Friday, November 11, 2016

Idyll Haven Has Moved

My new digs in April this year.


“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
~Andy Warhol

If there is one thing I've learned about life, it's that it change is inevitable.  Late last year I made the decision to sell my house.  It wasn't an easy decision.  Not because of the house.  I liked my house.  It was comfortable and a perfect size for me.  I had lived in my house for close to twenty one years and had made many improvements.  But it was time to move on.

I put my house on the market in May, it was under contract in less than a week and closed in July. The months leading up to the closing were crazy busy and they continue to be.  In addition to moving the entire contents of my house and three flea bag cats, I moved hundreds of plants, both of my fountains and all of my planting containers and garden statuary.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to move all this stuff.  However the move took months and it wasn't easy.


The Twerpster took the move in stride

So did the "ferals".

Leaving the garden was hard.  I thought it would be about the plants but in the weeks leading up to the move it turned out to be about the memories.  Specifically memories of my dogs.  Everywhere I looked I saw them snoozing on the patio and sniffing around the yard, digging for worms, and prospecting for pizza slices that squirrels and birds dropped in the yard after dumpster diving behind the plaza in back of the house.


Zak in the garden in the fall of 1999.


Zoe on the patio circa 2005

I don't consider myself sentimental so the intensity of these memories took me by surprise.  A couple of days before the closing, I went to take the last few items out of my now mostly empty house.  After walking through each room, I went outside, stood on the patio and watched my dogs frolic in the garden one last time.


Nick's last day in the garden-July 25, 2015

Moving is never easy but in my case it has turned out to be well worth it.  My new home is located in what I would describe as a rural suburban neighborhood at an elevation of just over 800 feet on two partially wooded acres in north central CT.  With the exception of a few neglected and overgrown areas the garden is a blank slate.

Bears were frequent visitors to the yard in May and June.


New garden in progress on the front lawn

A hot, dry summer took it's toll on the gardens I was able to find the time to install.  For the most part the soil stinks.  We're on a well so running sprinklers for hours a day isn't possible.  Once I finish fall cleanup, the gardens are going to get a layer compost and shredded leaves.  No garden will do well here unless I can improve the soil.

Going forward I'm not sure what direction this blog will take.  Gardening is just one of my many interests.  Obviously I was unable to keep up with the blog before and life is even busier now.  The new garden needs a new name and the old blog needs a new look.  




Friends on the Knife Edge at Mt. Katahdin (Maine) in August

On the summit of Mt. Madison (New Hampshire) in July

Garden season is over in the northeast but I'm confident that the adventures will continue.  Stay tuned.


No, the new garden will not be called "Green Acres".


 

17 comments:

  1. Hey there, great to see a blog post from you! Nice read Sue.

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    1. I needed a diversion from all the sniping going on on Facebook right now.

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  2. Yay Sue ! Do another post or two and then come to GB Fling next summer.And of course prequel to Chanticleer and Longwood. I would love to see you blog about the development of your new garden.

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    1. We'll see. For the next few months most of the activity here will be taking place inside but I do plan to contact a landscape designer soon because I really missed my patio this summer and would like to have one on line again by next season.

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  3. Good to catch up, no matter how short.

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    1. I'll try. I envy and appreciate you garden bloggers who put so much thought and effort into your blogs on a regular basis.

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  4. Welcome to north central CT! You must be very near me now I think. Your new house is spectacular -- a beautiful and iconic example of what's so gorgeous about Connecticut. I hope there will be posts of the interior at some point? And the developing gardens -- if you can find the time to blog about them, it will be fun to watch what evolves. Congrats on the big life change!

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    1. Hi Laurrie-Nice to hear from you! I am in North Canton just up the hill from Tulmeadow Farm in West Simsbury. This house was built in 1993 so it's not historic but yes I have a long list of decorating and remodeling projects I'd like to tackle.

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    2. I am in northwest Bloomfield near the Simsbury line (under Heublein Tower)!

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  5. Very nice post. I did get a little teary. Although I never met Zak, I did meet Zoe and had the pleasure of Nick's company once in awhile. I can understand how those memories would ping your heart. The new-to-you home is definitely the look of a New England postcard, even if the house is a 1983 creation, the exterior was designed to be fitting for the area.

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  6. What a beautiful property you have- and the mountain shots are stunning!

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  7. Happy new house and property to you Sue! In time, you'll fill your new space with beautiful memories. I bet the bear visitors help reduce the deer damage to your new garden.

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    1. Deer roam the neighborhood but I had no damage this year because I made sure deer spray was applied regularly. So far the most damage has been done by a groundhog and voles. It's always something :).

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  8. So good to see you popping up on my feed to catch up! Congratulations on the new home and I'm looking forward to your updates on the garden and patio additions.

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    1. Thanks Bonnie! I'll try to be better on the updates.

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  9. Happy holidays in the new home, Sue. I feel like I've visited your old garden, having seen so many photos. It was stunning, and what a great home you made for the pups. We're counting the days with our corgi, who turns 14 this December, so I can easily imagine what the move must have meant to you. But what great adventures await in the new home and garden!

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