I spent a lot of time in the dirt in my 20s.
When we lived in a townhome, I had an extensive container garden. Having grown up in rural Warren County, gardening as a city dweller might was a new challenge.
Then, in our first house, I planted everything everywhere I could. I dug by hand, laid pavers, planted herbs and tubers and perennials and annuals and vegetables and shrubs. (I don’t think I ever planted a tree.) I followed whatever attracted my attention and worked intuitively learning as I went along. Bliss.
When we moved to our current home, I was mothering four little girls and working to build my creative practice into a business. I gave up my time in the dirt. But it was this season in my 30s when I learned to work smarter and think about how to do things most efficiently. Things in general. Batching processes, combining like tasks, planning the week, and so on. I was responsible for a lot, so it was necessary. I didn’t have the luxury of impulse or aimless wandering like I did when I was younger. Or, at least, that’s what I thought.
So as I’m entering my 50s later this year, I would hope that I can (by now) integrate these different ways of working. I really want to start working on the fence. But I know that I need to stone The Pocket first because I can’t really predict the footprint of the stone surface and retaining wall there until it’s happening. And the fence line needs to follow that footprint. And…
Since I can’t stone The Pocket until I know how much red clay I’m working with from the pathways, I need to finish those first. And I need more rocks. Lots more rocks.
Maybe I can build a prototype fence post for the corner between the two little staircases on the studio porch? Just to see if my cedar-stack idea will work?
Maybe. But not until after you go get some more rocks.
First things first.
Jimmy Allen
Ginger Allen