Quite Contrary...

When Katie was little every time we would move we would make sure to get a house with a big yard for her to play in. We thought it was bonus that we even found ones that had play structures already built. And then every weekend Brent and I would spend hours on yard work while Katie played video games inside. Sometimes she would venture out to the yard, but only if we forced her or if a friend was over who wanted to play on the cool play structures. But mostly it was Katie inside playing and us outside doing yard work.

I don't take a lot of joy out of yard work. I know a lot of people do. My mother, for instance, always had gorgeous gardens when I was growing up. Even did test roses for Jackson & Perkins. We had rows and rows of gorgeous roses and even got to submit name ideas for the ones she was testing. But those weren't her only flowers, she had all kinds. And they were lovely. She enjoyed the time outside, I think it probably came from growing up farming. She liked the growing of things. Frivolous things that were there just to be pretty instead of having to feed the family. Though she grew a few vegetables as well. 

I didn't like helping in the garden as a kid. HATED those nasty horned tomato worm things. My mother? She'd just pluck them off the plants and squish them in her hand. *shudder*

But for some reason I thought my kid would like having a yard to play in. Nope.

So when we moved back to Oregon the last time we decided to get a townhouse. No yard work. Yay!

But the tradeoff to no yard work was no private yard. We had no space to ourselves. 

Part of what we were looking for when we moved last year was a small yard. Something private just for us. But also not a lot of maintenance. That's why we paved over most of the backyard. We wouldn't have grass out front if it weren't part of the HOA mandates either. The good news is they take care of the grass. But that leaves the side yards and the areas we put in plants. Not a lot. 

Until you are taking care of everything. 

Things still need to be weeded. Plants still need pruned. Flowers still need to be deadheaded. Planters need maintained. Bark dust needs to be refreshed. Clay "soil" needs to be aerated. It's just enough to be tedious without being enough to make it seem worthwhile to hire a gardening service. 

Today was a full meal deal gardening day. It was only a few hours of work with both Brent and I doing parts. But my goodness by the end we were both sweaty messes and my arthritic joints are screaming at me. 

It looks lovely though. And I do love having our private space. And pretty flowers to look at. And the green plants to add some color year round. 

It's all a trade off. 

And figuring out what is important to you.

For years we thought a big yard for Katie was important. Until we finally realized that she was not a play in the yard kid. She was a play video games kid. Which I know a lot of parents fight that, but she didn't grow up to be a landscaper, she grew up to be a videogame designer, so she knew what she was drawn to. 

Then we thought having no yard was what we wanted. And that wasn't it either. 

It's important to us to have space. But not too much. To have plants but not have to spend every weekend taking care of them. 

And maybe to hire a gardener afterall...