herb garden

So I started working on removing the lilacs for my pond idea. Here's what it looked like before I started:

(Ok--my pictures refuse to come up here. I'll post them separately.)

It was a job. Geez. I had to shovel the dirt out from underneath the roots, then take the splitting maul to break apart the roots from each other. I was actually really worried that I had hurt my back again. After a few hours working on Monday, I was in a bit of misery. I took some IBU, went to see Monster House with the guys, and felt better in the morning. I think it's the splitting maul that did it to me. What I'm going to do about wood this winter is very questionable. I have a feeling I'm just going to have to buy a few cords, and use then use propane if I run out. I was hoping the tank would last a few years. Who knows, I might get farther along with my wood then what I think.

Anyway, after I started on the lilacs, I began to think about that whole space by the huge rose bush. I have been looking at a bunch of herb magazines that were left here, and although I know next to nothing about them, I've always been attracted to growing and using them. So that's what I'm going to do! I ended up digging out almost all of the rose bushes (my treatise on the spreading of roses will come later), cleaned out that whole area underneath the pear trees which was filled with lots of old wood and junk, and cut back the grass. It is going to be absolutely awesome. I'm not sure I'll keep the old swingset as a trellis right there. I think it would look better if I built a teepee type trellis from branches, and I can move the old one somewhere else. We'll see.


The garden will end up being a half circle. I had seen this picture of a circle design mosaic made out of rocks that looks really cool. I'm thinking that something like that would look great in between the pear trees, and that I would make pie-like growing sections that would start at that point. There would be a small walkway between the pie pieces (although I'm thinking that these walkways shouldn't be in a completely straight line-some curves would be good) for ease of weeding and harvesting etc., and it would also make for a more visually appealing garden. I'm not sure where I would put the pond, but I still think it would be a great spot for one. I would have to find a way to keep the ducks and geese out of it or they would completely ruin it, so I've got to do some more thinking about that.