For years we’ve had best landscaping on the block. I could sit on my porch each morning or evening and marvel at how pretty everything looked.
The lawn was perfectly mowed and edged. (That was our son’s job)
The garden beds around the house were weeded weekly. (That was our middle daughter’s job)
The planters were watered every other day. (That was our oldest daughter’s job)
Then the kids all moved out, and our yard … well, it pretty much went to hell in a hand basket!
Dead ferns were still on my porch from last summer. When I looked at my garden beds I couldn’t tell the weeds from the tulips. And I literally could not find my hose. As in, it was gone, and sadly, wasn’t even missed all last year.
But with the gorgeous weather this weekend, I was inspired to bring us back to our glory days. I figured my husband hadn’t moved out, so between the two of us, we could do this!
Forty-eight hours later and now my husband is threatening to move out too.
If I had to guess, I’d say I dreamed a little too big. I should have started off with just the mowing and edging and worked my way up to the garden beds and planters. Instead, I bought 25 bags of mulch, two huge pallets of flowering plants and the longest hose I could find. By the time we were done on Sunday, my husband could barely stand up straight and he was no longer talking to me.
When it was the Kanes — party of 5 — we’d landscape during the day and grill burgers in the evenings. But the Kanes — party of 2 — landscaped for two days straight, took a handful of Advil and then we argued over who was going to use the heating pad first.
Since my husband won the heating pad battle (he said he hurt way more than I did), I’m now sitting on my porch on this beautiful Sunday evening, admiring my lovely garden beds. Weeds are gone, I found the tulips and added some begonias as well. Everything is freshly watered with my new, extra-long, garden hose, and I even bought a small fountain, turned it onto high, while I sat and contemplated life.
While the kids were not here to help, we texted them photos as the work progressed. One gave us a thumbs up. Two didn’t respond.
And then this evening, I Facetimed with each of them to show them how their Dad and I had brought the landscaping back to life.
If I’m being honest, none of the three seemed to care as much as I did, four if you count my husband. The kids only remember the mosquito bites, poison ivy and sunburns each sustained during their landscaping days. In fact, the middle ones claims she has PTSD from all the hours of weed pulling she did while her friends were out shopping and getting their nails done.
And when I went to check on my husband and to get the heating pad since his turn was up, I found him googling how much it would cost to replace our grass with artificial turf.
Not to be defeated, I texted my friend to get her landscaper’s name. The kids may be gone and the husband may be unwilling, but the dream is real!
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