Let the Gardening Begin!
As you all know, I had to say goodbye to the garden I had spent 17 years creating and developing. Some of the trees, plants and shrubs I left behind had been grown from seed over 25 years ago and moved to the site, some were cherished divisions from family and friends, and many of the trees were planted in memory of loved ones who had passed on in years past. I have my memories, photographs, and a lot of the portable ornaments and pots from the garden, but left behind every plant.
Waiting for Spring has been hard, not knowing how I would fill the hole in my heart left by it’s loss, sometimes remembering what early spring flower should be in bloom first, and visiting nearby gardens to see if someone else might have something green and growing to fill my heart.
Finally, the temperatures are warming up, and Spring has returned to the area. So on a very warm day this week, I spent the afternoon carrying furniture and decorations out of the garage, and arranged and rearranged everything on the deck and alongside the house to begin the process of once again decorating the outdoor room that will be my new garden. I have a lot of it planned in my head- what seeds to plant here, what pot filled with flowers will go there, the best spot for the herbs, the tomatoes, maybe some beans.
My fingers began to ache to be in the soil, and even though I haven’t turned the flower beds yet and taken out the weeds, I celebrated Spring with the purchase of a six pack of brightly colored pansies, and a lavender plant to fill the chair/planter I put by my door to greet me and my visitors.
My garden this year will be much smaller, mostly in pots, and mostly annuals, but I have always depended on annuals to give me plenty of color all summer long. There is continuity in starting the seeds I saved from the Impatiens, Phlox of Sheep and Blue Lobelia I have been growing for years, and making plans to plant them all around my new deck here.
There’s a lot of wildlife here- raccoons, possums, rabbits, groundhogs, and even coyotes, although I haven’t seen one of those. Growing some things may be a challenge, but I’ll give it a shot. There is a wide variety of birds that visit my feeders, and I’m sure there is a trumpet vine growing on the sunny side of the house, so maybe I’ll have hummingbirds- I would love that!
So- I have made a start, my gardening heart is healing, and while it won’t be the same garden, it will be my garden. In the coming weeks and months, I will keep you posted on how it develops, what works, what doesn’t work, and post some pictures on the blog. I may even have a garden party or two to celebrate. Stay tuned!
See you in the Garden!
