One more New England trip and my car was again filled with the overflow from two friends' gardens. And, I got tips and words of wisdom about the earth to use, a good mulch to purchase if I wanted, and which plants might have to be dormant a year before flowering. As I was trying to do thing project on as little cash outlay as possible, I tried to keep purchases to an absolute minimum. With the generosity of my friends and their abundant gardens, I have not had to purchase much.
More time planting, mixing the soil, and hauling water. One month later, some losses, and many successes. The Montauk daisies look like they've rooted, and we'll see if they blossom in the fall. After a rough start it seems most of the Creeping Jenny is going to make it, and the Ajuga is doing just fine. The violets are thriving - of course - and the Lamb's Ear is amazing, and has already flowered. There's a Smartweed that appears to have survived. And, I found a few small Petunia plants (in their original starter pots, sitting on top of a garbage bag in LIC), and now those are blossoming too. In the meantime, the seedings of sunflowers and morning glories are doing fine, and ready to make their way into the garden.
Soon I began meeting the neighborhood. Folks who had worked in the area for over 30 years stopped by, introduced themselves. It was not long I was introducing some of them to each other!
Other eyes look on: the neighborhood cats, who take their evening meal adjacent, thanks to a generous appreciator of cats - who works nearby. Little by little the space is being transformed with life, and not just plants. Where the bums used to congregate, now neighborhood workers stop by. There are even those who have volunteered to water when I am away. It's started!
Picture please, of how it looks now! I love the story.
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