“I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it.”
-William Shakespeare
As a former engineer, I always start with a floor plan (in theory) – or a site plan. So today is about giving you the lay of the land – the shape of the little world that has become home. Phoenix gardens differ from northern ones in many ways, but the most striking is the cinder-block walls that frame nearly every yard. I like them. They’re six feet tall (which is more than me), and I never understood the point of a chain link fence that you can see through. The enclosure feels comforting, not confining. And when you bend your neck back and look up along the z-axis to the bluest sky you’ve ever seen, the space is boundless.
Please note that these diagrams are not to scale. This pains me. I have, however, included a north arrow. I have my limits. I will not say anything about sun exposures or use the word azimuth (today).
As a good Anglophile, Monty Don is … you know. He’s Monty. It’s like trying to explain Captain Picard. So I naturally think of this largely concrete lot in a Phoenix subdivision as my Longmeadow. Deluded? Quixotic? Maybe. But it makes me smile. And so, these spaces will all be garden rooms at some point, appropriately named. Except perhaps the driveway. That feels heavy-handed.
A Brief Tour
The Front Yard
It’s fine. As the Front Yard, it is of course particularly subject to inspection by (Jaws music) the HOA. Hopefully, together we can find ideas to make our front yards stand out and be unique while fitting in and being compliant. But it’s a low priority. We don’t spend our time here.
The Ocotillo – “The Situation”
From henceforth, “The Situation.” A story for another day. But here it is, hogging valuable shade.
The Front Courtyard – “The Hygge Garden”
My focus. I love this space and its mountain view, and I love the walls with the huge sky. It feels like an outdoor room already, and I want to make it cozy – beautiful in a comfortable, lived-in way – a place where it’s safe to do nothing but be, and be myself, thoroughly. It’s the first garden room I’m naming because it’s the one I feel like I already know.
Lemon Grove
I take no credit. It was here. I will say: if you think you have a lime tree, just wait longer. They might be lemons.
Firepit and Raised Bed
These were also waiting for us, although I did paint them. They’re very nice, but I don’t love them yet. It’s hard to love concrete. I’ll get there, though.
Firepit Raised Bed – “The Pit of Despair”
I’ve lost count of the “full sun” plants that have met their end here. This is full sun – fullest at the hottest point of the day, surrounded by heat absorbing concrete. It’s a low priority, but I do have a plan.
The Side Yard – “Barren Land”
Humphrey has to poop somewhere. Even he agrees that this is where it belongs. The AC unit running makes spending time here unlikely, but I’ll get to it one day.
Hopefully, the words and photos land in place now. There are things I love already, and things I can’t wait to make our own. (I’m talking to you, Hygge Garden.) As my husband said to me in the heat of June last year: “Isn’t it gorgeous here?”
Once more unto the breach,
🌿 Ruby
Comments
One response
This is great! I love “walking thru” your garden. I am anxious to see how this all unfolds. Humphrey looks like the best companion ever! So calm.