Unfinished garden construction
I ask you, where are the path-building elves when you need them? My sloping side-yard path still needs doing. And look—the faux garden shed in the background has not constructed itself either.
Better to focus on the plants. They’re looking happy with the sunny, warm weather we’ve been having. Oh no! The unfinished shed is visible from here too.
A macro view will do the trick to banish those unfinished hardscaping projects. And here’s something happy: a variegated sedum mailed to me (along with a couple of other goodies) from the Florida garden of Darla at Family and Flowers. Thanks so much, Darla!
And seeing that my Opuntia ficus-indica has a couple of new leaf buds, I leaned in and noticed that ants were busying themselves on the cactus, each one finding a spot on those spiky protuberances (what are they called, anyway?). I have no idea what they were doing, but it was plain that they were working.
Maybe if I took fewer ambles, shot fewer pictures, and wrote fewer posts I’d get my hardscaping done. Ah, but where would be the fun in that?
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
There are elves that do paths and build things??? Sign me up! It looks great Pam, finished or not. We all understand that gardening is a process, a journey that can never be completed. Your special touches to give that garden your own personalized stamp is a joy to watch. Love the ants on the cactus, how interesting the way they are perched, like parakeets on posts. 🙂
Yes, I am sure I read somewhere that there are garden elves that do this sort of work at night when everyone’s asleep. Or maybe they take everything apart…Now I’m not so sure. 😉 —Pam
Send those elves to Florida fast! You are quite welcome for the plants, I love to share and see “my” plants growing in gardens as beautiful as yours. Do you think the ants might be sipping the cactus juice? Cool photo.
I figured the ants were either enjoying some cactus juice or eating something else that was on the cactus. As for the elves, I will be sure to send them your way just as soon as they finish my path. —Pam
I haven’t followed the pathway construction but it looks great so far! Are you going with some type of gravel, mulch, or stones for the path?
Hi, Dave. I’m going to install a gravel-and-timber path like Sheila’s at The Gardens of Petersonville. —Pam
Those pesky projects will get finished no doubt. If you finished them all at once then what would you do??
Start another one, Lisa. What else? 😉 —Pam
You need to plan a big garden party, then everything will get done (most in the last 48 hours prior, when it is bound to be extremely hot!) That’s always worked for me!!! 😉
Actually, Ivette/Germi is coming to Austin for a visit next month, and that’s what got me started on two new paths (the shed is my DH’s project)! But then I got swamped with work and other stuff and haven’t had time to finish. No doubt her impending visit will spur me on to finish, but you are right—it’s gonna be hot work. —Pam
Your new path is WAY ahead of the one I have planned. It’ll have to wait until cooler weather….so, a long while.
If you see any of those garden elves, send them this way.
Will do, Linda. You are smart to wait until fall. I don’t know what I was thinking to start my path project at this time of year. —Pam
After the elves finish your garden, send them up here. I didn’t realize that the path isn’t finished! It has edges, a floor…isn’t that a nice pergola (aka unfinished garden shed)…all it needs is vines and it will have walls and a roof.
You’re the second person to suggest growing vines on the unfinished shed, Cameron. It would look nice, but I’m determined to have my original vision, even if I have to wait for it. —Pam
My problem spots have been an eyesore for a couple of years now but at least I’ve finally figured out what to do with the biggest one. Now we just have get in gear and get on with it…
Or maybe wait until the cooler days of fall, eh, Kathleen? That’s what I’d do. Maybe the elves will work on it in the meantime. —Pam
Look at those ants!!! That’s so cool.
The strangest things go on in the garden, don’t they? And sometimes I need the macro lens on my camera to even notice them. —Pam
I have a gate that hasn’t hung itself…darn it! I also have a rabbit hutch that needs to hurry up and finish itself before the bunny gets any bigger! If you find some elves would you please send them up north…please! Kim
The elves have quite a workload lined up. I do wish they’d hurry up and get started. —Pam
Besides, we’d miss you.~~Dee
Aw, thanks, Dee. —Pam
That path is going to look great. Once it’s done you’ll forget how long it took and all the jobs that got in the way of finishing it. But I do agree that blogging about the garden can get in the way of actually gardening!
It sure can, Linda. But there are many wonderful benefits that come from blogging, aren’t there? —Pam