A tale of two gardens

I wasn't joking in the last post about doing the same thing in different places.  I am always working with plants, no matter where I am.  I can't imagine not working outside.  After a couple of days of grunt work, this place is looking pretty good.  Considering the state of the land in both places before I started, the progress is amazing.  In Newton, I have thirty years of work and more importantly, thirty years of composting all those autumn leaves.  The soil is as rich as rich can be.  And the garden takes care of itself pretty much.  The ground covers and hostas just keep getting better.

I have a few Korean dogwoods that I started from cuttings.   They are all quite large now.  One is probably twenty feet tall and just as wide.

And here in Oaxaca, although only after four years, the soil is finally getting there.  I started with total scrub land and then, tons of abono, manure, compost, sand, soil, mulch and joyous back-breaking work (I do love it) and voila!

The area to the right in the shot above is really miracle.  It was the site of a huge patch of pure ash from the burning of a few years of brush and trees.  It was ugly.  I can't believe how stuff is growing in it.  What's more, most all the flowers, the zinnias, sunflowers, marigolds, cosmos, all reseed themselves.  Plus, there is some good lemongrass and ornamentals in there.   And hojas santas for cooking as well.

These galliardias are almost perfect and they just keep coming.

I need a siesta....