Okay, here we go...

Yesterday was a VERY productive day! I decided to use some inheritance money from my Aunt to have the corner next to the patio landscaped. The guys finished it in a day and a half! They removed all green, slate-like stones that had formed the surface and excavated soil from the place we burn garden waste. The soil is very nice! They built a short wall all around the area using the green stones and cement, and it looks great! I spent the morning with the girls looking for plants. The landscaper had given me a list. The most interesting is probably the "Bushida" a tree that looks like a bonsai, even when it is not confined to a small pot and trimmed exotically. The rest were things like bird's nest ferns, anthurium, three other kinds of ferns, forget-me-nots, portulaca, and a damadona, which will produce fragrant flowers. I added to the list two 'mosquito plants' which have a strong cintonella smell and are said to repel mosquitos. Since a lush, damp, shady garden such as I now have is a haven for mosquitos, I added those to make it a little less homey. The landscaper used a lot of my green stone, standing some upright and laying others flat, and I am completely pleased with the results! If I can, I will post a picture.

While all this was going on, a lady named Lina and her two children came and cleaned out the garden area in the far corner of the yard. This lady is very poor, very sweet and was thrilled to have work to feed her kids. She had just come from helping someone in Bukidnon plant corn. I don't know where her husband is, but she is a believer and often works for our pastor and his family. Our pastor's wife brought her yesterday. She and her son worked SO hard and got the whole jungle totally cleaned out, and other things trimmed up in only one day! Her little girl, about 6, enjoyed her day watching all the activity with huge dark eyes. We paid her more than suggested and will happily have them come again when yard conditions call for it.

In the meantime, Max and Molly are learning self-control! Yesterday they were able to stay outside while the chickens were out, and did not chase them once! Good doggies! Now we have to teach them to stay out of my newly landscaped garden! I told Dad I wish I could explain to them that if they dig in it, they just may be buried in it...