Monday, June 8, 2015

Secret Garden

I’ve been waiting for the weather to finally be warm enough to garden. Our winter lasted forever, and it’s only been since mid-to-late May that it felt even remotely spring-like. But even then, the temperature would still drop to wintry temperatures overnight. Not ideal for planting young flowers and shrubs.

Gardening is a family affair for us, which is something that I’ve come to enjoy. My parents and I wake up early on a Saturday, hoping to beat the crowds at the local plant nurseries. Mom and I pick the flowers (Dad always insists on some blue or purple varietals), and Dad is in charge of paying and then loading up the car. The rest of the morning is spent in the dirt (literally) until every flower has a new home. The end result is a yard filled with bursts of color. It’s so refreshing after a gray, colorless winter.

My favorite flower (if you don’t already know) is the rose, so each year we add a few roses to the collection. This year we added a sherbet colored one and a red and white speckled one. I’m a huge fan of both! They seemed so unique to me. Because Dad favors purple and blue flowers, we have a lot of those scattered about as well. We’re still waiting for our lilies to bloom though, but they’re coming along nicely.

There’s something therapeutic about gardening for me. It’s peaceful, especially since we garden first thing in the morning. Our neighbors still haven’t emerged from their houses, so it’s just us and maybe some birds chirping. It’s nice, too, that it’s time spent with my parents. The older I get, the more I appreciate that quality time I have with them. And gardening is creative too. You spend so much time picking flowers and then laying them out to create something aesthetically pleasing. The yard becomes like an empty canvas, the flowers different tubes of oil paint.
 
Do any of you garden? What are your favorite flowers?


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