the house
Dear Ciara,
We bought a house! After a good 12—18 months of searching, numerous offers, a couple of auctions, and even tears, we have finally scored our own place. This is the news I’ve been dying to tell you. While I am nervous for the change in our financial situation—for the necessary budgeting and the lack of disposable income—I am also overwhelmed with excitement. It is exactly what we were searching for: a small Queenslander with lush, tropical gardens and plenty of space for me to establish more. The previous owners have taken relatively good care of it, with only some minor repairs needed sometime in the next few years.
What drew me to this house was the sunroom. It overlooks the front garden, which the previous owners recently updated and turned into a bird sanctuary. There is a large tree (I am still uncertain as to what it is) keeping the area cool, with an established bird feeder and even a bird bath. This section of the yard has a bit of temperate feel to it based on the existing foliage; I’m hoping to extend upon that by planting grevilleas and other scraggly flowering shrubs. This portion of the garden will, hopefully, remind me of my childhood in temperate NSW. I can picture myself sitting in the sunroom, watching willy-wagtails and figbirds frolicking in the garden.
To the right looking outwards is a large garden bed filled with tropical palms, bananas, and other plants. I can already see myself filling some of the negative space with my pot-bound hibiscuses, rosellas and my struggling cat’s whisker plant. There is room along the driveway for my desert roses to stand tall and proud in their pots. I could spend all day rambling about my plans for the garden...
The move itself will be stressful. We have accumulated a lot of crap over the years, but I’m hoping the move will also provide an opportunity for me to take the time and declutter. I know you have read a lot of Marie Kondo’s books, Ciara. Tell me: how should I go about decluttering. Do we still decide whether to donate something depending on whether the item “sparks joy”?
The song for today is:
Come Alive — The Jezebels
Revisiting some more rock-based music this week. Might be a bit too heavy for you.
Love,
The Gardener