Saturday, July 9, 2011

Dreaming of Flowers ...

I have always dreamed of a garden of cutting flowers. Now that I run a bed and breakfast, it seems like the perfect time to create the garden of my dreams ... you know, the one where I meander along the garden path in a long flowing white skirt (that never gets dirty) with a wicker basket swinging from one elbow and a generous spray of gorgeous flowers tucked in the nook of the other.

It's a lovely dream ...



The only problem is that we live in the WOODS and most cutting flowers need something called sunshine.

This year, I came up with the perfect solution - a plot at the town garden! I reserved my very own plot and began to dream of armloads of beauty.

With great anticipation, we drove to the garden for the first time. Carefully following the chart, I meandered down the woodchip path counting the plots until I arrived at mine ...


I counted again.

And again.

Is this some kind of town garden initiation?

Let's uncover it. Maybe it isn't really so bad under all that black plastic.

Yep ... it's really that bad!

Not having thought to bring a scythe to the town garden, Wayne began attacking the thick weeds with the only thing he had ... his trust garden shovel! This is actually a pretty good way to take out your frustrations!

Then he tried some fancy gardening gizmo that was laying in the garden. In theory, it looked like it would lift out the weeds by the roots. In reality, it just got stuck in them!

CorrieAnne applied her muscle power using a long handled garden claw. That got stuck too.

As they pulled up clumps grass and dirt, I shook it off and bagged it to take home. One of the rules of the town garden is that you take home your weeds. Most people carry theirs out in a 5 gallon bucket. We ... had ... three ... giant ... lawn bags full!

"Did I do that?!" The long handled claw sacrificed its body for the cause ...

As we began to find dirt under all that green grass, CorrieAnne began to find critters in the dirt.


She had worked hard. She was hungry. Don't worry ... Mama stopped her in time!

At long last, we had succeeded in producing a clumpy, root-filled patch of dirt. It was time to go home and call it a night.



Those of you who are observant may notice that one family member was missing from action. Where, you may wonder, was Sodie during all this hard work?


She was across the road ...



having nice, cool, clean fun with her friends ... smart girl!


Round TWO - Several days later, we found the courage and strength to return to the garden.

Now it was time to sift through all of the dirt and pick out the dried up roots

An hour or so later ... a nicely raked dirt bed.

Then we laid black plastic and covered it so hopefully we won't have to haul any more weeds home!



Then we raked it again. It's looking like mighty fine dirt now!

And finally ... we planted the first three small flowers! It's still a long way from the garden of my dreams, and I don't think I'll be wearing any long flowing white skirts there any time soon ... but it's a start!


I've always loved the saying, "Do not despise small beginnings," so in that spirit, I celebrate the beauty of family, hard work, dirt under the fingernails, sun on the shoulders, earthworms, brave flowers and dreams.

1 comment:

robstop said...

Now that looked like really hard work! I pray that the soil will produce beyond your expectations! Looking forward to future photos from this labor of love.
Rob