Oh, How my garden grows!
It’s gardening time here in Connecticut – I say that like I know what I’m talking about – I DO NOT!
Truthfully, the outdoors is a challenge for me. I’m allergic to bees’ stings – any type of sting or insect bite swells up beyond the average persons. While other people love to hang out outside, fires in the evening – I feel like I’m being stalked by mosquitoes, so, real gardening – not my thing.
Planting, now that’s different – Planting I can do – kinda. My version of it anyway. Luckily, I have a husband who literally handles the dirty work and all the heavy lifting.
The weeding, mulching, pruning – I admire those who find it gratifying and curative, but I just get itchy at the thought. This is where Jack comes in – our yard is fairly large and is in need of constant maintenance, not that he loves it, he definitely – does not find it therapeutic, but he handles it all.
When we first moved into our home, there were large rhododendrons in the front. They were magnificent but they blocked all the windows. Jack and I agreed, to have them moved. Actually, we agreed, Jack would move them, but we never agreed on where they should go – we never agree where anything should go – This is one of those times, RARE TIMES, I give in – since he is doing all the digging, planting, replanting and replanting, I let him decide.
Over the past several years, storms have taken out a lot of trees, causing damage to plants, so Jack kept relocating plant after plant – we’ve now been in this house for 22 years and I think he has moved these plants 8 to 12 times. Each time I smile, nod in agreement, waiting for the day, they end up where I wanted them in the first place.
He wants it to look pretty for us, for me – and you can’t fault him but for that.
Years ago, I was listening to a speaker talk about her idea of gardening – Going to the nursery, Picking out the flowers and plants and then walking around her yard, putting the plants down — that’s where her gardener (her husband), would plant them.
Brilliant, now that works for me and that’s pretty much how I garden. Except for my planters. Planters are my garden territory.
Planters are so much fun and easier to play with variety. I have two medium-sized box planters outside my front door and last year I picked up several large planters at a garden center very inexpensive and they are plastic – you wouldn’t know it to look at them. This year we geared up with masks and gloves (because this is how we go out these days) and went to Costco and a local nursery to pick up plants. Costco had some great premade planters, ready to go at a reasonable price. Purchasing three, one I kept as is and two I broke up to use with other plants around the yard.
We (by we, I mean Jack), line up all the planters and plants – I have a wheelbarrow with topsoil in it, I put on my gloves and PLANT.
A few things I’ve learned –
If you purchase plastic planters be sure to put holes in the bottom for drainage.
Use old plastic bottles in the bottom of the planters to fill up and help with drainage. Most plants do not need the depth of the planter to grow by filling it up with plastic bottles it makes a little lighter and easier to move.
Add a layer good dirt top of the bottles
Now for the plants – Thrillers – Fillers and Spillers.
- Thrillers are your tall plants, grasses – giving a little Wow, a statement.
- Fillers are the lower colored flowers, hiding the soil.
- Spillers could be flowers or ivies, that spill over the side as they grow.
Water them after they are in place – freshly watered plants will be heavier to move.
After moving the plants around time and time again I finally come up with a look that makes me smile – I step back feeling accomplished. Again, if it sounds like I know what I’m talking about – I DO NOT – but I do know when something makes me happy and this does.
Jack moves the planters to where I say I want them to go, in the yard and around the pool and for the next week I will look at them and move them at least two more times before it feels right.
For the rest of the summer, I will water them and talk to them – tell them how happy they make me and I hope that they’re happy here and every day I walk up, my front walkway, where my two planters will greet me and make me smile. By no means do they look professional but I’m happy with the contribution I’ve made to the outdoor beautification of our home.
Dear Diary, I gardened, (kinda) – and it looks EXTRAORDINARY!
