I stopped by the local paper to pick up their photos of last spring’s House and Garden Tour, the fun day in May when 700+ people traipsed through my house and garden and that of my neighbors. It was a wonderful neighborhood lovefest, the sharing of our little slice of heaven, and we raised big bucks for the local historic society. And now that I have these photos, I can add them to our new website. Well, that’s the idea. For some reason this is the only one that Photo Deluxe recognizes (yes, I still use the freebie program that came with my first digital camera.) In order to do anything with the others I’ll have to figure out Picasa, a program also on my computer that I’ve never used and which looks utterly foreign to me. If continually having to learn new programs doesn’t stave off senility, well, I don’t know what will.
Anyway, I’m glad the one shot I can show you is this one, taken by the Takoma Voice’s Julie Wyatt from my neighbor’s deck and looking into my garden, with tour-goers strewn about. In the center of the photo is the doomed Bradford pear you’ve heard so much about, which I’m resolved to have removed this very month. To that end, my job this weekend is to move FIVE fully grown shrubs that are in the way of the removal work and, if I can manage it, a four-year-old Kousa dogwood with presumably a sizable rootball.
Yeah, I’m busting my butt this weekend moving these large plants that I’ve been told don’t really have to be moved because I don’t trust myself. If I leave them there, assuming they really do survive the tree work, I’m afraid I’ll get lazy and plant all the new trees conveniently around them instead of where they should go. No, after decades of compiling one mistake on top of another in that border by planting around whatever’s already there, I’m finally doing it right, dammit. No more slacker design for me. Good thing I know a good physical therapist, though.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
“If continually having to learn new programs doesn’t stave off senility, well, I don’t know what will.”
This is my philosophy, too!
Work that brain tissue!
My back hurts just thinking about it. Maybe the pool boy could do it for you…okay I admit I’ve always wanted a pool boy.
I love your backyard and I would be very happy (except in winter) if you would plant me there too.
Picasa is a great program to use and very easy, though I don’t know how compatible it is with Typepad. I assume it would be okay.
Do you have Picasa2,as opposed to the original version? I downloaded it when Google began offering it for free last year, and it almost runs itself. It automatically finds any new photos and graphics you might have loaded onto your computer since the last time you logged in. It has some really nifty features. Try it sometime! Re working with Typepad, it does have inbuilt Blogger buttons and is obviously geared to that, but its strength is how easy it is to organise your photos on your own computer. I’d agree with Jenn: figuring out new sofware, even when it’s easy, keeps the brain ticking over.
Got sidetracked, wanted to say that I loved looking at the photos!
Your garden looks beautiful & tranquil. Just the thought of moving shrubs & rootballs gives me a backache. I know what you mean about “compiling one mistake on top of another”…there are the mistakes I made & the previous gardener before me that drive me nuts.
Ugh. That sounds like loads of fun but I wanted to join you in the problem-compounding corner… I planted my fruit trees in the back yard, never intending to put a whole garden in, so my WHOLE GARDEN is based on my rather ridiculous fruit tree placement. I need a new house so I can start over.