The first annual Shrub Day was a smashing, though a bit prolonged, success! Two and a half days of labor and deliberation wrought a beauty our little house never thought possible. Grinning from chimney to gables, our little house was delighted at its extreme makeover. For two years, my wife and I have lived in a house that looks much better on the inside.
The outside wasn’t hideous, mind you. No, it was just plain, bare, and altogether uninteresting. I had not realized how uninteresting until I noticed how many neighbors were suddenly waving as they passed by. Apparently we were doing something to our yard which they highly approved of. I took the glass half full point of view and took it as a compliment to our choice of shrubs and plants. Rainy weather couldn’t stop us!
We were green machines. We stared down severe thunderstorms without flinching a muscle or twitching an eyelid. We were fearless. We were courageous. We were fierce. We were really stinkin’ tired. I mean TIRED!!! Have you ever taken an axe and tried to hack thick tree roots out of your way? Luckily, I only broke one shovel and cut two fingers throughout the process. Considering the conditions and strength of our opponent, those were acceptable casualties.
Nah… It wasn’t a battle. Well, it was in a way. But it was more like an adventure. I discovered Calloway’s, a paradise of flowers, shrubs, trees, and vines. I wanted to buy everything – well, everything that suits my taste (i.e., not girly looking flowers or your traditional boring perennial greenery). I would have spent much more had my wife not been present and ready to smite me with a spade. Who knew that I, the guy who rarely even cares to go outside, would find a nursery to be so delightful? I will discuss some of our new plants when I have photos to post.