May 24, 2011

Ahhh, Basking in the Glow...

What would you say is one of the most lovely fragrances in the garden?  Most would probably answer flowers blooming.  And I would nod knowingly.  Especially the jasmine and gardenia...yes, those are heavenly.  But let your mind wander...  Rain maybe.  Yes, rain is nice and it is one of my favorite smells.   When the parched earth opens up to receive a long desired rain?  Yes, heavenly.  Oh, and rosemary.  Even if you just casually glance your hand over the foliage of rosemary, the scent lingers with you and reminds you of your brief encounter with its fine leaves for hours.

But right now I'm reveling in the aroma of fresh mulch.  I'm talking about being head-over-heels-giddy-with-delight for the scent of fresh mulch.  A trailer full of luscious, gorgeous, dark mulch pulled up to my house this morning. 

I'm quite sure these gentlemen think I'm absolutely crazy since I was out there taking pictures of mulch, mulch and more mulch.  But you readers of this blog understand, don't you?  Because it is the simple but back breaking chores that bring us to our gardening knees...


To see wheelbarrow load after wheelbarrow load moved across the expanse of a suburban landscape by someone other than myself...ahhh.  Don't get me wrong.  I love working my own garden and I've schlepped my fair share of mulch, compost, fertilizer, soil amendments, and water; which is why I get such satisfaction out of having some help. 


When I mulch on my own its done in stages with a lot of bribing and cajoling along the way trying to enlist the help of the Y chromosomes in my household. 

But not this time...no.  I'm going to enjoy this.  Which is why I risked looking crazy as a loon to take photos.  I want to remember how much joy this gift to myself brought so that the next time I'm thinking that I can just bang this task out over a couple of years days, I can remember, reflect and rejoice!


And hopefully, not blink twice before picking up the phone to call for some help.  Having all the beds weeded and mulched is like having the whole house clean at once.  It doesn't happen often, but man, it feels good when it does.

I've gotta run now.  More photo ops call...

28 comments:

  1. NICE!!! I am seeking a great source of mulch here - so far just stinky stuff - not the heady earthy smell from my favorite place in Austin.

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  2. this year I am the one weeding and mulching although I may call in the help as I have less and less time..it looks gorgeous

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  3. Oh yes! I love the scent of fresh mulch. I'm thinking of following your plan to get some help soon, because boy, it is a wondrous thing. For this round, I think the back of the car gets to pick up the aroma of bagged mulch, but I'm so with you on this, and yahoo!

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  4. Hi Cat, I love you analogy of having the whole clean at once. Mulch is a godsend for me. I couldn't maintain my large garden without it.

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  5. Oooh! I would love to have a truckload of that treasure. Yes, to me these are treasures; not those glittering stuff.

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  6. I love the smell of potting soil! I like the way mulch smells when I buy bags of it and lay it myself but when I go somewhere that's just been mulched, it smells different. I admire your bravery, though. No one is allowed to mulch my garden except for me. Much less plant damage/destruction that way.

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  7. I have not had to do the mulching for the last couple years, it's been lovely!

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  8. We are mulching now...and I forget each year how much work it is. But when it is all done, everything feels complete for the summer. And the aroma, as you say, is wonderful.

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  9. Mmmm, I do love the rich earthy woodsy smell of mulch. It has been wet here since I spread a yard or so of fresh pine + spruce mixed mulch and the aroma in the damp air just gets better and better.

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  10. Oh, I know EXACTLY how your feel! I'm waiting for my 12 yards to be delivered and distributed throughout my gardens. It would take me the entire summer to spread all that mulch. It takes a couple of college kids working for a landscaper a few hours. And it's well worth the expense.

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  11. To paraphrase Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now"..."I
    love the smell of compost in the morning." Only a fellow gardener would understand! (Your flowers look so happy!)

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  12. What a cute post! Ya, I can see why that would be enjoyable. Reminds me, I need to get more mulch...

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  13. I can see how you’d crave the scent of rain. Good you finally got it. After all the rain we’ve had, I’ve been enjoying the scent of sunshine, fresh cut grass and opening lilacs. I don’t love the scent of mulch, but I dislike weeding even more.

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  14. Awesome! My gardens usually get mulched in stages so the entire yard never looks "done" at the same time. I love the smell and look of fresh mulch too! It just makes all the plants pop!

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  15. how wonderful, problem of island living is I can't find any mulch let alone someone to do it for me, lucky you, Frances

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  16. Yes mulch is nice, but you named my favorite - the smell of the earth warming up in spring. Ah, nothing like it.

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  17. Looks SO good with a new mulch. I love the scent after a rain also, the fresh air is better than any parfyme.

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  18. Cat, the sight of all that mulch was a feast for any gardener and I can almost hear the excitement of the plants as the truck drew up. It's a picture of heaven though the smell is not as alluring as parsley, cut grass, and runner beans on simmer. Like the y chromosome reference to your potential helpers :)
    Laura x

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  19. Absolutely gorgeous, Cat! I know *know* how you feel and how giddy you felt when that trailer pulled up to your house! Love it! And yes, there is nothing quite like the smell of the good earth!

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  20. I am full of smiles after reading this. I had nice tree workers that let me take lots of photos of them cutting our tree down. I also took photos of the guy cutting some of the branches into rings to walk on.

    I love your photos! They are awesome! I think the one with the hands in the mulch is my favorite.

    You mentioned your milkweed plants weren't coming up as strong as they should. I hope they have perked up.

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  21. Hi Cat - Isn't it amazing how one persons pile of dirt is our happy indulgence! Oh I love love mulch, it makes everything in the garden look fresh and new! And its so rewarding to stand back and admire when its all laid! Have fun!!!

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  22. Hi Cat..as a 'y-chromosomer' I love mulch..emptying the compost bins is my favourite task..but playing with mud is the best!

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  23. Yeap, I cherish the smell of soil in the garden too...
    And for the plants, probably the Thai basil and the rose geranium are top on my list...

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  24. That is a lot! In this household, I call on the XX chromosomes for help. ;-P

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  25. I'm deeply envious of your mulch... I would love to have such a load delivered! (Though actually I guess I'd prefer a nice delivery of loamy, rich soil for my raised beds.)

    The smell of mulch, soil, well-rotted compost and such is just wonderful, and I love how the smell lingers on your hands.

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  26. Great feeling isn't it - having the weeding done. I've been doing it between rain days but no sooner get one area done than an area previously done seems to have sprouted a whole new generation of weeds. Oh well, I suppose if none came up it's likely nothing else would be growing either.

    Smart of you to get help with the mulch chore.

    Have a great week Cat.

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  27. can't wait to see what explodes from your garden after you hit it with this load!

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