Transformation

When we first bought our house more than a decade and a half ago, the area in front of the front porch was rather bland and plain. Way back then, no one in the neighborhood was doing anything fancy with their similar real estate.

We had two pampas grass, some daffodils and what I think they call blue beard. And lots of rocks. Lots and lots of rocks.

Oh, and did I mention bunnies? Lots and lots of bunnies. We didn't know then they had the perfect nesting spot behind the blue beard and beneath our very thick concrete porch.

I added irises, day lilies and hyacinth. The rocks and late afternoon sun made the perfect nursery for starting potted seeds I would later transplant into the raised-bed gardens Lizard built for me in the backyard so I could grow our own veggies. Oh, and I began crocheting rock coverings, which really perked up the rock garden!

Once I obtained permission from our homeowners association to remove the hopeless grass that never thrived and install drought-friendly flowers, I added one single lavender mint. Later my one original salvia (in the garden, NOT the rocks) and that initial lavender mint spread throughout the front and back yards. As well as in both my neighbor's yards and perhaps even further. (Three of my neighbors have kept some!) My salvia also spread to and thrived in that little rock garden in front of my porch.

I watered the flowers I planted in the rocks. Everything in my garden and in the rock garden is drought-tolerant and/or drought-resistant and doesn't really need water. But regular water, especially during heatwaves, brings an increase in blossoms, which, in my opinion, is highly desirable. Other homeowners in the neighborhood planted tulips, daisies, tiger lilies and other varieties in their rock gardens. I think many of them watered, too.

Eventually, the bentonite clay beneath all our homes expaned and contracted and expanded and contracted, an endless cycle that led to our porches noticeably separating from the soil. Which leaves great hiding and nesting spots for bunnies, mice, rats, snakes, skunks, raccoons... Human residents began experimenting with all kinds of fixes. My flagstone hurdles were so attractive, but to the critters, it was just better protection from prying humans like me. They broke through in unstylish fashion and hijacked the vacancy beneath my porch. My quick fix backfired badly.

Last year, we dug out all the growth, including the pampas grass. We replaced broken and rotted logs and bricks that came with the house with what I think is a visually stunning row of flagstone bricks.

Thanks to the young men from my church, next came cement, pumped into the gap between the porch and the soil and also between the new bricks.

After several days of concrete curing, layers of cardboard and tarp were covered with white rock.

One of the young men's dads suggested I do something artistic with the rocks. I told him I planned to do a glow-in-the-dark snowflake. He rolled his eyes and chortled, "Of course you're going to do a snowflake!!!" These people know me. :)

An artistic arrangment of river rock, possibly with crochet enhancement, eventually will finish off the new creation, which will never again see human-applied moisture. Hopefully, any displaced creatures will still be able to find safe shelter, just not on our property!

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