The side garden is a hill. The gradient varies, and it is a challenge to work the hill. I realized that the base was full of small rocks, debris and loose soil and covered with weeds. I realized that if I dig out the area, I could increase the usable area in the garden. So every evening, for a month, during our extended COVID stay in Puerto Rico, I started digging. I exposed roots, trash, rocks and soil. It took me forever to separate these into separate piles.

I lined the base of the hill with weed block and piled on the large rocks. The smaller rocks went below, along with some large decorative rocks. I added bromeliads and orchids, some from neighbors. We brought some driftwood home from the beach. Finally we added solar lights we found in Costco. Grass seed was planted and kept moist till it sprouted.

It took about six weeks to complete this project. Much of it was back breaking work. I did not have a solid plan when I started out but I’m glad I did the work and can now enjoy this garden!