While our remodel project is moving ahead with increased speed, the mess surrounding us gets steadily worse. This week, we've been preparing to have the house's exterior painted. The team's first step was to scrub the dirt off the facade but, before they could start, we had to move everything away from the house, which in effect meant moving these items into my garden. I know this isn't a forever situation but, as a neat freak, a legacy of growing up as the daughter of a hoarder, this stresses me out, making my garden a source of anxiety rather than the refuge I'd like it to be.
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| The photo on the left shows the scene that currently greets me the moment I step out the door of our temporary kitchen. The next 2 photos show my cutting garden steps away. Among other things, 2 of 3 my rain barrels have been deposited in these spaces, as well as the 2 benches that formerly sat on either side of the front door. Passage through the garden has become difficult. |
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| The plants I had in pots have taken major hits since the remodel began and I've emptied more and more of them as the process continued. They've landed under the citrus trees in the cutting garden, along with the plastic flats I used to deter critters from digging there. The good news is that the raccoons have been steering clear of the garden for a few months now. |
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| This is what landed in the area in front of our garage. We hope the guy who removed the paving stones from our back patio to accommodate the kitchen extension will agree to lay a new trash can path for us using them. Work on my renovated bromeliad/succulent bed is halted until I can clear space to work. |
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| If it wasn't for the fact that this bench occupies the middle of the path, it could be a comfortable spot to sit awhile |
I appreciate how nice the exterior walls look cleaned of their dirt and grime but I look forward even more to completion of the painting process, which will allow me to restore a semblance of order to my garden. Meanwhile, the entire renovation experience has me considering adopting a more minimalistic ethos. I may not be a hoarder but I've got more stuff than I need.
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| The protective film's finally come off the new kitchen window. I'll have a nice view from the kitchen sink once the weather station is put back on the roof and the construction workers clear the debris from the back patio. |
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All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I went through the house painting process last summer, so I know what you're talking about. You've probably seen photos of the pots I usually display on my front porch all summer, so that gives you an idea of some of what I had to move away from the house and find room for somewhere out in the garden. It was so stressful and messy. I hope your painters do quick work. You're going to have such a great view from that kitchen window!
ReplyDeleteThey started the painting this morning, after completing the cleaning and patching processes yesterday. It doesn't seem to be proceeding very fast today but maybe I'm just impatient. I'm hoping they'll at least finish the garage before they break for the day.
DeleteOh dear - it's not just you. We ALL have more stuff than we need. One day at a time, Kris. Pretty soon it will be over, and you can have the fun of moving it all back into place. Or, that might be a great time to purge some stuff...? Either way, I bet it's going to feel great, come the holiday season, and you have all that new space, and those glorious views. If I lived closer, I'd volunteer to do your dishes for you - just so I could take in that view!
ReplyDeleteI've started jettisoning some stuff already but I expect I'll get more ruthless with that when it comes time to move everything back into place. You're welcome to come by and do dishes any time, Anna ;)
DeleteYuck! That would be driving me crazy too. But your smart to do it at the same time as the rest of the upheaval.
ReplyDeleteMoving was difficult but I think remodeling is worse...
DeleteNice kitchen window view!
ReplyDeleteThe raccoons being temporarily scared off is a good benefit, but the chaos is a tough way to get that.
In painting all the rooms in the house I managed to get rid of some stuff, and have been even more careful about buying anything at all since. Less purchases, less clutter. (Plants don't count!)
Turning off the fountain for the duration of the project and let the birdfeeders stand empty has dramatically reduced the number of critter visits. I got rid of a LOT of indoor possessions when we moved (almost 9 years ago now) but it seems that getting a much larger garden drove the acquisition of more outdoor possessions than I had previously...
DeleteOy vey, I feel for you, Kris. Keep breathing! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm breathing paint fumes as I type, Eliza!
DeleteNo wonder you took a day trip to the north! ;)
DeleteThe painters are working today too so I'll have a lovely mix of paint fumes and smoke!
DeleteThis kind of confusion does get under your skin. I had to do this when we had our house painted. Then we had the roof done. It feels so good to get it all back together. Hang in there. It will be worth it.
ReplyDeleteI'm hanging, Lisa! But every time I think we've turned the corner, there's another corner up ahead...
DeleteI'm the same way Kris, but at least the painting should go faster than the inside remodeling and you can get the outside soon back to looking better than ever. It is a stress nonetheless. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindy. I'm trying.
DeleteYou are getting there then. The end is surely in sight and how wonderful to have everything just how you want it.
ReplyDeleteThe activity is certainly increasing and it's beginning to look like a house again but I'm guessing we still have 6-8 weeks left. I hope I'm wrong!
DeleteI've been purging and giving away a lot to our kids -- just handed over all the old record albums to Goodwill and made a little money on some of the prime LPs at a local record store. Marty has been patching and painting the main room of our bungalow, and I love looking at it bare. Don't even want to hang the artwork again or bring the pottery back, etc. -- something has definitely changed in my attitude -- the garden is maximalist while the house goes minimalist! I seem to remember your finish date possibly moving up to Thanksgiving? That's encouraging. That's a long stretch of upheaval to bear up under, but you're almost there, almost there...
ReplyDeleteThe contractor had originally targeted completion by Halloween, Denise, but it's now looking like it'll be closer to Thanksgiving. Although I'm more than ready for the remodel to be over, I won't pitch a fit unless the date creeps into the year-end holidays. As it is, even when the workers are gone, there's going to be a lot of work putting the house - not to speak of the garden - back together.
DeleteYour post made me smile Chris. I'm the granddaughter of a hoarder and daughter of a "neat freak". Guess what - I'm a hoarder although I'm improving as the years advance. It will all come together sooner than later so hang on in there. I hope that your husband is on the road to recovery.
ReplyDeleteThe generations do react to one another I guess, Anna! I may qualify as a plant hoarder but that's another story entirely ;)
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