I might have overdone it in the garden

The past few days in DC have been the kind of beautiful that makes you think you've hit the climatic jackpot by living here. DC was settled on a swamp? You couldn't make someone believe that right now (except for the mosquitos which never stop swarming). Blue skies, cool nights, seemingly no humidity, sunshine; hell, the city even smells good. After the intense heat of July and then the 100+ sauna that was everyday I was in Louisiana, this has been an incredible respite. I've been a neglectful gardener this summer: I gave into the white fly attack in my greens bed and finally just ripped them out and tossed them into the compost; my tomatoes look unbelievably scraggly though that's really more a function of approaching the end of their season; the grass is threadbare as if it's an old duvet on its very last leg; the flowers have given up; the hostas and astilbe called it quits weeks ago.

But today, the rejuvenating cool lingering into the afternoon, I decided to get back out there. After yoga (such a flipping godsend), I stopped by the nursery for some herb replacements and a trunk-full of pretty annuals from the sale table: the yard deserved some bling. We all headed outside for a team effort at cleaning and tending, and I got the superb idea to remove all the plants AND bulbs from my largest bed, till/fertilize/condition the soil and then replant everything in a prettier fashion. The bed encircles our enormous Sugar Maple and so needs extra love because the Maple is a selfish, ravenous beast.

This was a really BIG job but I had a definite deadline: we are hosting a playdate for some new PK students tomorrow and so I felt pressure to finish. Oh.my.lord. I completed the job but it took hours and afterwards I had Oliver apply menthol rub to my tired back. A great sense of accomplishment shines through the fatigue though, and I look forward to enjoying a large glass of cold white wine tonight.

The boys and I took a break midway through for cones of the s'mores ice cream I finished up this morning. It is sublime.