I am a novice gardener. I’m not even sure we could call it being a gardener at all because I’m so unskilled – but I’m going to try.
So Jason and I went to the nursery to purchase bulbs and pansies for the spring. My sister Kara (who is a landscaping genius) said to get a good amount of bulbs and pansies. Knowing that the artist in me loves things to look full and balanced, we brought home some bags of crocuses (I love how they come up first), 155 tulips, 50 daffodils and 3 flats of pansies. I wasn’t taking any chances that it wouldn’t make an impact next spring.
But all of this didn’t happen before having to become educated at the store that “Narcissi” meant “daffodil,” however. Yep – that’s our skill level.
Our soil was prepared. We placed each bulb where we wanted them and started digging – no bulb planters for my sister. She has a good system with her trusty trowel. Dig, pull, push, drop down the bulb with the pointy side up. Dig pull, push, drop down the bulb with the pointy side up.
I found myself saying, “Pointy side up. Pointy side up. Pointy side up.” with each bulb to in order to give it the correct send off to be successful and keep the roots heading in the right direction.
I know what it will look like in the spring. I chose flowers with varying heights, colors that coordinated together and textures that would keep the look interesting. I can envision the end result even though all we can see right now are a few spindly pansy stems in the middle of some freshly nurtured dirt.
While planning the planting Kara asked, “Do you want to place them for the neighbors to see or do you want to place them for you?” My choice…the fruits of our labor will be right out our home office windows. Of course, it will look nice driving up as well but this bed of flowers is for us. We will get to witness the first hope that spring brings as we look outside our windows at the growth coming up through the earth.
Isn’t this what working toward a goal is all about? Hope that our efforts will pay off in some way that is meaningful and fulfilling?
Our success in accomplishing anything worthwhile is based on our ability to envision the outcome and pursue it. -kh
We have done our part. We have seen the potential that this gardening space can have and worked to make that vision possible. Now all I have to do is water the plants by hand if it doesn’t rain or snow, and anticipate the color that will come to life in 6 months.
Hope. It’s the foundation of our motivation to work. Hope that something significant is at the end of the journey.
love that you are gardening (or planting some beautiful flowers)! i will be at my mom’s this weekend and will take some photos of the raised bed garden we planted with winter/fall veggies! so love reading your blog! have a great day…
Do you and your sister hire out? I think that every year I will have nice flowers blooming from spring to the first frost, but every year I get side tracked and those plans get pushed aside. I love spring flowers but the dog would just help undo all the hard work, so maybe that would best be for another day!
We did spend one summer planting various flowers and I have that to look forward to.
I cannot wait to have my own home to do the very same! Good luck!
Oh I so miss living in the Northeast and planting in the Fall and enjoying the pretty flowers in Spring! Here in Florida we just pay way too much to buy flowers in a pot, only for it to die from the heat in no time!
I can’t wait to see your pretty flowers in the Spring — be sure to share photos here!
Thanks for sharing your planting story. We have lived in our current home 6 years now and every spring since being here I have said that “I wished I had planted bulbs last fall”. We have some that come up from the previous owners, but they are scattered and thin. So thank you for reminding me. I need to go get some bulbs and do the pointy side up!
~Robin
“We have done our part. We have seen the potential that this gardening space can have and worked to make that vision possible.” When I read this statement, all I could think of was how Lady Bird Johnson must have felt this same way when she shared her vision for millions of daffodils dotting the public spaces around the D.C. area! At the time it must have eemed like such a frivolous effort for a First Lady, but for years and years and years afterwards how many millions of residents and visitors were awed by this simple contribution?
There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the fruits of your labor pop up each and every spring. Enjoy!