Image: Alexey Khromushin | Dreamstime.com
I spent love and a fortune on renovating my old house. It was to be my ‘forever’ home. But the universe had other plans...I met The Belgian and life became a trans-continental juggle. The garden, which of course the builders had trashed, lay dormant.
…2016 was one of those horrid years, where the bad news kept coming and the good stuff got lost in the haze. My garden got lost in the weeds, along with my good intentions for landscaping the plot. And yes, the universe had other plans…
Periodically, I made futile attempts to weed and plant, but to be honest my heart was not in it. Which is strange, because I love gardening. The plans of the universe?…Not so much. The task ahead seemed too daunting, too much just another thing on the ‘to do’ list of my life.
Each time I looked out of the French doors, all I saw was failure. All the things that hadn’t happened in the way I’d planned. All the things that were stuck. ‘You never realise anything’ went the negative refrain in my head as Summer, Autumn and then Winter rain pelted the house and watered the weeds.
I was determined that 2017 would be different. After what seemed like a long wait for January’s ice and frost to clear, I’m pleased to say that the garden is finished. My contractors came and went in a whirlwind – laying a footpath and shingle, creating raised beds for planting. Ready for a new beginning. Now when I look out of the French doors, the vista – and my mood – are transformed. Thanks, universe! I learned a valuable lesson or two…
With the right tools, you can do anything! One of the worst rows I’ve had with The Belgian came after we’d made a half-baked attempt to lay railway sleepers ourselves. My garden guys had whacker plates and a digger. Voila! In half a day, they did twice as much as we did on several tiring weekends. And they did it beautifully!
When you are stuck, get help! I’d spent months planning to landscape the garden myself, against a punishing work schedule and planning a wedding to aforementioned Belgian. Crazy! Asking someone else to carry that load was ultimately the road to sanity, not self-flagellation.
…sometimes you have to start over, in order to start right.
Pier Point 
I completely agree. It is easy to get sucked into someone else’s day to day and the lure of a new relationship is blinding. I am coming out of a five year relationship and I’m able to focus on me now…just me. I don’t have plans for a garden at this point, my requests for help are more of starting over kind…but sharing the burden is so much better.
Thank you for your comments. I’m always glad to know my blog is being read and enjoyed. And good luck with your own journey – I feel sure you will get there!