 To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. -- Audrey Hepburn "Going forward...I mean to minimize." HA! DOUBLE-HA! As if... It's Spring! What gardener could resist? We spent a glorious time in the garden this past weekend. The weather was cool and sunny and there was a constant breeze. We weeded, sowed, transplanted, and moved a few things around. So much fun. Then a grandfather and his beloved granddaughter enjoyed some quality time together. At one point Saturday, Joseph looked at me and asked, "How can we take it (the garden) out?"  Despite my upcoming surgery and his lack of gardening time, we agreed that we can't. At least, not now. I wasn't ready, anyway. We could feel differently by mid-summer, but in July and August, ambivalence towards the garden is nothing unusual. In any case, that's months away! True, it won't be a usual season for me. In a few weeks I will have another and hopefully final foot surgery. Since that will have me off my feet and out of the garden for at least two months, I've decided to try something different this season. In the past few days, I've sown flower seeds here, there, everywhere! I also popped herbs into almost every raised bed. I love fragrance in the garden. Joseph sowed cucumber, mehti, and squash seeds. Hopefully, we'll have a good harvest before it gets too hot. I was in charge of pepper seeds and plants. Colette broadcast sunflower seeds, which we've never tried growing before. Wouldn't it be great if they sprout before our neighborhood cardinals discover them? I'm hoping for a nice jumble of herbs, flowers, and vegetables. If even half the seeds we sowed this weekend sprout, it should be interesting. And our little garden/nature photographer took plenty of photos. I believe I will be calling upon her to do so again in the next few months. The giant plants will be huge this year. The garden will be outrageously weedy by mid-summer. But it's worth it. Our grandchildren enjoy it. We enjoy it. We cannot replace the beautiful times spent out there, nor should we forget the birds and pollinators. And if those flower seeds sprout... Happy Spring!
0 Comments
 I don't know if you're aware of this, but when a gardener can't garden, it's depressing. Certainly, if you're a gardener, you know. That being the case, you can imagine that I've been rather sad. But this past weekend was a miracle! Late Sunday afternoon, I actually transplanted a few herbs and peppers from the nearby garden center. I was rewarded with mosquito bites, one ant bite, and a great feeling of satisfaction. But that was just a half hour of transplanting. Earlier this weekend, I had the gift of children in the garden. That was the miracle. I didn't ask our little grands to spend time out there. Lately, I haven't found it a very inspiring space. But they didn't comment on the garden's poor appearance. Rather, they busied themselves, playing, laughing, and reminding me that there's still beauty out there. Once our granddaughter Colette, age 10, finished filling the birdbath and taking a good look around, she decided to snap photos. I didn't think much of it, didn't think there was much to photograph, but I enjoyed watching her. Oliver, in his sweet, nine-year-old boy way, found two dozen different ways to have fun with the water hose. But first, he took it upon himself to do some watering, even dragging the hose to take care of the patio boxes -- no easy task and all his idea. Colette is a gifted young artist, and she's also interested in photography. I was surprised and pleased by her photos and asked her to make a reel for Instagram, which she did. From Colette: Gardens give joy, peace, purpose. But children, so precious, give much more. It was Colette and Oliver who brought a smile to my face and my heart and, I believe, to our garden. Love and innocence. God bless them and all children everywhere.  |
Our GardenFor years, my husband and I worked at creating a series of gardens on our four-acre lot in a rural, Texas subdivision west of Houston. I have to say, it was a fantastic experience. Now, I have a pocket garden on a golf course. Archives
November 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed