Saturdays with Dimche

Saturday mornings Dimche comes. Dimche is the gardener that we hired a few weeks ago to help us manage the array of shrubbery that we have in our garden. We have a lovely yard with lots of trees, bushes, and hedges surrounding it. We have a patch of fragrant lavender and several planters of flowers and tropical plants too. Chris had no trouble keeping up with mowing the grass, but the shrubs were another story. We never had such a vast selection of trees and plants to maintain, and we certainly don't have the proper tools. Every evening we turn on the sprinklers and water all the greenery, it takes hours! Every Saturday, Dimche comes and trims the shrubs, hedges, and trees to a healthy level and keeps them looking spiffy. He is a very nice man, soft-spoken and somewhat timid, but very knowledgeable. He is a horticulturist and therefore very familiar with his work --and he has his own tools! I'm told this is unusual and that the employers usually furnish the necessary equipment. Dimche cleans up after Yotee, though we told him not to, and rinses off the patios as well. Each week, he neatly arranges all the kids outdoor toys and the patio furnishings and makes our outdoor space look great. He spends about 4/5 hours here, rain or shine, hot or extremely hot, and he takes all of the clippings and trash with him when he goes. All this for only 1200 denars ($30 ish) a week. I always try to give him a little extra, as a bonus. Sometimes he brings us fruit from his garden, such as fresh peaches or nectarines, and the children love them. Every week I offer him a sandwich and every week he politely declines, but he does accept the water I place on the table for him. We are fortunate to have him assisting us with the upkeep of our home!