Finally, my front garden project is complete! Now all that is left to do is to see what survives and what dies and deal with these outcomes accordingly.
Aunty Peta (and I) decided on a magnolia tree to be the centre piece of the garden. It took a lot of time, effort and money on her part but she finally settled on a lovely little Teddy Bear magnolia which is a dwarf variety and should suit the location well. Aunty Peta dropped it off whilst I was at work one day. Thanks Aunty Pete!
With the threat of a ridiculously wet period upon us, Aunty Peta said I had to get it in the ground toot sweet! She was a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish this task on my own but after giving me copious instructions and me reassuring her that this has been covered on previous episodes of Gardening Australia which I watch every Friday specifically to learn this stuff, she relented and allowed me to proceed alone.
Today I took advantage of the mostly dry day to finish off the garden with some ground cover plants, a stepping stone to the worm farm and the mulching. I’m very pleased with the outcome.
Here is the prospect down the drive of my house when it was first built followed by what it looks like now. Have I added value? You decide!
For reaching the end of my front gardening journey, here is a little treat. The day I planted the magnolia, Terri came round because I needed to get on the roof again to do some repairs before the rain started. She didn’t laugh at me this time but she did something else. Enjoy!
The Making of Merilyn 
Hello Ms.Winslade! You probably don’t know me, but I’m actually one of the 6th grade students you taught at YIS back in 2022, in fact, I was also in your home room. You left YIS that year, which was unfortunate for me, as I just got into chemistry and started loving science. You would’ve been a great teacher for these subjects in 12th grade though. However, I definitely think a change is great, I mean, you get to start a new journey. I am sending this post right now because I didn’t get to thank you properly for the support you gave me throughout 6th grade, and how I am growing to become a great science lover. You were always an energetic and nice teacher, so it definitely made me realize this when some teachers (science) I have now didn’t have as great qualities as you. I hope you have an excellent time at Australia and maybe I might have some chemistry questions in the future that you might be able to help with! Anyways, thanks again, Ms.Winslade!
I just read this today because I don’t blog much anymore. Thank you so much for such a sweet comment. I remember my final grade 6 class very fondly. I hope grade 12 has worked out well for you and good luck in your exams that are just around the corner!! 🙂
Hi, I’m back again! I left that comment exactly a year ago, and since I’ve always been a little nostalgic about the past (been this way ever since I couldn’t secretly play video games in the corner of the class), I just wanted to check back on the comment. And honestly, I didn’t expect any replies at all, so it was a really nice surprise that you did. By the way, since I’m a very recent student of yours (I know recent is a bit of a stretch since it was like four years ago, but I just wanted to emphasize that I was one of your last students), I’m not in 12th grade just yet, but I will be quite soon. In fact, I think you might remember me from the microscope incident in science class, when I was scolded for almost knocking over a microscope while messing around. And I definitely did not get my Bunsen burner license on my first try.
Oh yeah, I actually still have one of the computer stickers you gave us in science class, too! Also I’m genuinely getting tired of going to school every single day. At this point, just get me out of there after Grade 12. Perhaps I’ll have a dramatic breakdown about this strange opinion sometime in the future. Welp, school just started today, looks like I’m on the grind again. Oh and also I actually have a really important question that might LITERALLY decide the path I take for the REST of my life. So, in literally 4–5 months, I have to decide what I’ll be studying for IB, and I’m very stuck between choosing an art or science subject for my final option. I’m already locked in Physics and Math, but I can’t decide whether I should choose Visual Arts or chemistry. I guess this also ties into my personal project, where I have to choose between a science related project (atmospheric physics) and an arts related one (interior design). I know you probably don’t know me well enough to tell me which one I should choose, so I’m not necessarily asking you to make the decision for me. I’m more curious about your experiences with science and IB Chemistry, and how you’ve come to think about studying and working in science. I’d especially like to know what you think Chemistry could offer me that I wouldn’t get from taking Visual Arts, and whether you think adding Chemistry alongside Physics and Math would be valuable even if I’m not sure yet what I want to pursue. Basically, I’m trying to figure out what I actually want from my final IB subject, and I thought hearing the perspective of someone who has spent a lot more time in science than I have might help me think about it.
Also it would be really really great if you could reply.