Slow Progress

I haven’t posted any real updates because I haven’t really completed anything.  I have some things upcoming, though.

For the most part, my work has been limited to sifting soil, which is about as exciting as it sounds.  The front garden bed, which used to contain shrubs, is now just a dirt patch.  My original plan was to plant grass there and put flower pots to decorate the area.  My GF, who is much smarter than me, asked why I didn’t put rock there.  Well, I hate rock.  That’s why I was getting rid of it in the pool planters.  But, she commented, isn’t putting pots on the grass just going to kill the grass under them?  Hmmm.  I guess I didn’t think that one out well enough.

So, I guess it will be a rock bed then, with pots for decoration.  So now I need to convert this dirt bed into a rock bed.  Not surprisingly, before it was shrubs, it was a rock bed, so there is no shortage of rock in there.  The problem is, the height of the bed is already over the walkway.  So, I need to lower the bed by a couple of inches and salvage the rocks that are in the dirt.  Doesn’t that sound like a great way to spend evening after evening?

And its not as simple as just digging up some dirt and rocks and sifting them out.  There is an absolutely horrific root system left behind by the shrubs.  It’s a combination of big roots snaking about 6-8 inches underground, and a fine mesh of roots that just clog everything else up.  So, shovel, hoevator and rake are getting a healthy workout.  Plus, I bought some screen mesh and fashioned a small colander to fit inside the bucket for sorting.

I’ve been collecting the rocks in buckets.  Every time I drop in at Lowe’s I pick up more buckets.  I have 7 buckets of rock so far.  Not all of it is from the front garden.  Half of them are from the pool planters, which is the other project that is nearing completion.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to cross that one off my list soon.