The last post was dated 15 May 2011, which was the day I was meant to move into my new place. I ended up moving on 31 May 2011, which explains the hiatus as the last few weeks were understandably hectic. Now that I have more or less settled down, I am in a better position to provide an update of the progress with the new garden. My previous place had a garden space of no more than 700 sq ft, including the sidewalk outside the house. The current place has a garden space of about 3500 sq ft, so it leaves one with little imagination as to the amount of work which has to go into the garden. People who have dropped by for a visit often ask who’s my landscape consultant and how many workers I use. I get this incredulous look whenever I tell them it’s a one-man show; from the design and layout, to the sourcing and buying, the tilling of the earth, the planting of the large trees (admittedly with some help from the delivery guys), the laying of the granite chip garden path and finally, the monumental task of planting just about every plant I have. It’s tough work which has to be spread out over many weekends, but it’s satisfying and thoroughly enjoyable. Plus I get a pretty good work-out, not to mention a deep, glowing, albeit, farmers’ tan.
I tend to be a little of a control freak when it comes to the garden and prefer to take my time to ponder about where to plant what. Having workers around me disrupts my ability to think and plan. I therefore generally prefer to work alone.
