A Love Affair to Remember

P.Lorenz and son, at it again with pea gravel.

Digging out a small patio at the back of the shed.  

It's not like I have to check out the "Ashley Madison" website or anything but, I was a little shocked when, last Saturday evening, while spreading more pea gravel in a small area behind the shop he cleared to serve as an intimate seating area for those who come and want to enjoy a little Blooming Hill lavender ice cream, P. Lorenz proclaimed, "I think I'm having a love affair with pea gravel!"  Both the prodigal son and I laughed at that and then we started thinking and naming all of the garden projects that Peter finishes off with pea gravel, especially in the last year or so, here at Blooming Hill.  It suddenly wasn't funny anymore--it was true!  Come to think of it--he also likes to recycle fallen tree trunks for things, too--another love affair that could go down in history

Emptying load after load of pea gravel into this space takes some muscle.

Not to thick and not too thin but, just right.

Even the dog is getting into the act.  Of course, he thinks he's the supervisor and has to check everything out for quality control reasons and can always provide an alibi, if need be.

I suppose it could be worse.  Some husbands go to the race track and gamble away all of their money while others find solace heading for the local bar after work. (Yes, I know, many wives, do these things too and, all seem to be perfectly content!)  But, for better or worse--and really it's all good--my husband seems to have a fixation with pea gravel and it is happening right under my nose and happily, with my approval.

A view from a different angle.  This fall and next spring will see the addition of deer resistant plants to surround this little patio.  Deer resistant-maybe in a perfect world, but here's hoping!!!

It always helps to have someone with a cast iron back and well-oiled knees to work in the garden.  That angel may be pretty but she's also heavy and we don't want to break her heart, among other things.

We use pea gravel in walkways, garden borders, our labyrinth and lavender beds to hold down weeds and give definition, color and texture change to the landscape plan. It is economical as well as nice looking for high traffic areas as well as garden beds filled with dense clay soil that can easily hold on to too much moisture for plants, like lavender, that call for dry roots, even though they do like a little drink of water, now and then.  Pea gravel allows the lavender roots a little more air and draws the sun down into the ground, then reflecting the light back up through the plant thereby encouraging healthy flower production.  It is also easy to walk on and knows it's place, by not falling out of walkways and spilling over ledges.

Working into the night.  This gives new meaning to "Honey, I won't be home for supper. I have to work late."

Not quite "midnight at the oasis" and there are no camels anywhere to be seen.  Just a few nosy devil deer,  as always, lurking about and waiting their turn to inspect the finished pea gravel path and patio after everyone has gone to bed.

When I think about it, even the prodigal son, seems to have been bitten by this bug called pea gravel, as I look back through the years where he helped spread the "love" throughout the property. I now realize that this is not just a passing fancy but a lifelong obsession and, dare I say it, I think it's genetic (running on the Rinek side--not my side of the family, to be sure) with no cure in sight.

No, dinner is NOT being served down here tonight!

I think I like this love affair with pea gravel.

Ahhhh welllll, since they like spreading pea gravel, I guess I just have to think up a few more garden projects for P.Lorenz to further explore his passion.  Hmmmmmmm, maybe somebody, should get a hold of peagravel911.com!