My favorite place in the “tiny forest” is not one you might guess.  It’s under the porches and overhangs, the shady places where ferns and moss have come up volunteer.  Especially beside the back steps, under my kitchen window – it always looks so cool and green and lush.

Gradually, though, something happened.  The backfill around the basement settled, and we needed more dirt there to avoid water problems later.  That meant burying my favorite place in the whole yard.  We also had to jack up the porches, because they had settled too.

But I was proud of myself.  I didn’t cry or beg or get upset.  I got a shovel and dug up my ferns and moss.  The men who came to help with the porches and the dirt offered to dig them up for me.  I said no.  If I dug them up myself, I’d have no one to be upset with if they don’t make it.  We put the ferns in boxes in the shade to keep them safe.

The plan is to put pea gravel under the porches, with the ferns around the edge of that.  But days passed and we couldn’t get to it, and the ferns were looking more stressed by the day.  So this morning we decided we could work around the ferns when we spread the gravel – they needed to be in the ground.  So here are the poor ferns in my favorite place now:

I wish I could find a “before” picture to show you how it used to look.  The ferns look pretty crispy right now, but I think they’ll perk up.  They will probably even benefit from being thinned out a bit.  I’ll keep you posted.

Even after all the upheaval, look what I found coming up as I worked under the porch:

Life just finds a way.  🙂

It’s comin’ up a cloud right now – they should like a nice long drink.  🙂