This is a feature of our yard that got slightly overgrown during our rather chaotic spring and early summer. This is a rock garden left by the owners we bought the house from. I have never owned a rock garden. I did not really know there was such a thing. In West Texas where I grew up, stacks of rocks(of which there were legion) were identified as excellent habitats for lizards and snakes neither of which I enjoyed. Course, in West Texas our world was a rock garden and like gardens are expected to do, rocks did seem to multiply easily and abundantly. I attempted geology when I was in college at least twice and was alas, very unsuccessful, failing both classes because well, a rock was a rock. When we moved to Livingston, I entered a world unlike any I had ever lived. Things grew as a matter of course, not because of a Herculean effort against a sin marred world. Plants could thrive along side weeds, and various and sundry beautiful flowers could show off the most breathtaking blooms and foliage. Back to the rock garden, though. As I understood it, the rocks we came to own with our home were not just any old rocks, but gifts Ron had brought to his wife each time he set out in a car or truck in his work. They have been artfully arranged throughout the yard as borders to many of the flower beds and as points of interest. Last Thursday or so, it was time to tackle the rock garden that had disappeared from view overgrown by Bermuda grass and weeds. JD and I started by deconstructing the bed. This fraidy cat did not enjoy any of this because many of the rocks were huge, I knew a lizard called this corner home, and coral snakes had been seen in this vicinity although not one had been found in the garden. Slowly, each rock came up until we were left with about six rocks that were significant pieces of geology. I found myself thinking about how Ron would have brought these to Livingston if he was returning by plane. He might have to buy a ticket and put the stone in the next seat. JD and I managed to get them all out. The yard was given over to Friday and between doing my part in the yard, exercising at the gym, and trying to dig up the bed, it became apparent this man would need more than one attempt at the spade work. So, Monday, after a prayer meeting at the church(God give me strength for what I am about to attempt!), exercise at the gym, JD and I started again on the spade work. Yesterday it rained and this morning we finished digging it out. All the grass we could find was dug up, and the ground was leveled, roundup and insect killer were generously scattered over the soil like fertilizer.(The insect of East Texas, of which there are many to choose from, is the ant.) Gardening fabric was layed down, and then the work turned to putting the stones back into the prepared area. I uncounted a phenomenon I did not expect. I did not have enough rocks to fill in the garden. I wondered if while we were slowly doing our work(many days/many nights) some one was coming on the property and stealing my rocks leaving me with diminished numbers. I ruled that out because, well frankly someone who has taken up the habit of stealing, usually doesnt want to work that hard and after all, they are just rocks. So, today, we found ourselves scouring the yard for orphaned and unnecessary rocks to complete the masterpiece. Perhaps in a couple of years, our garden will produce enough rocks to fill in the thin spaces.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 01:27:57 +0000
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