It isn’t every morning I get to enjoy my cup of French press coffee out on my patio, but this morning the cool breeze and birdsong beckoned me for a half hour of reflection among the hydrangeas and drift roses. One of the first things I did when I moved to my townhouse three years ago was to hire a local garden designer. The space held potential but lacked design or cohesion. A few random shrubs, a clematis vine, a stand of lilies. Together, we devised a plan. Along with two workmen, the designer helped me tear things out and install rock pavers, line the path to the gate with bricks and literally put down roots in a new chapter of my life. When my newlywed sister and her husband purchased their first home as a short sale eight years ago, they saw its obvious flaws, but they didn’t let that deter them from its potential. They also didn’t wait until everything was perfectly remodeled on the house before they began transforming the ramshackle yard into their own corner of paradise. ...
Reflections from a peaceful place by Rebecca Newton Abbit