by Tyra Hamilton
We now have a yard and flower beds (and weeds)! Hooray! It is obvious that it has been some time since anyone tended the yard or garden and things have gotten out of control. There are also some existing plants that are not thriving in their current location and will need to be moved. A big job lies ahead.
In a previous life I might have gotten out the checkbook, called the yard guy, made a quick trip to the nursery for a load of new plants and by the end of the day, ta-da, a nice, neat yard with pretty flowers and lush yard. But these days, with a limited budget, this garden will mostly grow (or not) from our very own blood, sweat and muddy tears.
I did break down and buy some moss rose
I am a planner. I can also be a bit of a procrastinator. I like to study the situation and formulate a plan of action. I stand in the yard or stare out the window, strategizing each step. I want to research the different plants and their growing needs. Sometimes I spend too much time planning (procrastinating) and get nothing actually accomplished. My partner, Jurgen, on the other hand, is a jump right in and ‘get er done’ kinda guy, often known to say, “Let’s do something, even if it is wrong.” So with Jurgen and our friend Alex operating the heavy equipment (a shovel), that’s exactly what we did.
The first task was to relocate several existing plants. A leafless vine with 1 yellow flower (Yellow Allamanda) was moved to the bed by the front entry. I hope this plant survives as I picture it in full flower, climbing the wall by our front door. A sickly Ixora bush was put in the ground near the bedroom slider. I’m pretty sure it will need more sunlight than what it will get back there, but for some reason I am pretty blasé about this plant. A healthy Ixora bush is beautiful. This one, not so much.
Will this Yellow Allamanda grow up to look….
like this one?
The biggest job, by far, was to move 4-5 bougainvillea plants. These plants were sad, spindly things with few leaves and no flowers (bracts). They had been planted in the shady part of the yard and were in much need of more sunshine if they were to ever become the big, beautiful, flowering plants we wanted. So out they came and back in the ground along the exterior wall of our property where they would receive full sun. Here in Playa you frequently see enormous bougainvillea plants with mounds of flowers cascading over a wall. This is our dream for these babies.
Some day we hope these bougainvillea will…
climb up and over the wall like this
It was a full morning of back breaking work for Jurgen and Alex. Just as the last of the plants were being watered in, we enjoyed a nice, warm tropical rain. I will take this as a sign that Chaac, the Mayan God of Rain, is pleased with our work.
