Last Monday I spent the entire afternoon unearthing a rock garden that runs the length of my front yard. When I moved in nearly thirty years ago, the craggy stones surrounded a bunch of ugly evergreens. That first summer, I dug out the shrubs and dutifully hosed down the rocks every single time I cut the grass. Those gorgeous pieces of shale made the garden stand out, even as the years went by when I planted everything from begonias to wildflowers. But since I was sick a couple of years ago, I’ve been lax in weeding and with all the rain we had this spring and summer, the rocks eventually sunk beneath the ever-growing turf.
October is one of my favorite times of the year, so I thought I’d wait until cooler weather set in before tacking what I imagined would be a tough job. But with autumn’s late arrival, I figured I’d better get started. Fall cleanup, while exhausting and seemingly never-ending, is vital if I want the following spring to be fruitful (and nearly effortless). I’d much rather pull on a flannel shirt and jeans than bundle up in cold weather gear to clear the beds and cut back the trumpet vine. Plus it’s super satisfying to enjoy the lush greens and late-blooming perennials of my garden in the fall.
It didn’t take long to shovel up three layers of stone, but it was taxing, especially since it was a hot, humid day. Yet the soil was moist and digging out the weeds proved to be easier than I thought. A few hours later I marveled at how beautiful it looked and now every time I leave the house, I’ll pause and enjoy how beautifully the rock garden ties everything together.
The ever-changing earth this time of year is a miracle.
In years past I’d be harvesting basil and tomatoes and squash, but this season I turned my raised bed into a nursery of sorts, transplanting lilacs and lily-of-the-valley and lovely Rose of Sharon. I’ve gathered the best my garden can offer in one place so that when I move into a new home, I can easily unearth it all to take with me.
In many ways, I wish I could take the rock garden with me, too, but it will stay for the next owner to enjoy. In unearthing and refurbishing the garden, I used every single stone, and while I may not have put them back in the same order from which they were lifted from the ground, they all fit together perfectly…just like a puzzle. It reminds me of all the times I rearranged the furniture in my house. The elements were there, but in moving things around, the energy of the room was transformed.
I suppose being a Virgo makes me more aware of the incredible power of change. I was born then the earth begins it’s rapid transformation from summer to autumn, so it’s easy to embrace that which has outgrown one form and is ready to be recreated into something new. 2019 has been a year of tremendous upheaval. In the past few months, my life has shifted significantly. The way I work, the way I live, the way I spend my days has completely changed. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what life was like pre-June, but in the midst of finding my feet, I feel incredibly blessed to have had the foundation of what the past twenty years have given me.
As I reflect on the season that came before this one, the harvest is only just beginning to reveal itself. All the years I taught yoga have given me a centeredness that I can’t really describe in words. The books and blogs I’ve written have given me faith in myself.
In gathering the stones of all of the struggles I’ve had, the lessons I’ve learned, the blessings I’ve experienced, it’s a wonder to recognize what an enduring foundation they have created. I’ve had to recently unearth it as well, but I trust it will give me the stability I need as I step once more into an unknown future.
No comments:
Post a Comment