Mrs. Teabody Gets Down and Dirty

Fie on’t! O fie! ’tis an unweeded garden,

That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature

Possess it merely.

~ HAMLET

Good Morning!   Hola! Bon Jour! And all the other phrases one wishes to hear for greeting the day, Gentle Reader.  Mrs. Teabody trusts the night's slumber was rejuvenating. Both Mr. Teabody and the Duchess Ming seemed to be having especially spirited dialogues with Mr. Sandman  forcing Mrs. Teabody from the bedchamber well before the appointed time but not to worry. A day rife with physical activity tending an "unweeded garden," followed by a long sudsing and a nice cuppa had  Mrs. Teabody abed yesterday evening long before a conventional hour, and she is sleep-sated.

At Chez Teabody the southern-most side of the house looks out upon the wildest segment of the property, deliberately kept that way for the barrier  to the neighboring property provided by trees, honeysuckle, grapevines and brambles.  However, there is a thirty-foot  swath between Chez Teabody and the brambly hedge that is somewhat tamed.  The most revered part of this landscape just outside a French door in the Teabody boudoir features a Copper Beech --  do you know this fine tree, Gentle Reader? Here is artist Andrew Taylor's  lovely rendering:

Mrs. Teabody first saw a Copper Beech at Longwood Gardens where there is a splendid row to greet the eye as one first enters the gardens. The leaves are quite unusual in that they stay on the tree through the winter until spring when they suddenly drop most of their leaves in a single day and are quickly replaced by  shiny coppery leaves making for a very pretty sight.

There is good cause for taking care of such a lovely tree, and yesterday the Teabodys spent a fair amount of time and energy sorting the area surrounding it to good effect. The Teabodys fought half-inch long thorns on an out-of-control "New Dawn" rose bush that is so very prickly that it could be used to good effect as prison fences. Mon Dieu!  Taking turns, they hacked away at six clumps of ornamental grasses  each measuring two feet across that had been neglected for at least two summers. Oh, the reeds! To make room for an almost completely obscured spirea and also to make room for the copper beech's spreading arms, the Teabodys whacked away at the  unbridled butterfly bushes, giving them a much more pleasing aspect. Mr. Teabody replaced some rocks in a fallen wall and took random brambles to task. With all this effort completed, the Teabodys looked upon the freshly-tamed area with happy eyes. The copper beech is now the center of attention it deserves to be as it was a wedding gift the Teabodys gave themselves, and the area surrounding it complements it well. When the new  leaves fully emerge, Mrs. Teabody will share a photograph with you, Gentle Reader.

"Well begun is half done" goes the old maxim. Nine years ago the Teabodys planted a tree to symbolically and literally "put down roots." They also made a fine garden to surround the tree. Neglect had made the garden unwieldy and overgrown, but determination, effort, teamwork and a fine April day put that  world to rights and gave the Teabodys a scene to enjoy all summer long. It also served as a reminder that keeping things alive, healthy and lovely requires effort. What little corner of your world wants some of your attention today, Gentle Reader? What "garden" needs  a bit of your time and effort?  Consider it carefully, and  find the tools, the time and the companion to make it happen. Your reward will be pure, unadulterated satisfaction, not to mention a wonderful night's sleep. 

Ta for now, Darlings!