I have been reminded of the great joy and renewal that comes from tending to my garden.  After months of diligent work remodeling the inside of our new Bed and Breakfast, Phantom History House, finding furniture and decor, choosing paint colors and art, the inside of the house is in very good shape.  The unique paranormal theme of the house, mixed with elegance and comfort, has been achieved.  Now we turn to the outside of the house.

I’ve been fascinated of the seasons of work on this new project.  First the renovation, then the decoration and acquisition of furniture and decor, then the marketing, and now the outside.  We are enjoying transforming the yard, the flower beds, and creating the theming of the outdoor spaces.

I’ve found great peace and relaxation in being outside and digging in the dirt.  I’ve never undertaken an outdoor renovation of this magnitude, but it has brought the same joy and creativity that we found in decorating the inside of the house.  Choosing plants that express the same paranormal theme, something beautiful and yet a little creepy, has been a lot of fun.

This work is physically challenging.  No matter how much I work on strength training and flexibility in the gym and in my martial arts training, working in the yard is a fitness routine of a different sort.  But I find that my body can accept these new challenges and I can push through these new demands.

We have found great advice and support and encouragement from the wonderful team at Landmark Nursery in Tarpon Springs, about 15 minutes from our house.  The team there, and especially Angela and Sabrina, have been excited to help us with our unique theme and the challenges of each bed around the yard.

As we work our way through the “seasons” of this bed and breakfast project, I often realize something which seems obvious but which I have never really understood.  In the case of our yard and flower beds, I finally realized that we needed to water regularly and a lot more than we were.  I knew that our house did not have a sprinkler system, but somehow I just assumed that the yard was getting all the rain it needed and somehow it was persevering on its own.  Now after eight months in the house and seeing the grass struggle, I finally understand that we need to be watering.  The previous owner must have been using a sprinkler to keep the grass green, but this had escaped me until now.  So we’ve been watering daily and all our plants and lawn are responding.

I encourage you to take some time to dig in the dirt, improve and beautify your outdoor spaces, and make sure water all your plants well.  Don’t be too hard on yourself if you have missed something obvious until now, just be glad that you realized it and move forward with the new information.  Water and nurture your environment and watch it grow!