Garden Bride

Have I mentioned any of the plans we have for our wedding? No? Shame on me! The F* and I bought a house together in April of this year, and we discovered that it came with almost two acres of land. Yowza. So, in addition to the lot that you'd expect -- front yard, side yard, and a narrow slit of a backyard -- we also have a trail that leads down the side of a big hill to a clearing about 50 yards across. It's amazing, and we are so lucky to live in a home that was well-loved by our predecessors.

(Excuse the crazy filters on these pics. I got a new camera and was playing with the settings.)

{Incidentally, the couple who lived here before us moved in in 1961 and lived the remainder of their years here. She died in 1997, and he died in March, just a few months after he moved out. He was a Master Gardener -- and apparent handyman, judging by the DIY light fixtures, cedar-lined closets, and basement decor. More on that later.}

The F suggested early on in our marriage discussions that we should get married in the clearing. How romantic! Except that I'm not only romantic, I'm pragmatic, and all I could think was, "Oh, crap, we have a lot of work to do. And how will we power a sound system without blowing the fuses?" You read that right. Fuses. While we got original oak hardwood floors, the aforementioned cedar-lined closets, and 5 foot wide hallways, we are also the proud owners of a 1700 square foot creepy basement apartment that was last updated in the 70's, an overgrown trail and clearing, and an electrical system based on fuses.

I'm very excited to be married to my favorite guy ever on the grounds of our first home together, and can't wait to show our kids the pictures. On the other hand, we have a lot of work to do before spring, not least of which involves learning enough about gardening to clear and augment the great piece of property we live on.

Are there any gardeners in the audience? What would YOU do with this trail and clearing? Clean it up, leave it wild, or try to tame it with new plantings?

*F = Fiance, though I might sometimes use FH (Future Hubby) instead.