An Extra Hand

And back to the garden I go again:)  Somewhere or somehow I got lost.  Isn't that what a garden does? Or did it grow into something that requires more management?  Either way, on a budget of 300 dollars a month, it becomes tricky to not overspend on items, tree care or on new plants around the El Presidio property.  Our Oak trees, while beautiful, create chaos during the winter months dropping tons of acorns, leaves, dead branches, and eventually pollen.  For 1 person, this is a lot of work to maintain and El Presidio is going to be trying something else out.  We have a resident who has offered their services as raker, weed puller, and waterer for over the summer months.

An extra hand around the garden allows for adventure elsewhere like here at Balboa Park in San Diego.

I am extremely happy to have this extra hand so that I can focus on the other things around the property like plant placement etc for this spring season.  My experience with Landscaping companies hasn't been a good one.  They charge too much money for a couple clean ups around the property per month.  Most don't know what they are doing.  For a person like me who creates desert gardening, AND SPENDS MONEY ON IT!, it's hard to watch them chop down a plant that they thought was a weed.....or worse yet....improperly prune a bush or tree!  So I hold onto the money and invest it back into our property.  While at times it can be slow going, the progress is evident.  But now it's time to have a little help with the general clean up around the place while I deal with spring pruning and planter reconstructions.

El Presidio.  One part of the entire complex!

Most of all, I am thankful that my neighbor will cover for our large property while I'm travelling elsewhere and monitoring vegetation during our hot summer months.  Like anything that grows larger; so will the need for extra help.  El Presidio has now reached that point.