The Fruits of Our Labors

It takes skills and knowledge to have any successful career, which is why I am sure that professional ditch diggers would not be impressed by either my talent or intellect if they saw me hacking away at the dirt in our yard.

It's so bad, that one might wonder why I even try. Well... for starters, I’m not entirely helpless or hopeless. What I lack in technique or training, I make up for with perseverance. Any digging, leveling, soil moving project is still slow going for me, but I can certainly stick to the task a lot longer than when I first started this gardening project.

Secondly, the only other person here who could do it is my boyfriend, Salt, whose talents are better used elsewhere. While I have been playing in the dirt, Salt has been designing and building the deer fence and planters. When he got done with that he started a little garden of his own next to the garage and began construction on safer entry steps. This is in addition to the pergola he is building as a grape arbor.

When he says, “I think I’ll build some steps,” I imagine how I would go about it. For me, it would involve night after night of sketches and rough measurements. I would consult search engines to find how-to guides. I would go to the building center with a painstakingly crafted, long, detailed list, then I would struggle to the point of exhaustion loading the lumber into the truck. After having exhausted myself mentally and physically for weeks, I would finally off-load the lumber (dropping at least one on my foot). That moment would be the zenith of the project, as I would look back at how much I have accomplished and look forward to the thrill of construction (and completion) immediately before me. At that point, I would realize I can't hold a circular saw and operate it at the same time, ending my project in a tragedy of dashed hopes.

You can see how it is a matter of practicality that I have very little to do with the process when Salt says, “I think I’ll build some steps.”   The way he goes about it is to take some measurements, sketch in a small memo pad for a few minutes, and make a quick trip to the building center. When he returns, he completes the demolition, puts up a safety barrier (in the highly likely event I forget the steps are gone), levels the ground and puts in footers before the first day is done.

His sketches are rough and he’s designing as he goes, but even his half-finished stairs, fences, decks, et cetera are beautiful enough to make me giddy with anticipation. The loveliest part is that he does finish, quickly, usually on the second or third day. One would think it was effortless if it weren't for the fact he is covered with sawdust, sweat and dirt. The end product is a union of form and function. I am unceasingly in awe at the artistry of what he's built. Though he makes a special effort to make his creations attractive, he'll explain the practicality of the beautiful thingy (my term) that's holding the entire construction together.

Living with a talented artist who has such practical skills can be a bit demoralizing. Although one of my virtues is the ability to put my ego on a shelf, I still have those fleeting thoughts about how pathetic my own endeavors seem in comparison. I try to content myself with what I can do. While Salt constructs the Taj of decks, I keep the drill batteries charged, pick up scrap wood, put away discarded tools, and of course dig. There are lots of digging projects like sinking the footers under the deer fence, leveling the raised planters, cultivating the soil under the planters, filling the planters with top soil, mixing in compost, moving plants, and spreading mulch. It's too bad that all of my practice digging has not blossomed into a talent. 

I'm hoping that gardening will turn out to be my medium, but it's not exactly the kind of endeavor that shows immediate results. I did get the plants into the planters and they have survived five weeks, but I wouldn't say it's beautiful yet and I could kill it all at any time.  Nonetheless, the yard has come a long way with Salt's amazing construction and my determined shoveling, so I'm including a slide show so you can see the progress we've made so far. Enjoy.