Yesterday, I surveyed the damage. Weeds have grown up in every bare patch of soil, plants are withering and fruit is ripening well before they should. The lawn has seen better days having not been mowed for the same amount of time and weeds have even started popping up through the thatch.
7 weeks ago I ruptured my Achilles tendon in two places: one along the tendon itself and the other as it pulled away from the bone. Damn the aging process!
Needless to say I’ve been bound to a set of crutches and relegated to the couch with my notebook on my lap. I can see some of the garden from this vantage spot but I certainly can’t see it all. From here it looks fine but yesterday as I tried to maneouvre around the yard the reality of the situation set in. The garden hadn’t faired as well as I’d hoped.
The photo above isn’t of my garden – it’s just how I feel about it at the moment.
I’ve come to realise that my garden was never created with a view to allowing those with disabilities into it. I just assumed that I would always have my health, and thank God, this isn’t a permanent situation. I took for granted the fact that I could easily move around – up and down steps, traversing crazy-paving with ease and in and out of soft garden beds with a youthful deftness. I never imagined that I wouldn’t be able to do that.
Fortunately, we’ve had some rain over the past few days – prior to that it had been 51 days without rain – and the plants seem to have picked up a little. Deb took me down to the local nursery where I treated myself to a few new plants that would replace the ones that didn’t make it and the kids took great joy in helping me get them into the soil.
The plaster comes off this week and I’ll get fitted with a walking boot that allows some movement. I’m not sure how long this stays on for but I’m told the treatment (pre-physiotherapy) takes about 10-12 weeks in total.
Hopefully this will permit me some more access into the garden and I can start pulling those darned weeds. I can already sense their quivering!!!