Garden 2010

A few years ago, if you asked me if I was into gardening, I would have laughed. As a child I never understood how my parents could spend hours in the yard, discussing, planning, working, and ordering us kids to pick up spent camelia blooms. To put it mildly I loathed yard work. I think being forced to crawl around on the ground picking up wilted, smelly and ant ridden camelia carcasses, on a hot humid Florida afternoon, pretty much tipped the scales for my hatred.

Suddenly, in the last few years, I have morphed into an aspiring gardener. I use the term aspiring because I have no clue what I'm doing, but I'm enjoying myself. Maybe it's having kids and I'm living through their wonder of plant life. Maybe it's because the boys are outside all the time and there are only so many pirate battles and balls I can run from. Maybe it's because I like my house. It's a nice house and the yard is just another room to that nice house. Maybe it's all of these things. Whatever it is, in the past two years, I have found that I love dirt and all things that grow in it.

This past fall was my experimentation with bulbs, and transplanting peonies. I am so overwhelmed with pride. I succeeded with everything I planted and moved!

During our first spring in this house, we discovered there were peonies in the backyard. Peonies have a special place in my heart as they were in full bloom in the yard and garden at the house in Brooklyn where Garth and I were married. I didn't like that they were hiding in the back yard. Also, I did not like that where they were is one of Millie's favorite places to dig and lay down. I figured they didn't stand a chance against Millie. But could I successfully dig them up and move them without killing them???

Yes!!! Yes I can!
Considering I replanted them in very prominent places in front of the house. I fretted over their well being, convinced that their failure would somehow seal my fate as a lousy gardener.

But look!

As beautiful as the blooms are, what you can't experience is the overwhelming fragrance they posessed. It was absolutely amazing. The boys and I spent much time with our noses stuck in the blooms filling up on the intoxicating smells.

My goal for next year, is to acquire more peonies and investigate more secure ways to stake them. The heavy blooms overpowered my novice attempts.

Here are the bulbs I planted.

Spring 2009, they boys, my parents and I trekked out to Holland, MI to experience "Tulip Time." We visited a tulip farm and I couldn't leave without ordering some for myself.

Planting fall bulbs are a good lesson in patience. I spent hours preparing the soil, digging holes at the precise depth required, cover them all up, and then wait an endless six or more months. All the while wondering, did I plant these upside down?

Phew. Apparantly, I planted them correctly!

Up next ... the vegetable garden 2.0