Clearing the Perimeter

A patch of creeping thyme struggled beneath a dense blanket of fallen debris along the garden perimeter. Neglect produces stagnation. Kneeling on the packed damp earth, I set to work. With deliberate sweeps of my gauntlet, I cleared away the brittle dead leaves, stacking them into a compact, orderly mound away from the living stems. Beneath the clutter, the green shoots were pale but resilient. I positioned five smooth river pebbles in a precise line along the border to prevent the soil from eroding onto the stone path. Now, the midday sun reaches the foliage without obstruction. Growth can proceed in order.