How Much Does a Garden Cost?

 I swiped this aerial view of our house from Google maps, taken before they built the house next door, or put in our fence. That curved lot to the left is still vacant, and because of an all night rain, has standing water in parts of it. It's not all that low, it just is such dense clay that it takes a while to drain; like... days.
This picture shows what kind of space we have to work with to start the new garden. It's large for the neighborhood, but small compared to the five acres we had in Palmer. Thankful that I am, it will be a project that will cost a bit more either in labor or delivery and we are deciding about which part we want to spend the bucks.
I am not interested in doing the labor, being 66 and just getting over throwing out my back bringing in our couch. But Dave who is a mere 59 may want the challenge. He is still deciding. Keep in mind that part of the argument I made in getting him to move was LESS WORK. Was that a lie? Hmmm.

 
 We've both thought it and said it out loud, "This may be our last garden" and that thought has kept the flame burning brightly. And doing it once, and right is also in our thoughts. So what are we willing to spend  invest to make a garden we enjoy having and working in?

 
The local Tractor Supply place has three of the four cattle troughs we want, at $229 each. And they have the big round 'pond' for $305. We went there yesterday and were going to buy whatever we could load into the van, but Dave forgot his wallet and I left my purse at home. To say we are in garden-dreaming mode is pretty accurate. Duh. Nevertheless, on the way home, empty handed, we stopped at the mulch yard, the one we would pay to have mulch delivered, not the freebie one we used for all the mulch we got at our old house. For 5 cubic yards of hardwood mulch (a mere pittance) it is $22 a yard, plus $60 delivery fee. They also have the most luscious mushroom compost to fill the troughs, for $33 a cubic yard and we'd need about 6 yards of that.

 
The sums continue to add up, and gulp, to a large price. That is not counting the plants either. However, we close on the old house at the end of April and will get a big check, which obviously will pay off the loan with a bit leftover for play money. So what's the argument? It's what we want/need to make this place the home we worked to have.

 

The garden at our country house took just six years to build, so I assume since we are doing much less here, it should happen in less time. Not to mention all the places I bought plants from are just down the street!

 Must get more hosta!
 
Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.

Earl Nightingale