Back when I had sufficient energy, I loved creating my flower gardens. When the flower catalogs arrived I would pour over them, looking for flowers that I thought would thrive in my garden’s unique conditions. I would try to remember what was planted where and what type of color I needed for early, middle and late summer. It was my elexer for the mid-winter blues.
Strawflower buds?
Sometimes I miss this creative aspect of gardening, especially when I see something isn’t working and want to move established, hard-to-get-out -of-the-ground plants. I also recognize my loss when I bring home plants from the garden center and they have to sit for a couple of days before I have the energy to plant them. My focus has changed from creating gardens to enjoying gardens and this doesn’t feel like much of a loss – when I think about it.
A winter-blooming blanket flower in Florida.
But I do remember the sweet joy of working the clay soil until it is light and fertile. I remember the joy of grabbing a shovel and digging up that day lily that would look better three feet over, next to the clematis.
I don’t want you to feel bad for me, all you gardeners, because I have a lifetime of garden memories to bring a smile to my face and I don’t have the sweat and achy muscles. You continue to grow the gardens, and I’ll be content to photograph the beauty you create.
In the meantime, I have told the teen across the street that I’ll need to hire his brawn in the spring to get some compost worked into the clay in a few spots. Life is good.
A New Day: Living Life Almost Gracefully 
I hope to make time for gardening. I find it quite therapeutic. We’ll see how it goes. Lately – life with the fam & kids has been so busy. I’m so in need of spring!
{Hugs}
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I remember eagerly waiting for kids to be out of school – then equally eager for them to be back in school. It is such a busy (and stressful) time of life. Just thinking of you makes me need to take a deep breath. 🙂
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Dear Pat
I understand your distance to gardening, though the reasons are different. In my case, I have no time for gardening (and have got no garden), but I love visiting gardens. Here in England where I live, houses normally have got a little garden in front of the house. I love it to stroll around and to take pictures of these garden plants and flowers. People even invite me to come into their garden so that I can take better pictures 🙂 I’m so lucky, I’m surrounded by gardens and don’t need anything to do for them.
Your entry before about the shapes and so on, marvellous. Inspired me again. I can’t wait for the Spring. It’s not that cold here in the South-East of England as in MI, but this winter feels longer than the winters before.
All the best !
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Nice to hear from you, Ben. British gardens are fun to look at. I bet you will be having shoots coming up pretty soon. I am very fortunate to now be able to spend my winters in Southern Florida where there is lots of green and flowers growing all winter.
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With each phase of life…a new way of enjoying it.
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So nice that you don’t miss it too dearly, and that you have helping hands available for when you do want to move things around. I far prefer the outcome to the effort, though my mom fully understands the need to get dirt under her fingernails 😉
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When faced with challenges, remain positive – woman after my own heart!!
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We are in this together, Sue – what more do we need.
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🙂
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