The gardens and house are ours!

For quite a few years now, my family has rented a house on large lot near a very major intersection. We've been here while the two houses across the street were knocked down to expand a parking area and the front of the house - and the gardens there - have been exposed to more wind and colder temperatures during the winter. We get smells from the McDonald's at the corner (grease gets changed around 2:00 a.m.). The area is getting more students. Despite all this, we've wanted the house.

Did I say the house is on a large lot? Did I say that we love the land the house is on? That it's been gardened organically since the house went in in about 1950. Did I say we were afraid we'd never be able to buy it and do what we want to with the place?

Well ... we've bought it. It's ours. Because I'm curious and obsessed, I looked up how to calculate acreage, figuring it would be really great if we had 1/10 acre. Well, it's 0.2435 acre. If I do a bit of terracing or grow beans up poles I can fudge it and say we have 1/4 acre! It's beyond belief. And I've been afraid of mentioning here that we were trying to buy the place, lest it not happen.

Well, we have the place. We have the place for sure: I paid the first City property tax today. That's really having the place!

We want to expand the area given over to vegetables from 900 square feet to ... who knows? We want to expand the herb gardens (medicinals, culinary, and the simply beautiful). We want terracing, and more heritage roses, and more perennial vegetables, and a greenhouse, and cold frames, and more berry bushes and more wild plants for the birds. And next fall I'm planting tall yellow tulips and at least three types of species tulips because they are beautiful. And because I can.

Thanks to all who know us. Your good wishes through the stress of buying the place have kept us going, if not always sane.

Love from Why's Woman.