The Aging Gardeners

Ron and I became partners seven years ago after losing our lifelong spouses around the same time. I ended up selling my home of twenty - five years, and moved in with him in Lynnwood, Washington. A few years later he retired and put his home there up for sale, and we moved to the country in the mountains of Skagit County.

We have been here for two years now and are gradually getting the neglected grounds in better shape. That has involved a lot of yard work and gardening.

Our trip to town the other day contributed to our work out in the yard. We ended up over in Lowe's garden shop, and I could not resist the colorful heather they had on display outside. I ended up buying four nice sized pots of it. That must have put Ron in a planting mood because he said that he wanted to stop at Thompson's Nursery again on the way home. He wanted to buy some pampas grass. He had some in the bed out front of the house in Lynnwood, and missed it.

So after we had dinner at El Gitano's we headed for home and stopped at the nursery. They had their gate closed with a sign that said that they close at 5:00 pm. I told him about another nursery closer to home. We stopped there and he found two really nice grass starters in a couple gallon containers. He only had to pay $10 for each plant. He figured may as well get two while we were at it. So we headed home with our belly's full and proud of our purchases of the day.

We picked yesterday and today to plant our 'prizes'. First Ron had to dig up the ugly dying forsythia; one other bush we did not recognize; nor like for that matter; and a couple of lilies growing along the driveway. He did that yesterday. He decided that is where the pampas grass should grow. He spent a few hours digging and removing the roots of those destined to be eliminated. Of course he would rest in between digging and pulling. He finished up toward evening and announced he would plant the grasses the next day.

By midday today he had the pampas grass planted with plenty of room for growth between the two plants. He was by this time pretty wore out from all of yesterday's digging and pulling too. So he sat out on the front deck in the lounge chair and drank cold juice in the shade.

By then I was ready to go plant my heather. He had emptied the wheelbarrow and left the shovel for me to do my dirty work. I would plant two of the beautiful magenta shrubs out by the fence at the end of the driveway. The other two purple ones I would plant up at the corner of the deck steps. First I had to dig their holes deep enough in the clay and rocky soil out by the fence. By the time I had my first hole dug and put the shrub in the ground water was starting to pour off of me! And I had three more to go!

I continued to dig up the ground where the next one would be planted by the fence. After plenty of huffing and puffing, and breaking my back, I got the other one in there too.

Then I rested on the deck chair and drank my juice. It was beginning to heat up more outside by that time, and I had the two to plant in the corner by the steps yet.

I was secretly hoping that Ron would feel sorry for me and come dig my two remaining holes for me. No such luck. He was too wore out already. So I put my dirty gloves back on and began digging in the corner. I ran into buried rocks! Not only buried rocks, but buried tiles! Mind you these rocks were bigger than my fist. Some were as big as my foot. Ron just looked at them and said "Pitch them in the wheelbarrow". So I began digging and pitching.

By the time I had the last two shrubs planted in the corner by the steps I was dripping wet and wore out. I headed for the bathroom to get the sweat off me and get cleaned up. I was actually huffing and puffing in there too!

Boy, am I getting older or what? I can't remember yard work ever being so hard.

Next time I think we will think twice before we grab up any new shrubs to plant.

We really got our butts kicked today!





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