I have been stuck wrestling with the brambles. If you have ever bought a neglected, overgrown property, you will know exactly what I am talking about here. I am making progress, but I see life differently right now. In fact, I see life filtered through a pile of brush, cluttered with debris. All the while, I have a goal in mind: simplification outside and inside of NOLD.
I am hoping to strike a balance on our property: I want it to look natural but controlled. Organized chaos. This may sound like an oxymoron, and I can see my father roll his eyes, but I do believe that nature does need to be maintained or the weeds will overtake the landscape and unwanted interlopers will suffocate the diversity of vegetation one might ideally cultivate.
In fact, you wouldn't know it, but a decade ago, an avid gardener owned NOLD. Neighbors still remember the beautiful state of the property due to his keen eye and tireless effort. After three years of sweat equity, things are slowly beginning to take shape. Slowly. I am working in stages and have had help along the way, too.
First, we hired a tree service to remove the large dead and decaying trees as well as trim back the large trees near the house that clog the gutters and may damage the slate roof in severe weather. I always learn something when they come. They advised me to save the viburnum bushes -- trim back the dead growth but do not remove. Sure enough, they came back as good as new. I was also advised to feed the precious oak out front iron. The light green color of its leaves are a symptom of iron deficiency. So, I comply.
In May the last two years, my parents came to weed, thin, and trim up the landscape behind the house. We have been working carefully to try to remove weeds and invasive species while uncovering and saving perennials hidden beneath the overgrowth. All the travel over the summer set me back in this area, but I do see an end in sight next year. As motivation, I am reminded that we have already brought many trees, bushes, and plants back to health like the mountain laurel that bloomed in splendor earlier in the summer:
Now, I am working my way around the house, tackling the brambles around the remaining perimeter of the property. I hope to see the brush pile at the end of the drive continue to grow, awaiting pick up at the end of the month. I will work until the cold sends me running, until November I hope, for the work suits me -- the exercise, the sun, the fresh air, the tangible progress foot-by-foot. I hope to defeat the brambles before the cold defeats me.
In the meantime, as I work to order my very small, immediate world, the following poem emerged:
I am hoping to strike a balance on our property: I want it to look natural but controlled. Organized chaos. This may sound like an oxymoron, and I can see my father roll his eyes, but I do believe that nature does need to be maintained or the weeds will overtake the landscape and unwanted interlopers will suffocate the diversity of vegetation one might ideally cultivate.
In fact, you wouldn't know it, but a decade ago, an avid gardener owned NOLD. Neighbors still remember the beautiful state of the property due to his keen eye and tireless effort. After three years of sweat equity, things are slowly beginning to take shape. Slowly. I am working in stages and have had help along the way, too.
First, we hired a tree service to remove the large dead and decaying trees as well as trim back the large trees near the house that clog the gutters and may damage the slate roof in severe weather. I always learn something when they come. They advised me to save the viburnum bushes -- trim back the dead growth but do not remove. Sure enough, they came back as good as new. I was also advised to feed the precious oak out front iron. The light green color of its leaves are a symptom of iron deficiency. So, I comply.
In May the last two years, my parents came to weed, thin, and trim up the landscape behind the house. We have been working carefully to try to remove weeds and invasive species while uncovering and saving perennials hidden beneath the overgrowth. All the travel over the summer set me back in this area, but I do see an end in sight next year. As motivation, I am reminded that we have already brought many trees, bushes, and plants back to health like the mountain laurel that bloomed in splendor earlier in the summer:
In the meantime, as I work to order my very small, immediate world, the following poem emerged:
World Order
Memorize
the alphabet
Learn
the days of the week
Organize
books with the Dewey Decimal System
Classify
the periodic table of the elements
Compile
references
Calculate
distance, metric system preferred
Start
the stop watch
Set
the timer
Watch
the clock
Establish
a calendar
Weigh
in and weigh out
Theorize,
collect date, and analyze to conclusion
Discover
laws and set laws
Establish
atomic order, birth order, and rules of order
Arrange
color in a wheel
Scale
music
Measure
beats and temperature, pulse and pressure
Mechanize
and computerize, revolutionize and modernize
Accumulate
milestones and credentials, victories and accomplishments
Collect
your thoughts, voice an opinion, and send it out into the universe
Work
to turn potential energy into kinetic energy
Know,
despite the chaos, nothing is ever lost