This Is What Happens When You Love Plants

A Sunday Short:

By now if you have been following the blog, you probably know that I LOVE this time of year!  There are so many reasons, but one of my favorites is gardening.  Now that it’s June, the plants are thriving!  The flower pots are brimming with an abundance of color complimented by a miniature American Flag in each.

The perennials are also full and lush, to a point that I am planning on how to divide them this fall.  In fact, I am already offering plants to friends who may be interested in them.  The Hosta, Sedum, Black-Eyed Susans, and the variety of Lilies all have eye-catching size this year.  The Clematis are blooming and climbing all around the new, larger trellis.

The most gratifying part of my day is taking an evening stroll through the yard in admiration of the 10+ year effort put into the beautification of our yard.  It has been a labor of love!  I fondly remember the friends and family members who have given me certain plants back then and recall how many new plants were born from each one.  So many, in fact, that we have created new beds and given away plenty to friends and neighbors.  I am still so grateful for those gifts.

One beautiful yellow flower that spreads evenly and quickly was given to me by a friend who transplanted it from her grandmother’s garden.  I think it’s an honor to watch it grow each year.  While I am unsure of the plant’s name, it’s a beauty that crawls along our fence-line.  Standing about 18 inches high with small yellow flowers at the top, this plant blooms throughout the summer.  Its leaves turn a pretty deep red in the fall.  (UPDATE:  Thanks to one of my readers, I now know that the flower is called “Sundrop.”  Also known as Oenothera Fruticosa.  Thank you, Sally!)

When we moved in, there was nothing but grass and weeds that abutted the house and garage, with the exception of a few ancient evergreen shrubs.  A line of overgrown pine trees took up 50% of our backyard.  We removed those shortly after we moved in.  It seems like a lifetime ago now!

While there is still much work to be done, I will gladly continue planting, transplanting, splitting, and weeding.  We created curvaceous flower beds, softening the hard edges of our brick home.  We have worked the soil, and given it the nutrients needed to accommodate the plants.  Where there was previously hard, clay-like dirt now lies rich soil with many earthworms.  Although gardening is hard work, I absolutely love doing it!  Some of my best thinking and problem-solving are done while on my kneeling pad with a trowel in my hand, digging in the dirt.  It makes me happy.  The smell and feel of the earth is serene.

Gardening isn’t a chore for me.  The calming effects are incredible.  It’s definitely therapeutic.  The pride in knowing that all the years of hard work have given us the lovely scenery we enjoy today is beyond satisfying.  Even my indecisiveness about where to plant things doesn’t matter.  If it doesn’t work out or I find a better location, I dig it up and move it.   Frankly, I don’t mind when that happens either, because I get to spend more time doing what I love.

Every fall, we get a fresh crop of tomatoes and peppers, and we savor our fresh herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Mint, Parsley, Basil) all summer long.  Placing the freshly cut flowers in a vase makes a lovely addition to our kitchen table throughout the summer.

Our gardens are a work in progress.  They are our creation.  The benefits are amazing, and the rewards are clearly visible.  The joy of spending time on the patio and watching butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees flutter through the garden warms my heart.  If you haven’t given gardening a try, please do!  It’s a natural stress reliever and darn good exercise.  Although I am certainly no expert, I would be happy to help if you have any questions at all.  Contact me anytime!

Until Next Time,

April

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