The New Galvanized Garden Space
Greg came over after work and helped fill the galvanized containers with soil.
Then he left and I began planting while rolling around on my old garden cart.
Which wasn’t all that easy rolling over gravel. But it was better than trying to stand to do it, which I couldn’t at this point have done.
Not Quite Happy Yet:
I’m not truly happy with the galvanized container garden area as is.
And not only that, but I now realize that I arranged them in front of the crooked light pole!
Which means that every photo I take of that area will have crooked tubs of plants as well as a crooked light pole in the background.
There will have to be a fix to these problems or I will never enjoy that space.
I know how that must sound. But I can’t turn off that part of my brain.
So this morning I’m thinking: Maybe I should find a rock place (or that’s what I call them) just like I did in Tyler. I found lots of goodies there.
A New Idea:
Maybe I could go pick out paving stones and rocks and see if I can provide some cohesiveness to the arrangement. Put something under the containers to make them look even.
I absolutely love those places that sell hardscape materials like rocks and paving stones.
Steve and I passed one out in the middle of nowhere on our adventure last Sunday.
My 14 year old granddaughter would probably enjoy that kind of outing. She loves rocks too.
This Is How The Story Began:
I decided that I wanted gravel in that area over by the sidewalks.
Then realized that nothing was under the gravel to keep the weeds from coming through.
From there I progressed to the idea of arranging galvanized containers in that space to cover some of the weeds.
And now I’m trying to find a fix for the crookedness of the galvanized tubs setting on top of the gravel.
There’s not necessarily a method to this madness. I’m a little obsessive compulsive about a variety of things.
Cleaning To Eradicate Germs:
I tend to clean things like door knobs. Although, patting myself on the back just a bit, there has to be lots of germs on door knobs.
I got in the habit of cleaning food containers and plastic cups of iced drinks during COVID. And I’m still doing it.
Now that I’ve started I probably can’t stop.
I’m just wondering why I didn’t think to do it before. Why didn’t I realize that the person passing food to me at a drive-thru was probably passing germs as well?
How had my brain missed such an obvious occurrence?
There’s never been a germ I didn’t want to tackle with a good strong spray of alcohol and water.
A Story Greg Told Me:
Yesterday Greg told me he goes into all kinds of terrible places to see people for physical therapy. Many are disabled and need help to clean their homes.
He told me about one elderly man who has a daughter and grandson living with him.
The daughter and grandson are able-bodied, but they do nothing about the rats crawling across the floor.
Greg said he saw a big rat just waltz across the kitchen floor like it owned the place. And at this point the rats probably do own the place.
I shudder to think about it.
When I ran a Meals On Wheels route in Tyler, I saw some pretty difficult things at times.
One man was a hoarder and I had a hard time finding a surface where I could place his meal.
The Vet On My Meals On Wheels Route:
There was one vet who had rigged up this pulley system. He would lower a tray down from his second floor apartment.
I would wait until it reached me and then I’d place his food on the top.
And he would reel it back up and over the railing.
I don’t know if it was because he didn’t want anyone near his apartment. Or if it was an effect of PTSD, or maybe he was just afraid of germs himself.
Or all of the above.
But he’d reel his food up, wave, and go inside. And I’d head back to my car to go to the next person on my route.
Anyway, I got a little far off topic.
Are you one of those people who agonize over things that look crooked? Like uneven lampshades maybe? Or wall decor that isn’t hanging straight?
Or other things that bother you?
I am not bothered in the same way you are…when it comes to clothing and sewing that is “off”…that bothers me…but also I am bothered moreso by excessive noise way more than anything…so I think we all have some things that bother us and we are not content until fixed.
Germs are everywhere, and some of them are good for us. You might want to consider buying a 12 inch long level. You can find them online and probably at all of the big box “home improvement” stores, they are inexpensive and handy. I bought one after 40 years of home ownership and it’s a great tool. Now I know what “level” really means. It might be less expensive to buy a sack of pea gravel from a local home improvement center and add it underneath the containers to level them out, rather than buying more expensive slabs of stone from a landscaping center or quarry. As for the crooked lamp pole, ask management if they can level it. I thought of some things I would do (plant to camouflage or place some large object in front of it to distract attention from the pole itself) if it were on my own property, but that’s not your situation. It doesn’t hurt to talk to the manager about possible solutions, though.
