While our remodel project is moving ahead with increased speed, the mess surrounding us gets steadily worse. This week, we've been preparing to have the house's exterior painted. The team's first step was to scrub the dirt off the facade but, before they could start, we had to move everything away from the house, which in effect meant moving these items into my garden. I know this isn't a forever situation but, as a neat freak, a legacy of growing up as the daughter of a hoarder, this stresses me out, making my garden a source of anxiety rather than the refuge I'd like it to be.
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| The photo on the left shows the scene that currently greets me the moment I step out the door of our temporary kitchen. The next 2 photos show my cutting garden steps away. Among other things, 2 of 3 my rain barrels have been deposited in these spaces, as well as the 2 benches that formerly sat on either side of the front door. Passage through the garden has become difficult. |
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| The plants I had in pots have taken major hits since the remodel began and I've emptied more and more of them as the process continued. They've landed under the citrus trees in the cutting garden, along with the plastic flats I used to deter critters from digging there. The good news is that the raccoons have been steering clear of the garden for a few months now. |
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| This is what landed in the area in front of our garage. We hope the guy who removed the paving stones from our back patio to accommodate the kitchen extension will agree to lay a new trash can path for us using them. Work on my renovated bromeliad/succulent bed is halted until I can clear space to work. |
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| If it wasn't for the fact that this bench occupies the middle of the path, it could be a comfortable spot to sit awhile |
I appreciate how nice the exterior walls look cleaned of their dirt and grime but I look forward even more to completion of the painting process, which will allow me to restore a semblance of order to my garden. Meanwhile, the entire renovation experience has me considering adopting a more minimalistic ethos. I may not be a hoarder but I've got more stuff than I need.
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| The protective film's finally come off the new kitchen window. I'll have a nice view from the kitchen sink once the weather station is put back on the roof and the construction workers clear the debris from the back patio. |
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All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
