Spring Fever
by JJ Oakley "March went out like a lion whipping up the water in the bay, then April cried." The spring has sprung here in the deep South, and the world is ablaze with color.
For the last two weekends this writer along with almost all the folks on our street have been planting, cutting, fertilizing, and in my case digging ponds. Oh yes, not to mention a water fall. Now, after completing the project; I would highly recommend if you can afford it; hire the work out.
If your a young man, which I am not; You can do the work. It took two weekends that required in the Southern vernacular 'can till can't.'
It all started with my wife watching a gardening program, which happened to be a special on outdoor ponds. Well, that did it. Off to Lowe's we went.
First we selected the site that she wanted it. Next she picked out the size pond that she wanted with the necessary accouterments. That would be a pump, filter, pickup truck of sand, 40 bags of top soil, pickup truck of rather large rocks 150' of inch and a half PVC, electrical wiring, tiller, and a lot of Kentucky backhoe work. This is another Southern term for shoveling, and wheel barreling.
After getting the pond in and the water running down the fall, in just the right manor; it was time to landscape the area. This would include all together about 45 variegated varieties of assorted bushes, trees and flowers. All of which needed to be planted, along with four large bags of gravel for drainage, and very many bags of mulch.
Needless to say she wanted a concrete bench, and stepping stones the must have weighed a gazillion pounds.
Now I have finally got this done, I thought to her satisfaction. As she sits on the bench, while I lay prostrate on the ground; She decides that a Japanese Cherry tree was blocking the view of the pond... Whew. This is the point that I lost control of my ability to see or think clearly.
Oh yes, another battle she won. So I dug it up, replaced it with a Weeping Willow, and move it to another area she had suggested. Now this spot was one of those where the pick bounces off the ground when you hit it. I was already a broken old man by now. let me tell you that one hole took me about two hours to dig out and wheel barrel the rocks and dirt to another site pre chosen for Azalea's. Late last evening this man sat, listing left and right imbibing all the water I could hold while my dear Bride sat on the porch, and said "Now see how pretty?" I hope your Spring is as abundantly full, and wonderful as mine. I look foreword to going to work Monday for a rest. |
