I can hear the thunder, I can smell the rain

Medicine Garden partially snipped (I can see my stones!!)

I rolled up the proverbial sleeves and resolved today was the day. I needed to cut my backyard and give my Medicine Garden one final hurrah before we moved. I realize, my back yard has become somewhat of a reflection of my inner self; I avoid it at all costs, neglect it out of fits of despair, and let my dog do his business as he pleases (it's an analogy--c'mon!). I dragged out the whipper snipper (which is all I should technically ever need but I had let the grass grow into a field over the summer) got the extension cord and hauled my whining buns out back.

To the rather inspiring soundtrack of thunder rolling in the distance, it took me all afternoon to find my garden. I couldn't bear to leave it in its overgrown state a moment longer. I winced as I knelt on the stubs of hay left by my rather fierce assault and began to pull the weeds by hand. Remind me never to plant wormwood again unless I like the idea of it running rampant through hills and valleys. It's very impressive in the garden but excessively self-sows.

Pretty echinacea ladies & that darned wormwood in the bkgrnd

I had to take a break from weeding when the ground seemed awfully close to my face. Inside, with shaking hands I had a hysterical lunch of lobster and strawberries with whipped cream. Hysterical because in hindsight it's hilarious but at the time my body was on an instinctive drive for calories. It was literally grab and gulp.

I went out for one final push to get around the circular garden and made it! The thunder was still booming but the clouds had stayed off my hill while I worked. I had dirt everywhere. Except, ironically, between my toes.

 

Mallow against the thunder clouds

The reflection of my inner self now has a clear circular ring of smooth round beach stones, a patch of red beebalm, lavender, lady's mantle, chicory, one neat remaining stand of wormwood (the next owner can forge her battles with it as she may), white echinacea, wooly thyme, marsh mallow, a struggling st.johns wort, and comfrey. And two huge ant hills that I'm so not going near. What that says for my new frame of mind I'm only beginning to learn. That sucker's been under weeds for a long time. Now we just need a little blessing of rain . . .