For my 31st birthday, my fiancé gave me my reason to blog. He gave me a garden! It was incredible, probably the best gift I’ve ever received. We had leftover bricks from our patio, and I had roughly bricked out a little rose garden for myself. I thought it looked pretty good, but while I’m of the less is more mentality, John is definitely a more is more kind of man. He brought in a crew and they ripped out the, what now seems pathetic, little rose garden. They replaced it with a pathway that winds around the roses along the back of our house and leads into the side yard. I have to give him credit; it was genius. We had a huge amount of space being wasted. That dead space is now divided into six 6′ x 6′ planting squares. The configuration is constantly changing, but right now we have one square dedicated to herbs, one to flowers, one to plants that need rehab, and the other three to vegetables. The beauty of John’s plan is that almost every yard has an area of dead space waiting to be revived. We’re now eating green beans off the vines where weeds used to grow.
Monthly Archives: April 2009
More is More
Thank you, Mr. Lincoln
Mr. Lincoln was the first – a classic, statuesque beauty with dark green leaves and deep scarlet petals. He showered me with gifts every time a new bloom emerged. It was akin to a shopping rush and quickly turned into a binge; I needed more and more, so along came Tropicana and Gold Medal. Then I needed Peace and wanted to Strike it Rich. I became designer obsessed, buying Lagerfeld and Tiffany. I went for scent when bringing home a double order of Perfume Delight. They swept me off my feet. I’d never gardened before, but those roses tapped into my ancestral roots. Gardening is a family tradition; my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all found joy in their gardens and I feel the joy in mine. I am a gardener. I love the solitude and peace that comes with running my fingers through the dirt – some say boring; I say exhilarating. Bring on the weeds! There’s nothing better to clear a crazed head. The breeze, the sun, the occasional butterfly – they’re blissful. Roses were just the beginning…welcome to my garden!
