Stymied by massive and labyrinthine computer problems, and my own computer ineptitude, I have been unable to post to this blog for many months. I was on the verge of simply starting a new one when suddenly -- miraculously -- the digital waters have cleared, and for reasons inexplicable to me, I was just now able to update my account with new email and password, and post to the blog.
Possibly it was a reward from the cybergods for deleting 1655 emails from my 'Archive' folder earlier this morning, though I'm not sure what Archive is. It just showed up one day. Or possibly a certain period of reflection and time was needed to settle the dust of all the changes, updating everything after our move, to a new house!
And hey: new house = new garden! After 37 years, we pulled up our tent stakes, got out the camels (U-Haul truck) and did the 'downsize' thing. The move itself was hellish. On top of trying to sort out, winnow and pack nearly 4 decades' worth of grut and memories, and shoehorn it into a smaller space, the week we moved the temperature was over 100 degrees, the people buying our old house scheduled their movers to move in before we could move out, and the piano movers screwed up big time. But let us allow the horror to continue to fade into memory and look around at the current situation.
We have gone from a 55 year-old suburban ranch style 2200 sq ft rambler on a third of an acre, to a brand, spanking new 'MidCentury Modern' 1650 sq ft bungalow on a little more than a tenth of an acre.
There are still boxes. We have reached the classic Downsizer's Dilemma point, where you have filled up the new house and there is still more stuff to unpack. Oh, you mean 'down'-sizing means less space? The biggest change is that our new house has far less storage space, in the way of drawers and cabinets.
The biggest problem is that we have too many books
and too much piano music
In the garden (which I guess is now Arabella's New Garden) I am thrilled to have a much smaller, more workable space in which to play. But I am glaringly aware that for the first time in 35 years, I have no place to overwinter my tender container plants. Since forever, I have been able to stash my geraniums, begonias, agapanthus, Spanish lavender, etc in my sunroom or greenhouse, along with containers of blooming annuals still bright and beautiful when the first frost hits in mid-October.
Although a proper greenhouse is in the long-range plan for the garden, this first winter at least there will be no shelter for these treasured darlings, short of bringing them inside. Maybe I will clear a space in the garage and hang some grow lights over a table.
For now, I am heeding Nature's signals that 'Winter is Coming' and battening down the hatches for coming cold and snow. One of the first things I did this fall was get my new address to all my favorite seed companies, so I can spend the winter planning my new garden for next spring.
Stay tuned.
Monty and I, exhausted after four hard days of moving.
I am glad that you are back. I loved your gardens, and ideas, and I can't wait to see what you do with your new space. Will you be bringing your chickens, and do you need bambi fencing if you have houses close by. Your posts and gardens are a breath of fresh air, so thank you!
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