Another Kind of Design

Garden design was the art of the day.  Fred and I had to do some work on the front of the house, to create a new driveway to allow an easier way for my mom to get in and out of the house so we simply removed half of a mountain and added a driveway then we added a double row of used railroad ties and back filled with some mulch and good top soil. So how does this work with the philosophy that I wrote about yesterday? Really well. I found the mulch by reading my local newspaper, the Canyon Courier, and noted that they give away mulch when they shred unwanted trees, you just have to wait until they have a job in your neighborhood  (I only waited 2 days), the used railroad ties were free from a friend who was having them replaced and they were going to be thrown away, and the mountain was removed professionally because I don't own any heavy equipment!

Some of what I had to do cost me a lot of money, but that is the nature of the game. This was a big job, a long driveway (over 200 feet) and to make it accessible for a 95 year old person means wide (think ambulance width) and flat. Permits, all that stuff. To make it attractive cost a lot less. By using recycled railroad ties, recycled rebar, free mulch,  and a little creativity it will look awesome! When we had the driveway dug out Fred dug up a lot of the small pine trees, today he replanted them. I am dividing a lot of my old plants and transplanting them, one of the most time honored gardener's ways of making a wonderful garden. The other way is dividing and sharing plants-which is what I want to do next. I really need some hen's and chicks... hint, hint! Now to take our tired bodies to bed and to much needed rest!