The Lazy Gardener
I’ve lived in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania for more than 15 years. My family and I relocated here from Brussels, Belgium ,where both my husband and I were in the military. We bought a little house in town and began, almost immediately, to changing everything about it. Inside and out. One of the first things that we did was to get rid of most of the lawn area, replacing it with flowers beds. I’ve often joked with friends about how very little I knew about gardening when started the first project. The first year in the house, I planted annuals! My rationale was that I’d plant the annuals once and they would come back every year;) How wrong I was… .I should have planted perennials instead.
HGTV became my mentor! I watched it day and night and learned so much from it. But then again, there’s nothing like getting out there, getting your hands dirty and doing it yourself. A 30 minute episode, doesn’t tell you that your back and legs will hurt for days after clearing a spot for a new garden bed or that you need to let the garden tools “do the work”. I learned these things the old fashioned way, by doing it.
After many years of trial and error, I’ve coined myself, “The Lazy Gardener”. I found a few staple plants that really work for me, Hosta and Yucca plants. These two plants in particular require very little care and increase in size each season . In fact, I separate them at the beginning of the season and create more flowers beds.
Each year, I plan a project to improve my garden. This year, I’m planning to create a dining area under an arbor structure. This area will be in my secret garden area behind a fenced in area that is not visible street the street. Many say that my garden looks as if it’s always been there. That was the look I was going for.
I am very proud of the beauty that I’ve been able to create. I walk around my little garden several times a day. I hope that this story will encourage you to try gardening as well. Through perseverance and vision, you too can create a unique space of your own.