Susan Senator

Can I make yer garden grow?
–Led Zep

I’m much better today. I am taking action, going to have my situation evaluated, because I think that my mid-life hormones are just tormenting the crap out of me. It’s the Es-Trogen Wars!!

I met with a landscape designer this morning, a very crisp and smart woman. We saw eye-to-eye on so many things. She has a very good sense and knowledge of history, and of architecture, combined with a very Japanese, quiet, calm aesthetic. Rather than doing what everyone else does: holly or box hedge, grass inside, everything squared off, we agreed that the torn-up front yard (remember the sewage pipe debacle?) should have more of a green and stone kind of look, with natural-shaped large pale stones laid out in a curvy pattern, almost like a dried river bed, with evergreens and variegated ground covers edging and clustering, and then the stone pattern bleeds over into the other part of the lawn, which has grass, and fades into a stone path leading around the side under the large arbor. We would make the new front path out of cobblestone (real cobblestone, not that smooth fake granite stuff). I hope Ned agrees; cobblestone is a little hard to walk on. But it is so pretty!! And it would make so much sense, considering the natural stone covering on the other spots.

I was feeling so happy sitting there talking to Elizabeth. This was because the whole thing reminded me of my book, Dirt. I won’t tell you any more because I don’t want to spoil the ending. But with a title like, Dirt: A Story of Gardening, Mothering, and a Midlife Crisis, you must realize that gardening figures into the story! But also, I felt happy to be making plans for spring planting! And, she’s a writer, so we were also trying to think up places for her to pitch her stuff about architecture and the garden.

Real spring is so close, there are sometimes even smells outdoors. Something kind of sweet and active. Even with 38 degrees and snow-like rain coming down, I won’t be fooled. I hear spring birds, I see fat rusty robins, I see yellowish green stems. I can pretty much say with confidence that we have kicked winter’s ass out the door. Flush March down the terlet already; we are talking real spring!

Why else would Natty be smiling so much?