A new beginning...

Well here goes, a toast to new beginnings!

Old Country Gardens has moved, not the site itself but the gardener. It took longer than I expected and was oh so much harder than I imagined but it's done.

Don't know if this will reach any of my past readers or if we are all starting on this new page. This post will be a short one, hopefully it will explain enough.

After a couple of years of painful divorce proceedings, the family house and gardens (my Old Country Gardens) were sold this past October. Due to the woeful housing market, it had almost been sold several times before that so I basically moved out and abandoned the gardens in the spring of 2011.

While I only relocated a few miles north, my whole world has changed. Instead of a large house on 1.3 acres with sun and shade gardens, I now live in a darling little cottage, 2 blocks from the beach (north shore of Long Island), on a postage stamp lot.

My girls are off, one living in New York city and one in college in Staten Island (also New York city) so most often it's just Calie-the-wonder-doodle and me. We rent this adorable home so can't make major changes to the gardens. Luckily they are chockfull of heirloom plants and my landlord welcomes any ideas I have.

The soil is coarse, sandy, rocky, not amended at all and most of the property is shaded by huge old Oak trees that are limbed up high. Last year I barely maintained the potted plants I brought along. The good news is I took the time to watch each season here and now I hope I know what I'm working with.

Stay tuned, our winter has been wonderfully mild and I took a few photos that will soon be posted here.

Melanie