It was 9-11-17 when I got a telephone call from a very unique woman. After our phone conversation, which was both informative and full of laughter; I thought to myself “this lady is one of a kind”. I always heard birds of a feather flock together so I suppose that’s why we got along so well right from the get-go. A few days later I arrived at her home only to find this very country like home sitting in the middle of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Upon entering the backyard my jaw literally dropped. I asked her jokingly if I could somehow move in with her and her husband. I mean I immediately fell in love with this backyard. As I got closer to the stairs leading into the back yard my ears began to hear a gentle sound of running water. Looking over the stairs suddenly I saw a view of a running brook nestled amongst the trees. I knew this job was for me.
There was a problem however. The steep hill, which a previous contractor tried stabilize completely fell apart. Although his intentions were good, they were not properly thought through. Weed mat was showing through the top soil throughout the bed, swaths of soil were washing away down the sloped beds creating unsightly areas, roots were exposed where the plants that did survive took root and the plant selection was minimal to say the least.
The only way to stabilize this area was to install plant material that would take root into the hill. Another situation I had to deal with was the constant presence of deer. Well here are the results. Some my choices of plant material I choose included Vinca, Golden Cypress, Boxwoods, Spireas, Hinoki Cypress, Hollies, and finally masses of liriope, The finishing touches included many varieties of perennials which at this time cannot be seen but were very important to stabilize the hill.
By the time I was finished I just wanted to kick back on the hammock, listen to the melodies of song birds chirping, be mesmerized by the sounds of cascading water, and feel the gentle wisps of a cool breeze undulating through the autumn leaves.
Thank you Lord for this one, and this is why “I love My Job”