A Simple Message

Ten days ago I got some lovely marigolds and petunias at the farmer’s market.  I put them in the dining room, and ignored them.  Life got insanely stressful.

Last night, the message at the synagogue worship service was “Live in the moment a little.  Don’t spend all your time counting forward.”   I felt this was a message from God.  (Well, duh, the message was delivered during a worship service.)

This morning I got another message, this time from those flowers. They seemed to be gasping, “For God’s sake, please just put us outside and let us fend for ourselves.”

I think that one marigold is really not going to make it.

I set out to find them a new home, stepping outside to discover a picture-perfect spring day. 

Warm, sunny, and dry, but not excessively so.

Garden tools ready

In order to put these plants in the ground, I had to do some weeding first.  I was focused on griping to myself about my tendonitis (a.k.a. snow shoveling elbow) and nursing my worry about a couple other issues, when I saw my neighbor Mr N.  He had a stroke a while ago, and has difficulty walking, but since the weather cleared I have often seen him courageously walking around the neighborhood.  It reminded me of my Dad, who kept walking whenever he could and for as long as he possibly could. 

I said, “Good morning!”  Mr N struggled to say “Good Morning” back.  Then he said, “My name is Jim.”  I said, “My name is Carolyn.”  He declared, “We both are having a good day.”

When he put it like that, all my worry dropped away.  I confirmed his statement out loud, and then realized that he might have been sent to reinforce last night's message.  

I spent the next two hours working outside, sticking plants in the ground, putting in some forget-me-not seeds, and mulching. 

A very good day indeed.

The Corner Rock: a work in progress

This is an allium that I transplanted last year.  It seems to be thriving!

Done, at least for now.

Can one of you actual real gardeners tell me what I am supposed to do with the daffodil and hyacinth foliage, now that they are finished blooming?  Am I supposed to chop it off, let it grow, tie it with pretty ribbons?

 * * * * * * * *

 Here's my garden by the mailbox.  On the left (foreground and then further back) are my balloon flowers (Laurel and Hardy - one is short and one is tall).  The row in the middle are my hapless marigolds and petunias.  I put the forget-me-not seeds in front of the mailbox, because half the time the newspaper ends up on top of my flowers there.  So I'm going for low cost, low maintenance in the front.

There's that pitiful marigold.  I hope it makes it!

 * * * * * * * *

And here is the very top part of our difficult-to-manage 'hillside' garden.  This view is from 18 days ago.

Hillside Garden, May 6

Yes, I obsessively labeled the plants, which also reminds me of my Dad, who would make a detailed map of his vegetable garden every year.  These are mostly perennials, but I am constantly forgetting what is in there.

 And the same piece of land today, after weeding and mulching:

Columbine

Bleeding Heart