Gardening. Sigh.

Today in MOPS we had a speaker come talk about gardening;Tips and tricks and whatnot. It got me all ready for spring, which is a bit peculiar, considering I could hardly see driving to town this morning with all the snow, the roads were 90% ice covered, I haven’t seen anything green outside for ages and ages, and we all still have to wear layers indoors and out.

I had to go to a gardening catalogue online when I got home and make my wish list. Butterfly bushes, Bradford pears, weeping cherries, a bargain perennial garden, plants that love the sun, plants that love the shade, blueberries…sigh. I even want to put in a water garden and a patio this spring.

And then I remember how my attempts at gardening have turned out the past five summers I’ve attempted.

And how my master gardener mother-in-law just shakes her head at me and surreptitiously comes over to weed.

And how my dad takes pity on me and gives me some of the fruit of his labors.

And how I always end up at the Farmer’s Market (me- a farmer’s wife) buying vegetables to freeze.

I try to be realistic, but there is just something about planting and seeing it grow (at least until the crabgrass takes over) that makes me feel close to God, and so productive and housewife-y and farmwife-y.

Below is a recycled post from last May.

Gardening, and what it is to me

My veggies wilt and sigh

and my flowers always die

But with trowel in hand

I take a stand

and every year I try

Looking at “Birds and Blooms”

Leads to flowers that are doomed

Because unfortunately I forget

Water is an important little bit

Thus dry are my plants’ tombs

“Backyard Living” I religously read

I carefully choose every seed

From poppies to daisies,

I make myself crazy,

Because then I forget to weed

So even though I’m bummed

and I feel pretty dumb

I’ll have to lay my hoe up on the shelf

and reluctantly resign myself

To the fact I don’t have a green thumb

I did have some successes this past year. Aviana and I planted some Mexican sunflowers down by our sign, and some of them grew. Also, I managed to keep alive 1/2 of my mums, and the pussy willows I planted were growing in the fall as well. I think some of the daisies survived. We grew some delicious tomatoes in the whiskey barrel.

And the carrot top Aviana and I have growing in the windowsill is looking very good!