Dig it

I did some gardening yesterday. I was a little bitter about the first project, shamefully. The Young Women's group at church decided they wanted to do some service in the form of planting flowers around the church building. "Great idea! I'll buy the flowers." On the prescribed day, it poured rain... AND there was a more deserving project readily available, so we did that instead. Everyone felt good. Meanwhile, I had 80 little baby plants on my porch waiting to go in the ground. I announced that I would be at the church on Saturday morning and anyone who wanted could join me. Well, Saturdays are precious indeed. No one came. Quinn was busy, but took Torin with him, and Sonja and Laurel helped a little. I tried really hard to do it with a cheery heart, but I wasn't successful. I got 3/4 of them planted in just over an hour, then prayed for some rain because I didn't have time to water them.

Next, I took all three kids over to a friend's house for an annual plant exchange. My friend Beth is part of a loose group which gets together every May and exchanges pieces of whatever is taking over their perennial bed or extra seedlings or tools, etc. She invited me and I brought a tray of small offerings, some of which I knew would be popular since they are a bit unusual (white dragonflower, woodland phlox, species tulip, and a cute unknown). I also brought columbine, cilantro, snow-on-the-mountain (ground cover), and wild red bleeding heart. It was a fun little party. Everyone stood around talking about plants and eating coffee cake while admiring Jesse's free-range turkeys and peacocks. Jesse's daughter is one of Sonja's friends, so the girls were happy to stay for as long as I wanted. Unfortunately, Torin got hungry and tired so we left early. I took home 2 smaller irises, some day lillies, hardy geranium, yarrow, tall fall phlox, mountain bluette, and a perennial scallion(?).

When I got home, I put Torin to bed and went out to plant. I put all the new ones in their places, then tucked the leftover impatiens (from the church project) around my maple tree and behind some pansies. Then the mailwoman came and brought a package- two new rose bushes! I had already planted my new "Buff Beauty" yellow one near the west driveway last week. Two weeks ago I made a new bed near the east driveway encompassing the magenta rugosa rose and the little cherry tree. I added some Bergen's blue veronica for eventual ground cover, and made a place for two more rose bushes. I put in the "Blanc Double de Coubert" (double white rugosa- great fragrance), and the "Bonica" pink shrub rose.

By that time, Torin had been up for awhile and Quinn was in need of a break. It felt good to have gotten so much done in a morning, despite my bad attitude at the start. Somehow, working in the earth always softens my heart and clears my mind. And that rain I prayed for? It began just as I went inside.