you won’t even need to leave your home.
