I am sharing this story hoping to inspire others to take on a project like this since we are all sequestered to our homes. When I first retired in 2014 and moved into my home, the yard was a mess; however, there was one area that annoyed me endlessly—the eight foot strip in the back yard between my house and the neighbor’s where the air conditioner unit resides. It was nothing but a wasteland of rocks and weeds.  The more I weeded, the more they grew. Something had to be done.

An amazing transformation took place by not one bit of inspiration, but two. At a pool party at the Kirby’s, I noticed they had a strip that went all around the pool enclosure and it was lovely with shrubs and stepping stones.  The second inspiration came from my sister, who is mentally challenged.  One day on one of Nancy’s visits she watched me working in the garden and said she wanted a garden—all for herself.  She lives in a group home and would not be able to have a garden there. The idea came to me that I could turn this little eight foot strip of weeds and rocks into a garden just for Nancy. 

So Nancy’s garden was created with a variety of shrubs and grasses, hanging plants, a fruit tree, some annuals, an assortment of yard ornaments and of course stepping stones. Nancy was able to make a contribution as well—she made two stepping stones which have been added. For the last two years we have not seen more than a handful of weeds.  When Nancy visits on occasional weekends, the first thing she wants to do is see her garden—it’s a beautiful spot that can be viewed from the pool patio and my bedroom window and provides lovely fragrance from the Confederate Jasmine on the fence. 

Nancy is also sequestered in her group home and doesn’t quite understand why, but when we talk on the phone she always asks, “How is my garden doing today?” 

So you too can transform that strip of land into a beautiful garden feature. If you would like to stop by and see what I have done, please do—you are welcome.  Stay safe!

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