I hope to move from our house soon and, if not soon, then in the next year.  If there is one thing I could keep as mine, it would be my flower garden.  It’s been a labor of love and frustration.  I decided to plant it years ago when I couldn’t keep grass alive due to the intense southern sun exposure.  The first year water restrictions went into place was the last year I saw grass in that area.  That was also my first summer at the house, so I had no idea what kind of watering that section of lawn needed.  I never got the chance to find out.

I researched xeriscape landscape designs and drought tolerant ground cover and flowers.  I dug everything up and started to plant.  Then I realized the area was larger than I expected.  With a budget, planting everything at once wasn’t possible.  So year after year I make additions or move flowers around that need to be split or moved for shade/sun purposes. 

Just as figuring out Colorado soil for my garden has been tricky, so has been figuring it out for the flowers.  On top of the soil condition, which is sandy in one part of the garden and more clay in the other, is the intense sun.  It hasn’t seemed to matter how much mulch I put down.  It just dries up and the earth hardens.  Weeds don’t even grow in the area that gets constant sun.  Keeping flowers alive that need a year or so to establish has been problematic. 

I admit I’ve also had some pretty horrible ideas for the garden.  I decided to also tear up the one area that grass thrived to plant all lilies.  I tore it up in the fall and planted bulbs.  I covered the area with mulch and waited all winter for spring.  Spring came and the lilies came too… and so did the grass.  It came back with a vengeance.  I diligently pulled the grass as it grew until I had an unexpected surgery and hospital stay.  Due to the recovery time, I couldn’t do as much work and the grass has won. 

For over five years I have worked this garden.  This year I feel I’m closer than ever to having it all set the way I want and where it can thrive.  The lilies that survived the grass attack I dug up and moved last fall.  (Sadly, only about 2/3rd survived the transplant.)  I found a woman on craigslist who was splitting her iris, yarrow and peonies.  I grabbed some of each to fill out more areas.

I did all the planting in the morning.  All day I paid the price with a back ache.  The Baby seemed to like the activity though with lots of kicks and back flips the entire time I was outside.  I’ve found that each day of pregnancy means a new balance to activity and relaxation.  Even my center of balance changes daily as Baby grows!

I did take breaks often and at each one I sat among the flowers just coming up, or the tulips that have already lost their blooms, and thought of how I would miss my garden once we move.  I have no idea if the next people to live in the house will keep it, destroy it or tear it out.  It’s possible we may rent the house instead of sell it.  I’m tempted to write something in the lease about maintaining the flower garden, but fear that will only chase off potential renters. 

Perhaps I’ll make a deal with the next family: Keep the garden for now and if you don’t like it, let me dig it all up so I can move it to my new home.