This Spring, mariner planned to move his vegetable garden to another spot in the backyard. He reasoned that March would have enough good days to build new raised beds and fix several maintenance issues that make things easier, then in April seed pots could be started under grow lights, and finally, spring planting would begin in late April, early May.
One bed of four has been built; improved soil is not yet added; constant interruptions for nuisance maintenance issues have interfered – both outside and in the home; March offered nothing but constant cold rain; in April property maintenance became the primary chore with cutting lawns, weeding, and maintaining a spiff front yard for the neighborhood to see.
Well, maybe tomorrow I’ll get to it. The reader knows as well as mariner that tomorrow never comes. (1) mariner walks like Mr. Tudball (2) physical ability requires changing the type of work frequently – a real boon for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (3) four days of rain. (5) Task A must be done before starting task B which must be done before starting task C which must be done before starting task A.
It is a project that is more than mariner can handle using a time clock for scheduling. Like mariner tells his friends, he works eight hours a day but it takes him three days to do it. Still, it beats rotting away watching streaming television. Maybe tomorrow I’ll watch streaming television . . . .
Ancient Mariner
I don’t have a plot to plant in; I wish I had your raised bed maintenance blues. On the upside, there are now five tree beds on my block, though they are “managed” by the local BID Business Improvement District.
Keep gardening Mariner!
Raised bed and plotless,
Horticultural management is strenuous so please stay hydrated and please do not let the grass grow higher than 4 inches.
A friend of mine once suggested that car horns should be manufactured such that no two were the same and any two honked at the same time would create a harmony. Lawnmowers next?
You’re still mobile. You’re just slower than you used to be. You have some ground to work that some people would die for in the “non-sketchy” neighborhood you live in. I’m the last person anyone would label as Mr. Positivity, but count your blessings. You have “something to get up for”. You may be my very senior brother, but I get it. I used to do physical labor 8-12 hours a day. Now – 6 hours tops. The best part about being retired is YOU”RE WORKING FOR YOURSELF. So cut yourself some slack.