I was glad of my car today, backing it into the yard to unload soil and lumber.

I was bemoaning having to become a car owner again last month. After Hive account@winstonalden decided to return to working in the real world and took his dream job in the city, our one car family was really forced to consider becoming a two car family.

I don't really like owning a car.

More hassle, extra insurance, fuel costs et al. My last car, my dear old Volvo station wagon, had managed to last me the last 10 years. And finally gave out, though we did use it to move brush and trees on our property, but it wasn't road worthy.

Thus, when it was time to get another car I of course just thought, well another Volvo please, my good ole work horse. This time, however, I was lucky enough to find that I like the Volvo SUV which still gives me all the room the wagon did to put in lumber and plants, but with even more room! And here she is, full of soil and not pictured she was also full of lumber.

My Large veg garden here at Toad Hall was becoming too much work so this year I decided to downsize the veg garden consideralbly and place on the sea side of the house. Probably not the smartest decision due to wind and salt spray, but I am determined and I believe half of a successful gardener (or artist for that matter) is determination.

I posted before about putting up the old picket panels on a warm day about two weeks ago. I made a simple 8 foot by 20 foot area on one end of the house. Here we see Hive account@winstonalden helping and the panels going up.

Today I was laying out borders for perrenials around the outside of the garden up to the back of the house.

I've decided these pressure treated panels you buy as fence staves seem to be a good height and width to make the borders edges. I cut wood at an angle and hammer them into the soil and then can screw the panels into it making a nice 6 inch tall edge.

Structure is important to me when I garden. It is not unlike sketching and making studies prior to creating a final painting.

I feel if I get some good lines in with hardscaping (fenching, wooden trim, decking, gravel paths) that when it comes time for the fun bits of adding plants and bulbs the final piece will feel more flushed out. I'm probably just a process junkie and much like the layers of sketching, studies, and day dreaming, approaching gardening that way is probably just in my blood.

Our weather today was Typical New England Spring, We went from warm sun, to cool wind, to an hour and a half of heavy dark rain, and now back to sun again. That's fine though, as I simply let Mother Nature tell me when I needed a tea break. When it started to pour I simply put the kettle on and like any builder/handyman, sat on my unfinished work and watched the rain whilst drinking my tea.

Yes, I'm also attempting a small little raised deck to be part of this new garden area.

Why not, right? We recently lost our handy man (he passed away sadly) but I think, again, with some determination I can at least give it a go. It looks a right mess now, but better to see how lovely it shall be later on if the current state is a bit of a palaver.
At least I was able to get my Sugar Snap peas and various salad greens in their bed in the new garden. It is the one and only finished and filled bed in there at present, but it does make for a nice end of a wonderful gardening Sunday.

I hope everyone had a lovely Sunday and you were able to do something you loved to do, even if it was staring out the window or taking a good ole nap.