As a gardener, I’m in limbo, because my garden is in limbo.
I haven’t posted (huge apologies for seeming to abandon my blogging efforts) because the past has been strongly present in my garden. No blooms, roses needing rejuvenation badly, the time for pruning being agonizingly far away, crispy being far more prevalent than green, this in-between time seemed to slip this gardener out of Drive and into Neutral. Breadmaking and dear husband took my attention, and the garden couldn’t have been farther away.
However, the last two weekends I was gardening. Thirty-eight daylilies are now in the ground. Hardscaping in the form of cement block edging in the back garden is in place. A plan to revitalize ‘Mme Abel Chatenay’ and ‘Bermuda’s Anna Olivier’ in the front garden is solidified. Christmas bonus cash has been spent on manure compost, pine bark mulch, dahlia and astilbe tubers, hollyhock roots, potting soil and patio pots for veggie seeds and Yukon Gold potato starts. Seeds have arrived in the mail.
The past is beginning to fade, and the future is definitely within reach now. The days are longer now, enabling me to accomplish stuff after work. Temperatures again are Floridian in nature. The roses’ lack of foliage allows me to see how they’ll need to be trimmed and pruned. Endless googling has delivered a viable weapon against my enemy, the squirrel. (There will be a post on that.) The discovery of non-pH-adjusted sphagnum peat moss at Walmart has offered new hope for my crappy calcareous garden soil. We even had .35 inch of rain this week. Everything is moving in a positive direction, out of the winter doldrums and into the hustle and bustle of spring. The daunting task of rebuilding the garden has morphed into normal spring garden labor, transforming my outlook in the process.
Since my gardening apparently will always be a learning experience, there will be googling and posting “Help!” questions on the Antique Rose Forum about how to shape up ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’ and ‘Blush Noisette’. Progress in that area and others will be halted until I know what to do, but since pruning is a month away, that’s not a problem, merely something else to occupy evening computer time. The balancing act of life continues with laundry, housekeeping, breadmaking, work, and husband who is recovering nicely from his back surgery on December 29th. Two weeks off from work (last year’s final week of vacation saved for the surgery had to be taken even though the surgery hadn’t happened yet and the first week of this year’s vacation taken to do absolutely everything that DH could not do for himself) was not spent in the garden, but that’s okay. The garden will get done. Spring will return. The future is on its way.
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| 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' on January 3, 2012 |
I haven’t posted (huge apologies for seeming to abandon my blogging efforts) because the past has been strongly present in my garden. No blooms, roses needing rejuvenation badly, the time for pruning being agonizingly far away, crispy being far more prevalent than green, this in-between time seemed to slip this gardener out of Drive and into Neutral. Breadmaking and dear husband took my attention, and the garden couldn’t have been farther away.
However, the last two weekends I was gardening. Thirty-eight daylilies are now in the ground. Hardscaping in the form of cement block edging in the back garden is in place. A plan to revitalize ‘Mme Abel Chatenay’ and ‘Bermuda’s Anna Olivier’ in the front garden is solidified. Christmas bonus cash has been spent on manure compost, pine bark mulch, dahlia and astilbe tubers, hollyhock roots, potting soil and patio pots for veggie seeds and Yukon Gold potato starts. Seeds have arrived in the mail.
The past is beginning to fade, and the future is definitely within reach now. The days are longer now, enabling me to accomplish stuff after work. Temperatures again are Floridian in nature. The roses’ lack of foliage allows me to see how they’ll need to be trimmed and pruned. Endless googling has delivered a viable weapon against my enemy, the squirrel. (There will be a post on that.) The discovery of non-pH-adjusted sphagnum peat moss at Walmart has offered new hope for my crappy calcareous garden soil. We even had .35 inch of rain this week. Everything is moving in a positive direction, out of the winter doldrums and into the hustle and bustle of spring. The daunting task of rebuilding the garden has morphed into normal spring garden labor, transforming my outlook in the process.
Since my gardening apparently will always be a learning experience, there will be googling and posting “Help!” questions on the Antique Rose Forum about how to shape up ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’ and ‘Blush Noisette’. Progress in that area and others will be halted until I know what to do, but since pruning is a month away, that’s not a problem, merely something else to occupy evening computer time. The balancing act of life continues with laundry, housekeeping, breadmaking, work, and husband who is recovering nicely from his back surgery on December 29th. Two weeks off from work (last year’s final week of vacation saved for the surgery had to be taken even though the surgery hadn’t happened yet and the first week of this year’s vacation taken to do absolutely everything that DH could not do for himself) was not spent in the garden, but that’s okay. The garden will get done. Spring will return. The future is on its way.
Well said my friend, and welcome back!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Cyd
It doesn't sound like you've been in neutral! Daylilies planted, hardscaping in place, garden purchases. I hope your husband recuperates well from his surgery. Spring will be here soon, and we will be lamenting that we don't have any time!
ReplyDeleteWell, for about a week and a half I felt like I didn't have a garden and what's a blog??? Thanks, Holleygarden, for your good wishes for DH. He says his back is 'fair' today - not sure what that means, but it sounds better than painful.
DeleteIt's so nice to be missed. Hugs back, Cyd.
ReplyDeleteYou have been very busy! I hope to see pictures of all your daylilies, and I am certainly looking forward to your squirrel post. They do a lot of damage in my garden too.
ReplyDeleteMasha, I'm hoping for pictures, too, and also for the squirrel remedy to work. Have to get the ingredients first.
ReplyDeleteYes, spring is not far away and that is an exciting prospect. When do you trim your roses back? Can't wait for your post on squirrels. :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you are back, Sherry ! Surgery ? Oh, that's not very pleasent. Hope everything is better now.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see your garden in the spring.
Have a wonderful day !
Hope your hubby recovers quickly and well. I can't wait to read about the squirrel remedy. Pesky critters! Hope you are able to get back to gardening the way you like now that spring is almost here.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your blog very much, and therefore I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award in my post (http://www.myrtleglen.com/blogging/2012/01/30/the-versatile-blogger/)
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogging :-)
Sherry - Congratulations! Because of your love for roses (my personal favorite), I am awarding you the Liebster award (which in German means favorite). You can read more about it at my post here: http://dreamingofroses.blogspot.com/2012/01/1-blooms.html I hope you will accept it and pass it on to 5 of your favorite blogs, too. :)
ReplyDelete