On Gardening

I have always found a connection between growing a garden and raising my family. It may be that only a gardener would understand. It seems to me that taking care of the garden requires a love of gardening and a certain instinct for what the flowers and plants really need.

My husband and I share a garden so it sometimes becomes a tug of war. For many years he was sure that I was watering too much and was giving the plants too much food. I was positive that he let plants get stressed and hungry before he would give them what they needed.

In spite of our different views our garden did grow. Somewhere between the different philosophies was the perfect plan. In the end it seems we share a brain and it goes very smoothly now.

Auntie and Brayden

Family many years ago when
every grandchild was a baby!

We have raised a family and now have grandchildren and a great grandchild. It could that what we learned and took into our hearts during that time is why our garden grows with great gusto now. Like my children, the garden blooms and produces things that make us proud.

I like that.

So how does your garden grow?

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Lessons Learned from Green Bananas

Green bananas are a symbol that people use for how old they are. If they are still buying the green ones, they plan on living until the end of the week. If they only buy yellow one, their future does not seem that safe.

I do still buy green bananas. But...I also know the clock is ticking. If something is not coming to fruition in the near future, I do stop and think about whether I want to do that or not.

Backyard today!

I suppose the my garden is the place that I am insistent upon getting the mature and ripe fruit. The clock is ticking and I am never going to see a seedling tree grow to maturity. I honestly want to get a full grown one. That applies to shrubs too. There cannot not be any waiting for ten years or more to enjoy what we have planted.

When we moved into our current house the backyard was lined along the back with scraggly juniper shrubs. Before my husband could get control of the situation, my son and I managed to remove a couple. Then the rest remained in place and we worked to make the rest OK. Now they are beautiful and we enjoy them...but that was 5 years ago this summer.

Front Yard the first year (2012)!

Front Yard this year!

My husband likes to wait for the seedling and the dead plant to come to life. He will salvage a tiny tree seedling even though we will not see it grow. Someone out there in the world may need it. I love his optimism and youthful spirit. 

We balance each other perfectly most of the time. Our life is good. There is a spot between green bananas and ripe ones that suits us both.

Have a wonderful day.

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

The oldest known version [of Mistress Mary] was first published in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book (c. 1744) with the following lyrics:

♬Mistress Mary, Quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells,

And so my garden grows.^[1]♬

Now that you asked...my garden is growing quite beautifully, thank you!

When we bought this house 4 years ago we bought a wonderful house with a not so wonderful yard. My husband does not ever want a lawn so we set out to fill a fairly large lot with flowers and green plants of every sort.

Here is the before and the after.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

The friendships that have grown in the process have been every bit as beautiful. When I work in my yard, people stop and talk. I am at my very happiest when someone asked me for a plant or even wants to walk my garden with me.

The after pictures were taken a few minutes ago. What a beautiful day.

How does your garden grow?

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Don't Turn Your Back

Summer in my neighborhood...Blue Angel in the
sky and ants in the livingroom!

It is summer, very hot, the plants are dying and the sugar ants are sure we are canning sugary peaches. I know, not very likely you say. But tell that to the ants.

How is it that the ants move in and the plants die when I turn my back? I went shopping yesterday. I got up this morning to find ants in the kitchen and the flower pots on the patio dried up.  How does that happen in one day?

My daughter-in-law made a mixture of the essence of mint oil and water that is suppose to repel the ants. I am giving that a try.

We found a herd of polite ants that decided to use the front door as their entrance and that was the day I became the ant murderer in the family. I used insecticide and the mint spray. It was all guns blazing around here. They haven't come back. I don't mind sharing but really, there was food by the front door? I don't think so.

As for the plants, I have come to a place where I am watering when I am watering and the plants can just live or die. It is their choice not mine.

I will tell you this though...I am not turning my back again this summer. It was a bad idea.

I'm just saying!

Related articles

• The Basic Gardening Guide
• Easy, Natural Ways to Keep Bugs Away From Your Yard

Aging: The Gardening Stage

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When we first retired, we wanted to be rid of our garden.  I think we saw it as the link to years of work and getting by financially.   The vegetables carried us through the summer, were sold to fruit stands for extra pocket change and any extra produce was canned for the coming cold winter.  It was a lot of work but a necessity at the time.

Retirement gave us the opportunity to fly away from the responsibility that had kept food on the table and clothes on our back.  Our jobs had provided our homes, educated our children and provided a nest egg for our retirement.  So when freedom came around, we simply did what we wanted to do when we wanted to do.  We did not need to worry about the garden anymore.

The years have gone by and it has been 15 years since we retired.  We have grown and matured as older people.  The process took us through downsizing and RV travel born of restlessness.  We are growing older.  Now we find that we have arrived at that part of our life when we want to garden again.  We want to enjoy the beauty of the flowers, watch them grow and mature.  We want to share its bounty with our family and friends.  The change in us is not as much about how we look or even our health anymore.  It is about our spiritual center.  Contentment and peace is ours.  Our garden is doing just fine.

Have a wonderful day.

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