Working in the garden

DH spent the weekend power raking, cleaning up yard waste, laying new topsoil and is now laying down some new grass seed. We are fighting a bit of a losing battle here as we inherited messed up grass when we moved in. Eventually we will lay down new sod in the front yard but I don't know if we'll bother in the back. We have some landscaping to do in the back. We have some plans for trees and various plants to frame our currently very boring yard. I ended up getting the help of landscaper. She and I were of very different visions... she was somewhat arrogant about her "amazing" design style and I was adamant that I prefer plants that are useful and like to landscape with vegetables. She thought I was crazy but in the end she was able to come up with a good plan for us. Our vegetable garden will be interwoven into our border, growing up our maple trunks and there will be some just for looks plants as well. There are trees to go in, most of which will be fruit trees and some bushes as well. Its a grand plan and I think we'll take it on slowly. Long term we have some fantasies about putting in a pool as we miss our pool from our old house very much but at the moment we are content to walk to Harris Road pool on hot summer days. But none of this landscaping work has happened yet, so far we are simply fixing the grass and hopefully putting together some type of garden shed so that we can take some stuff out of our very full garage.

Banana planted the first of our seedlings this week. My MIL was in town a few weeks ago and helped B pick up some herbs and flowers and so last weekend I picked up a warming flat and we planted some seeds. Most of the herbs are up and growing nicely although our cilantro hasn't sprouted at all. Banana has been very excited all week to watch the seedlings sprout and grow and can't wait to actually start her garden.

I would like to plant a few pots out by my front door as well but what I want to do and what I can afford to do are two different things. Its April and I have to pay my taxes and GST to the government so am trying to hold onto my money for the moment.... never mind my upcoming trip to Chicago too! Its an expensive time of year and this is my first year where I don't have enough write offs to ensure I don't have to pay much in taxes. Sadly, I have not saved enough money to pay off the amount either. The curse of being self-employed i guess....