IT IS TEEMING, my house is 57 degrees, and there’s a dumpster full of broken wood in the driveway, which has been torn apart by fork-lift tracks and is now an un-navigable sea of mud. I was awakened this morning by a mysterious beeping that sounds like a truck backing up. It seems to be coming from the front of my cottage, somewhere near the electric meter. I called LIPA, the electric company, because I don’t know who else to call. They’re coming but “it could be a while,” because L.I. is riddled with power outages today.
Shed begone!
My property, 4/10 of an acre stretching into Town-owned woods, now stands ready for my gardening ministrations. I should, I’m told, remove a foot or two of soil, dig out ALL the weed roots, and bring in yards of topsoil and manure, but I can’t face it. I’ll work with what’s here, which looks like pretty rich soil, and there’s a nice compost heap about 12 feet long and 3 feet high, conveniently located right in the middle of the yard.
I’m going to need a lot of patience, which is not my forte. There’s not as much good plant material here as I hoped, now that the junk is cleared away. Last night I had a mini-revelation: I need shrubs. I don’t know much about them. There are gaps to be filled and structure to be created in that middle area between the trees and the perennial beds that will one day cover the ground.
Glad I kept the cherry - 2/3 of it, anyway
This weekend I’ll dig out most of the barberry, and I’m thinking about moving a few shrubs and small trees from the rear of the property to the front, where they’ll look pretty and help abate road noise. I’ve never moved a tree before (there’s a 10′ or 12′ tall conifer in the ‘wrong place,’ as far as I’m concerned, blocking the view from the porch to the woods), but I’m sure it can be done.
Going out shortly to get away from this infernal beeping, join the library (hope they have a good selection of gardening books), and go for a swim at the East Hampton Y, which has a huge, sparkling, uncrowded pool:-)
Can’t wait to get that car heater on full blast. Is it really almost June?
casaCARA 