Photo Credit: Better Homes and Garden magazine
Lately work has consumed most of my time and when I'm not working life just seems to get in the way of what I really want to be to doing, which is diving into rich garden soil and letting all of my senses par take in the glory of mother nature.
Photo Credit: Country Living Magazine
To pass the time on the plane ride I poured over gardening magazines and dreamed of a life where my only cares are deadheading a shasta daisy and pulling up weeds. Right now I'm a bit of frustrated gardener as the vegetable seeds I intended to sow indoors have yet to be sown, the milk containers I collected for winter seed sowing sit empty in a back bedroom, and the tubers and summer bulbs I bought at the flower show have yet to be buried in potting soil. Is it too late?.... Too late and the season hasn't even begun yet? I know it's not, but I feel that way sometimes especially when I see the blogs of my gardening friends whose seeds have already sprouted and whose gardens are already bursting with blooming color... granted they are in a different zone, but I feel behind all the same.
Am I alone in feeling so anxious? Do you feel that way as you peruse the blogs of others? Do you wonder how they have time to do it all? How everything seems to be done on schedule without life ever getting in the way? Why should something that I enjoy so much make me feel so filled with angst?
Then, in the throes of my anxiety I read a review of a gardening memoir, "Gardening for a Lifetime," by Sydney Eddison. Althouth it focuses on the challenges of maintaining a garden as you get older, it's message is clear.... gardening should be enjoyable and easily fit into your lifestyle and if it's not... well for God's sake change it and don't worry about what other people are doing.
I can't wait to buy this book and dive into its pages. In the meantime, I need to resolve myself to the fact that although I bought 15 seed packets for veggies and flowers not a single one may get sown.... and, well that's OK... because I can still garden and still have delicious veggies this summer. Our local gardening center will have some fabulous seedlings in about another month and I can enjoy planting them all the same. I may not have raised them since birth, but they will be my adopted rescues that I'll love. After all my little dog Ellie is a rescue and look how wonderful she turned out to be!
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7 comments:
Wonderful wonderful post..great read! and the book looks fab! May your garden be filled with new joys and many new blessings to come!
Kiki~
I often leave a blog I love filling utterly inadequcate. I don't work [not throgh choice] so I feel I should be able to keep up with all these perfect women. I love my photography but stuck in a rut with it as no one buys any, started sewing but feel embarassed talking about it and always worrying about money. Always. Thank goodness the house and lottie are full of seedlings - my hubby has been on top of that!
You know what, gardening isn't about what should be, or what anyone else is doing -- it's something you do for yourself and for the other creatures that enjoy the garden.
That's what I tell myself when weeds threaten to overtake the garden and there's not time to get to everything.
It is hard to fit it all in. I take it in stages and don't stress too much if things don't get done on my schedule. Good thing as they rarely do. I just can't do it all anymore. Have fun on your trip. That books sound good.
Be flexible. LOL! My want to getting it done days and actual getting it done days varies anymore with how I feel that day. So I just learned to go with the flow of things.Do what you can and not worry about the rest. ;-)
The book sounds like a good one.
Lona
I totally understand how you feel. With a busy career and a child we are doing all the balancing we can to make it work. I suspect it will be years before my garden gets to where I dream of it being. In the meantime, I have to visit other gardens that make me smile - your included! Enjoy your trip and your book :-)
Jackie~~ Bravo! I think it's human nature to define ourselves by comparing our actions with those of others. Sadly we often go one of two ways, both of which are not good. Either we put ourselves down or we put others down. There comes a point, I think, when we just have let go of all those ideals and expectations. I think gardening is like laundry or dishes, the maintenance will always be there so it either gets done or it doesn't and if it doesn't, it will be there tomorrow, waiting.
I've read a few of Ms. Eddison's earlier works. This one looks like another winner.
I hope you'll soon be blessed with an uninterrupted day to garden putter.
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