My back hurts! But I have big dreams.
My grandmother loved to garden, and my mom loves it still.
It is something we can share together.
I remember the birds of paradise at my grandmother's house.
Fuchsias and lilacs always remind me of my mom.
But my dreams and ideas about putting my hands in the earth is really something new.
Me at four or five, playing garden.
When I was a kid (eight or ten or so...I'm not sure) I once grew sunflowers and zinnias,
but when it comes to projects, I have ADD.
I love coming up with plans and ideas (still do), it's the finishing and follow through that leaves my attention waning.
I am determined, however, to show you a finished project this season.
It's funny how one's focus changes over the years.
I mean, once upon a time I thought I was going to marry David Cassidy and ride off in the sunset (meaning I loved horses).
Now...uh, not so much, lol.
You have to remember that I live in other people's houses, my own stuff is in storage, and I am constantly picking up and moving someplace new.
Tonight I am in a place I have never been before.
They got a recommendation about me, reserved my time, and left the back door open for me today. I have only met them a couple of times through other people.
At least I can be proud my reputation is such that people can trust me to that degree.
But I digress.
What I mean to say is clearing a little plot of land at my mom's house, amending the soil, growing items of my choosing...it is building a sanctuary.
I am building someplace to call my own.
In November, I started investigating seed companies, to decide which catalogs I should receive.
I requested ten or so, and when I got them, I understand now what Annie said about those catalogs being like porn!
I circled pictures, highlighted text, and crimped corners of pages.
I decided what to order.
I have far more seeds than space, but I'll talk about that in a later post.
I love the idea of my sanctuary having value beyond visual.
I intend to have some culinary herbs, some medicinal herbs, some aromatherapy, and some sense of calm.
I am taking a gardening class, and we learned how Japanese gardeners focus on the site as having Heaven, Earth, and Man.
I other words, a background, a foreground and a middle ground.
Think of your space as a picture frame.
Think in terms of organizing a scene.
The Japanese consider their gardens spiritual places and spaces.
I think there can be amazing energy in a garden if it generates symbolism, aesthetics, meditation, sensory awareness, beauty, peace, and usefulness.
Oh crap, am I dreaming too big?
I am a long long way from being done--right now all I still have is a little plot of land.But next week I have several days off and am going to finish pulling all the grass and foxtails that choke my little garden area now.
Thosebastards blades just loved our recent rains.
Who knew I would prefer brown over green?
It's all relative.
Next weekend my mom and I will cart home bags of compost, John and Bob's, and a soaker hose.
I vow to catch up to Finny (uh, not the geyser part).
It is something we can share together.
I remember the birds of paradise at my grandmother's house.
Fuchsias and lilacs always remind me of my mom.
But my dreams and ideas about putting my hands in the earth is really something new.
Me at four or five, playing garden.
When I was a kid (eight or ten or so...I'm not sure) I once grew sunflowers and zinnias,
but when it comes to projects, I have ADD.
I love coming up with plans and ideas (still do), it's the finishing and follow through that leaves my attention waning.
I am determined, however, to show you a finished project this season.
It's funny how one's focus changes over the years.
I mean, once upon a time I thought I was going to marry David Cassidy and ride off in the sunset (meaning I loved horses).
Now...uh, not so much, lol.
You have to remember that I live in other people's houses, my own stuff is in storage, and I am constantly picking up and moving someplace new.
Tonight I am in a place I have never been before.
They got a recommendation about me, reserved my time, and left the back door open for me today. I have only met them a couple of times through other people.
At least I can be proud my reputation is such that people can trust me to that degree.
But I digress.
What I mean to say is clearing a little plot of land at my mom's house, amending the soil, growing items of my choosing...it is building a sanctuary.
I am building someplace to call my own.
In November, I started investigating seed companies, to decide which catalogs I should receive.
I requested ten or so, and when I got them, I understand now what Annie said about those catalogs being like porn!
I circled pictures, highlighted text, and crimped corners of pages.
I decided what to order.
I have far more seeds than space, but I'll talk about that in a later post.
I love the idea of my sanctuary having value beyond visual.
I intend to have some culinary herbs, some medicinal herbs, some aromatherapy, and some sense of calm.
I am taking a gardening class, and we learned how Japanese gardeners focus on the site as having Heaven, Earth, and Man.
I other words, a background, a foreground and a middle ground.
Think of your space as a picture frame.
Think in terms of organizing a scene.
The Japanese consider their gardens spiritual places and spaces.
I think there can be amazing energy in a garden if it generates symbolism, aesthetics, meditation, sensory awareness, beauty, peace, and usefulness.
Oh crap, am I dreaming too big?
I am a long long way from being done--right now all I still have is a little plot of land.But next week I have several days off and am going to finish pulling all the grass and foxtails that choke my little garden area now.
Those
Who knew I would prefer brown over green?
It's all relative.
Next weekend my mom and I will cart home bags of compost, John and Bob's, and a soaker hose.
I vow to catch up to Finny (uh, not the geyser part).
Labels: gardening, vintage family photograph
5 Comments:
I love your pictures! And, I can't wait to see your garden once everything starts growing and blooming. Please take lots of photos.
Aren't big dreams built in little steps? The great thing about gardens is that they evolve and mature through the seasons.
If you don't send the arrows high, how will they travel far? No I don't think you're dreaming too big. I started collecting pictures I liked from gardening magazines and put them all in a scrap book. Years and years later it still has things in to inspire me: a colour combination; a planting arrangement; a material like re-claimed railway sleepers; a fountain sculpture etc.
I'm looking forward to seeing your work in progress. It's so important to have a home for your spirit and heart when there is none for your body.
Dream big, doll! Make that space where you know you'll always have peace and joy. I just try to remember that, while the end result of a giant harvest and bursting plants is my vision, the whole process of creating a garden - from seed porn to turning weathered plants back into the soil - is the true pleasure.
We here in Chicagoland are sooo far from gardening time that I envy you having planting so near to you. I too love the photos of you when you were little. Be sure to post lots of photos of your work as it goes along. It will give me hope that soon I will have my hands in the earth once again.
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