I’ve never been much of a gardener. My green thumb is most apparent in my house plants; though I love digging in the dirt, my landscape theme is what I like to call “naturalized.”
I took Sunday off from life, there was one less hour in the day due to Eastern Daylight Savings – an ancient and controversial ritual of ‘Springing ahead an hour in the Spring and Falling back an hour in the Fall. My therapy of the day was to work outside, cleaning out the “gardens.” There was very little to start with ten years ago and I do feel I’ve added some color and symmetry in my haphazard way. Raking the leaves and debris unveiled a small history. The tulips my mom sent me as a house-warming present are beginning to poke through. My annual assault on the wild strawberries might just “bear fruit” this year as I see less of the invasive vines creeping across the topsoil.
Alice followed me contentedly around the house, in and out of the garage where I clattered about searching for tools; rakes, brooms, garden cart, shovels and clippers. One final trip for gloves after my fingers were already full of prickers. Every year I dump the pots and window boxes of annual plants into the gardens to supplement the thin topsoil. I decided to move a bird feeder only to find it took six tries to locate a spot in the yard that wasn’t 6 inches of soil with solid granite ledge below. Once the stake was in the ground I emptied the old seed into the freshly raked garden and refilled the feeders. I may get sunflowers and thistle, and I may not be here to see it bloom.
Rudbeckia seed heads were picked over by the small birds but I shook out the remains for good measure. The giant poppies I relocated from my elderly friend’s farm are already popping/poppying; though they have endured the last two days of freezing rain.
In the backyard I uncovered the day lilies and gently tore out their gray skirts of dead leaves. They are spreading across the edge of the ledge, slowly taking over the hill. For a brief month every year they are spectacular.
The garden will slowly continue to fill in. The next steward will put their stamp on the property. I can only hope to leave a template for their dreams.
A day in the sun and the dirt, a day less in the story of my life in this house, one more step forward into my next adventure. Planting ideas and sowing thoughts…
Therapeutic Misadventures 
I love a good day of dirt therapy! I didn’t do anything in our garden for the first two years, other than keeping the weeds at bay and raking the leaves. It was fun to wait and see what would pop up every spring.The second year, I added my own touches to the gardens. Now, after 14 years, I’m ready to turn them over to the next owner. I’ve seen your gardens in bloom and they are lovely. Are you going to take any of your plants with you?
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Thanks Laura. I probably won’t take much as I will rent for a year while I figure out where to plant myself permanently!
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Lovely, lovely!
Spring is such a hopeful time of year. Green shoots. Budding trees. Hints and teases – and then BURSTS of color!
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Thank you Julie. I always say Spring is my favorite, until it gets to be Summer, and then in Fall. Love the changes of the seasons.
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Me too!
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Wonderful! I love watching things grow!
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Thank you hopehill2016! If the weather would cooperate, things are trying to bloom here!!
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You have tulips? Every time I have tried tulips the deer have eaten them. Just like the chipmunks eat the daffodil bulbs. I finally gave up on both.
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I only had trouble with the deer eating the tulips one year, Aline. I made the mistake of putting moth balls around them to ward off the critters. The smell about drove me out!!
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You’ll be taking some wonderful settling-in skills to a lucky new place.
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Hadn’t thought of that Susan. I agree, every time I move I learn how to better settle in and make it a ‘home’!
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I hope part of the deal with the new owner says that you’ll be able to take your mom’s tulips when the time is right.
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That would be nice but only if where I was going was not a rental…even if I can’t take them with me, I have them to remember in pictures and memories…
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I think my garden would be the thing I’d miss most if I moved.gardening seems to be mainly about belief in the future, planting things that may take seasons or years to bear fruit and mature. When I look at my garden I see memories of years past, plants gathered here and there, some, like the palm I bought as a foot high cheap deal at the garden centre now tower over my head, others, like the campanula Mother planted, need bending to appreciate. Gardening is the job that never ends.
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I love your reference to belief in the future. So True Marie! Did you get my email about my issues trying to comment on your blog?
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I did and sent a reply. Maybe it went into your spam?
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Ugh. Can’t find it. I think I will reboot my whole world and start over…
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I’ll try to find it at my end and resend it ????
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