Neel is our yard man. We thought it was going to be me when we first moved here, but I lack the knack and the patience. Neel has both in spades. Our front yard is a vision in the spring time. I should take a picture to show you, but the phlox is thick on the ground and the bushes plump with deep green growth. Neel spent many seasons plotting it out. Trying a plant here before moving it there. Listening to what I liked and learning what he liked. The front yard got the best of his attention, and it paid off. Still, for (what seemed like) years, I would ask Neel to turn his laser beam focus on our back yard. It needs help.

This year was our year. He just needed time to come up with a vision. You can't rush these things, you know. Now I find him staring out our kitchen window, deep in thought. What's next? What's next? And in a few short weeks, he's made tremendous progress (No wonder he was so tired this weekend!). We have a plan for a patio, raised beds for a vegetable garden, and two new pathways. He has plans to shore up a fence, put in a brick patio in the back corner of the yard and ideas for lots more plants. This weekend, we he put in two new trees. A dogwood, which is a sentimental favorite for me because of this, and a weeping cherry. It's early for the dogwood yet, so it's not much to look at. In fact, it almost completely disappears against our fence at the moment. But the cherry is already a stunner. I'm so excited to see it out the window, and I can't wait to see what Neel comes up with next.

Spring is so awesome. If only I could breathe.