Aberdeen Ave

When, in spring 2021, I moved to a condo in a 3-unit building, the small, awkwardly shaped front yard was planted with a few hostas and non-native shrubs and non-native grasses. Most of the space was covered with orange mulch. Removing the mulch, I discovered it hid landscape fabric, under which was unhealthy, highly compacted soil. I spent spring and early summer removing fabric, enriching the soil, and planting natives, most of which I brought from my previous yard.

In late summer, replacing a clogged sewer pipe and a rusted water pipe destroyed a third of the plants and upended half the soil so that the top soil became a mass of rocks and sand. I set about turning it back into soil (an arduous process that I have yet to complete), planting new natives, and encouraging others to spread.

Most of the space is filled with native plants now, but it’s definitely a work in progress. Like most gardeners, I’m battling hungry rabbits. When I introduce a new species of perennial, I only add one plant and wait to see if the rabbits will let it live. I encourage the tough ones to spread. The resulting space gets a bit wild looking. I spend a lot of time uprooting and replanting. But the garden blooms in every season, and countless pollinators enjoy it in the fall.