Student Helpers

Ah, youth, so long gone,

I'd forgotten how wonderful you are.

I can usually find college students who are eager to earn a few dollars for spring break, or Christmas, or vacation trip, or for gasoline, and/or cigarettes. Some work once, some twice, some several times. Then they are gone like my birds migrating through. Either they graduate or they decide this work is too strenuous, too hot/cold, too dirty, too snaky - whatever, they move on.


I've been fortunate in meeting many delightful young people. Husband/Best Friend and I enjoy them greatly. They help fill the void left when our own four flew our nest.

Their help isn't just the physical hands-on work; their being here also helps me stay on task. Or, knowing I'd probably bounce about from one thing to another, never getting anything done, I can delegate a task. That student takes it and follows through. I know it will get done, if not completely in the time available, at least mostly done. What a feeling of relief that is, non-attention-deficit people will never know!


I decided it would be easier to give students direction if I named different areas of Crocker Croft. That way they would know exactly to which location I was referring. It should make communication a bit simpler and requiring less of my huffing and puffing breath. For example: it is easier to refer to North Path, instead of having to say: That path over there at the other end of the house where the blah, blah, blah...


So, to simplify matters (maybe), we now have the following
Named Garden Areas:
Front Yard & Front Border;
Back Yard; Back of the House Border; Back Yard Border; & Far Back Border.
A Columbine Garden leads to-- the Shade Garden.
Others at the upper level: a Butterfly Bed; Japanese Tomato Ring; Purple and Pink bed; Island Bed; E Beds; North Path; Cliff Walk; Look Out Point; and White Garden (still in planning stage).

The mid-level sports the Terrace, the Rockery, the new Iris beds (under construction), and a Climbing Plants Area for climbing and clambering plants such as sweet peas, morning glories, nasturtiums, and string beans.


The lower level contains the Wild Flower Meadow (really just a wild flower patch); Wet Bog Bed (still in planning stage); "Wings-Over-Water" Siberian Iris area; Purple and Gold area; Woodland Garden; Woods Walk - and The Bank over looks it all at every level.


Each is small, all on less than one acre once we subtract the portion the house sits on, and, in various stages of development, some are mature, some still in their infancy. They are not on center stage at the same time. Some shine in spring, some in summer, and some in autumn. But doesn't it sound rich to say "the terrace", the "rockery", and the "wet bog" ... hmmm, not so sure about that last one.