Brenda, do you know the name of that pretty purple flower that is shown in one of your photos. Look like little buttons and then open up. I would love to get some at our local nursery. Thnx, Chris
Back when department stores had those wall-mounted phones with extra-long spiral cords that ended up in a knotted ball because sales people always rotated the hand-piece when they’d hang up the phone. I’d slip behind the counter and let the phone dangle so the cord could unwind itself.
I even have a bad habit of straightening pictures in offices and other people’s homes.
I like things to be perfectly centered and equidistant. I mentally divide sentences into odd or even groups (sometimes). It’s not a compulsion–just something I do when bored. In your research, do you have any insight into this behavior? P.S.
Your tub garden will be beautiful and a great remedy to your uneven yard. I have a huge bird fountain that was not level because the earth underneath settled after a time. I bought shims from Lowe’s and straigened it right up.
It is hard to see from the photos that they are crooked – could you grab a grandson, daughter, neighbor to dig the stones out so the glavanized tubs are on the soil? Seems like the simplest fix if you can round up some help. I laughed at your “germ” section – when I was very little my mother worked as a bookkeeper in a tuberculosis hospital -she diligently took great precautions to make sure she had no germs brought back to the house. I adopted her ways and have washed groceries, plastic cups, containers, etc, as well as wiping down surfaces, for many decades LOL. You cannot stop once you start doing it:-)
Yesterday’s post was very touching- a reminder for us all to be grateful, kind to others, and to pay it forward.
As a housecleaner I get grossed out about a lot of things. Before I started a housecleaning business, I was a custodian at the pool. People would poop on the floor and women would leave their used tampons in the lockers. I can’t stand punctuation errors and misspelled words, I can’t stand people not using turn signals, and stinky people in pajamas in the grocery store. I also cannot stand seasonal decorations left up past their season.Finally I don’t go out to eat or buy things from the deli because of what I’ve seen while working in the food industry.
From your pictures, I don’t really see anything crooked either, but I do understand how crazy that can make you. I can get obsessive like that too. And the harder you try to ignore it, the more you want to fix it, lol. That was nice of Greg to come help you out. You are surrounded by such people.
I meant to say such nice people!
I rarely comment, but when you got to germs, I had to! I was the oddball in my family, everyone drank out of the community bathroom cup except me. When I left a public restroom with my mother I would pull my sweater sleeve over my hand to open the door. If we ate in a restaurant I wiped the silverware with my napkin. I haven’t changed. Covid made it normal to pay for food at the drive-through with a debit card and I have a container of disinfectant wipes to clean the card before I put it back in my wallet. Germs are everywhere!
I didn’t notice anything crooked either but what you see is what matters. I really love the tub garden very much! I’m glad you’ve found a way to enjoy “playing in the dirt”, Brenda. Very soothing for you mind and soul.
Have a terrific Wednesday!
Oh, I can see it. It’s hard to tell in photos because things are in front of the galvanized containers.
What do you think about growing an ivy (I mean the plant! Not your little sweetie, Ivy!) at the base of the crooked post? It would soften the edges, and if it’s winter hardy, it would last all year.
I do think your plants will balloon up and thrive under your care and distract from any crookedness that bugs you. But I join you in freaking out over unbalanced stuff! And don’t get me started on punctuation! As in: “lunch special’s” which I just saw an hour ago! Grrrrrr!
I’m the same way about misspellings and punctuation! The problem I’m having with digging at all in that whole graveled area is that it’s levels upon levels of rock underneath. Hard to get to the soil, but I keep trying.
I never noticed anything was crooked. The plants look lovely and I love the colors you chose. I have always admired your way with plants.
I’m doing pink, purple, and white this year.
Yes I am one of those people too. Its hard when you are in someone else’s home and would just love to straighten something!
So happy that you are getting out and about Brenda. When I saw your garden with the white stones I just loved the look, didn’t think about weeds coming up.
Regardless you have a lovely garden now.
I thought there was something underneath the gravel. I never saw those weeds before the white gravel was put down! I guess they just show up more.
I’m with you … don’t like things unbalanced or crooked. By balanced I don’t mean everything has to be exactly the same on both sides of middle (so to speak) but I do like at least an asymmetrical balance that is pleasing to my eye and my brain.
Yes, that’s exactly it. My eye doesn’t see anything but that area of crookedness!