Looking out my Backdoor: Getting in touch with my inner farmer

Two weeks ago I had declared, “New window glass all around; new patio roof; I love it all. These are my final projects. My home is complete. My garden is full and lush. No more projects!”

This isn’t a full-blown project. Really. Honest. Sorta.

It began with a bedraggled hibiscus. She hadn’t flourished since she’d been planted, several months ago. Her sister plants were “blooming healthy,” to borrow a British expression. Leo, my partner in digging dirt, asked if I wanted to go to Centro Vivero to get a replacement.

“Sure, and as long as we are there, what about replacing those plants outside th...