Reality in 2020...Letting it Go

One year ago we made the decision to purchase my parent's beloved property in Brown County Indiana. We love the property, and as I have mentioned before, it sits directly in between all three of Blitz’s( Blitzbuilders.com) offices.  So perfect for Randy, as he will never retire. It is dramatically different from our property in Kentucky. But 50 years of memories and acres of untouched land kept calling to us. I believe my parents were watching from above and not letting it go until someone in the family stepped up. 

I have struggled with this decision because I love our house in Kentucky, I love the South, my good friends and all my beautiful gardens and years of plant collections. But it has become harder and harder for me to keep up with two properties. We love to travel to visit family and explore new places with friends. Massive gardens with collections of antique peonies, perennials, 60 different varieties of trees, vegetables, fruit gardens, and natives do not tend to themselves, so I am having to hire out a lot of the garden labor. So maybe it is time to come full circle and begin to let it go.

We have so enjoyed the lake this last hot summer and working together, with my husband of 45 years, to develop new gardens and new memories. Our grand-babies love to come to the lake and that is so important to us. 

Brown County gardening will be such a different situation. I intend to do raised beds and containers for veggies. Because growing my own food is very important to me as well as creating native pollinator gardens.

The areas that I plant will be wild native flowers and gardens. But we have acre after acre of native forest and untouched land. Wildlife all around and a beautiful lake to enjoy. 

It just is too hard for me to balance both places …so I am beginning the transition of taking seeds, moving plants. When I am at the lake, it is so peaceful and less stressful than my beloved gardens in Kentucky. 

I believe my big Siberian Elm gave me a sign this fall, it dropped one of its big limbs. My mantra for this house has always been if my Big Siberian Elm ( one of the largest in the country ) ever goes, I will have to sell the house. But it is a long way from going and will be here for years to enjoy.

This will be a very slow process, but if there is anyone out there who wants a beautiful historic home, with over 6 acres, a barn, and a historic 200 year-old out-building. Plus an unbelievable collection of perennials, trees, and natives…please let me know. I will not give this property up until I know I have someone who will love and care for it as I have done for 25 years. 

We have lovingly taken care of the land and the house. We have kept all of the original features and it has been well-loved  We are doing some work now to prepare to sell. So reach out to me if you have an interest… or just keep checking in for updates on this transition.