Something Different for a Change

I’m tired of medical and health stuff dominating every aspect of my life. I need a break. So I took one. The weather has been beautiful and spring-like even on the weekends, so I’ve been spending as much time as possible outside. I fell in love with our house in springtime, and every year at this time I remember why. Last fall, as I may have mentioned, I got ambitious and bought about 200 bulbs. I also got very lucky and my parents came to visit precisely at planting time. So in the end, I planted about a dozen bulbs and mom and dad did the rest. And now I am reaping the benefits of their hard labor. It began about a month ago as green shoots shot up all around the house. We labeled the areas assuming I would lose more than half of the bulbs to squirrels, rabbits, deer and whatever else is out there. Much to my surprise every labeled area showed some sign of life.

Fast forward to about two weeks ago and the crocuses (croci?) blossomed in all their purple and yellow glory. All around I noticed yellow blooms coming alive in other people’s gardens, but mine were not yet open, perhaps because this was their first year and I began to get a bit nervous. Then we had a few days of warm temps and BAM! I came home from work one day last week to blooming daffodils and narcissus. Yellow and white flowers surround the house. This made my day – daffodils have a special meaning to me. Eight years ago, a month into my first round of chemotherapy, I received a small vase of daffodils one day as I arrived for treatment. I think the American Cancer Society declared March to be “Daffodil Days”. Whatever the reason, those daffodils brightened my day and ever since then every March I look forward to the daffodils. Usually I buy a bunch; this is the first year that I was able to grow my own and these have even more meaning to me- as I type this I can look over at them smiling at me from their vase.

These flowers winking at me each time I left the house reminded me tha I had work to do. I started the spring cleanup of the gardens and as I was doing this I noticed lots more activity at ground level. (I must have done something right last year because my perennials are coming back! Yes, I know this is what they are supposed to do, but I didn’t have much confidence that they actually would. So far, so good though.) The clean up this year was much easier than last year – once again thanks to some help from my parents at the end of the last season. Also, last year was the first year I really tackled the gardens and since the previous owner was not much of a gardener things were quite a mess. This year is a different story – if there is any back breaking labor to be done, it’ll be because I am making some serious changes and not because I need to clean up 8 years of neglect. I’m already eyeing up a large portion of a juniper bush to be removed to make way for something more picturesque. So many ideas….

About a week ago the hyacinths emerged from their shells. Beautiful purple and pink blooms now joined the yellows and whites. I think I planted 10 hyacinth bulbs and 9 of them blossomed – I’m thrilled!! And then the azalea bushes burst out with magenta magnificence. There is one bush on either side of our front door – the only downside being the huge bumblebees they attract. We don’t stop and smell the blossoms, just admire them from afar. Each day as returned home from work I spent time walking the grounds, looking to see what was going to come up next. I didn’t have to wait long – the dwarf tulips made their entrance last Friday. Vibrant orange blossoms now joined my palette of color. I can’t remember what other color tulips I bought and rather than look it up in my spreadsheet (yes, there is an excel spreadsheet of the flowers in my garden…) I think I shall wait for the surprise. It’s more fun this way. Just this morning, I got my first peek – one lone yellow tulip opened overnight. I know there are lots more to come – more tulips, irises, lilies and who knows what else. I have to refrain from cutting everything to savor them inside – though I think I may have to bring some in for decoration later this week. I think our ninth wedding anniversary rates a bouquet from our own garden and save Pat the trouble.

I’ve been taking daily pictures of the gardens to send to my parents so that they can see the fruits of their labor. And because while there are beautiful flowers and colors in Arizona, there is nothing quite like a springtime garden in New England. When we bought this house, some people expressed surprise that we (Pat and I) would buy a property with so much outdoor space requiring attention as neither of us expressed much interest in outdoor chores. We had no idea what we were getting into, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. There is a bit of nagging I must do to get assistance with some of the more strenuous tasks, but we are working out a fair division of labor – Pat takes the lawn and I take the gardens. Works for me. We are getting used to spending weekends doing outdoor chores and even Cooper joins in – now that I’ve explained to him where he can and cannot lie down (NOT on the tulips!!! Good Boy! under the rhododendron).

Today Pat came home and said, “Our house looks so pretty from the street – so much color”. It’s worth the work.