Former owner's green thumb appreciated

Buy This Photo

A monarch butterfly samples a flowering plant in Joey Cresta's yard.Joey Cresta photo

The countertops are finally here; we'll be installing them today. But I'll write about that adventure after we get it done.

This week, I wanted to step outside our home and highlight our wonderful yard. Our house sits on 0.6 acres of land, which feels like plenty to me, especially when I have to mow the grass.

Our yard is one of the things that makes me feel most fortunate about where we live. The previous owner conceded to us he was never much of a handyman around the house, but he clearly had some of the greenest thumbs known to man. After moving in during the cold, bleak days of late March and early April, we slowly watched our property blossom into a display of nature's delicate beauty.

It is the "delicate" part that has me a bit worried, to be honest. On more than one occasion, I've thought to myself, "Am I going to ruin this?" I don't know much about caring for flora, and I'd be devastated if next spring the plant life didn't come back because of something we neglected to do.

But for now, I continue to marvel at and be surprised by what grows up during the year. We always knew we had the massive rhododendron bushes surrounding our house; you couldn't miss those. Their pink flowers bloomed earlier this year and have since passed us by. We really want to trim the bushes back now, because at around 13 feet high, they have sort of taken over the front of the house.

As time passed, more flowers continued to sprout up in the multiple gardens scattered around the property: orange day lilies, exquisite pink peonies, hydrangeas, lilacs and all sorts of other flowers I couldn't possibly identify without doing some research. The life they bring to our yard is palpable.

Even better than the flowers are some of the other surprises we've come across in our four short months here. First, we found the rhubarb patch out back. My fiancee has already tried her hand at making some delicious strawberry rhubarb jam. Then came the strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. As time passes, we find new treats all the time.

I feel really fortunate to have these plants growing in my backyard. What a serendipitous thing that, through no effort of my own, my gardens produce a delicious bounty for us to enjoy and share with family and friends.

The rest is here:
Former owner's green thumb appreciated