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From the Archives
Archive for May, 2008
Wordless Wednesday: Iris
You can see more great Wordless Wednesday posts here. Happy Wednesday 
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“Good Enough” Gardening
It was a great weekend. The weather finally warmed up, and we spent most of the weekend outside. Saturday we gardened, Sunday we went to my mother-in-law’s Memorial Day barbecue (where I also kicked my nephew’s butt at H-O-R-S-E—-you know I love you, Matt ) and Monday had us gardening again. The one thing my husband and I both kept saying while we were in the garden was “there is just SO much to do….” The lawn needed to be mowed, the front hedge needed to be trimmed, every single one of the beds needed to be weeded, the vegetable garden needed to be planted, and I still had a couple dozen wintersowing containers that needed to be transplanted into the garden. That’s not even everything, but you get the idea—the garden has been neglected.
On Saturday, I started to feel myself getting overwhelmed. For the first time in a long while, gardening felt like a chore to me, more tasks to check off of some ever-growing list somewhere. “Plant the tomatoes” was on par with “Buy cat food” and I started asking myself why I had to buy the house with the big yard in the first place.
But there’s more to it than that. Just under the surface, I was seeing all of those little unfinished garden tasks as failures. The vegetable garden wasn’t planted because I wasn’t sure the tomatoes would make it—they’re weak, sorry looking little plants, and only seven of the original 14 plants survived long enough to be planted. I’m still not so sure they’ll all stay alive—two of them look like they’re almost ready to be added to the compost. I meant to start basil plants from seed to grow along with the tomatoes. It didn’t happen, so I ended up sowing basil seed in the bed. I planted the lemon cucumbers, but they went in the spot where the sugar snap peas should be growing—if I hadn’t let them dry out and die. I sowed the green beans in the bed behind the garage, but I didn’t get around to making a trellis first the way I planned. You get the picture.
I know what you’re thinking. “Um, Colleen…you just had a baby. Lighten up already!” And you’d be right, except that I’ve always been a “glass is half empty” kind of girl. I also tend to be a perfectionist, which means that a lot of the things I want to do never actually get done because I don’t even start, knowing ahead of time that the result just won’t be good enough. Heh. And here you were thinking I was all well-adjusted and stuff…
Anyway. What does this have to do with anything? Here’s what I did: I made myself notice one great thing about my garden for every “oh god that sucks/looks like crap/should have been done weeks ago” thought I had. So, I’d think “these tomato plants are never going to make it” but then I’d notice all of the pretty baby lettuces growing in the bed next to the tomato bed. Or I’d start getting pissed about all of the dandelions invading the perennial beds (because I didn’t mulch the way I should have last year…) and then I’d notice how the entire yard smells like heaven thanks to my ‘Miss Kim’ lilac blooming its head off right now. And, guess what? After a little while, I started feeling less overwhelmed and more serene. Gardening was fun again, and the feel of my hands in the soil and the sun warming my back was enough. Things were far from perfect, but they were good enough. And that’s all they need to be. Perfection is no fun, anyway
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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: May 2008
Finally, finally I get to post a Bloom Day post! It seems like it’s been forever. The blooms in my garden just haven’t cooperated, refusing to bloom anywhere near the 15th of the month. But, now it’s May, and the garden is full of bloom. Some photos:
Also in bloom:
Sweet woodruff
Bleeding hearts
Pansies
In bud:
Doublefile viburnum
‘Autumn Jazz’ viburnum
Dwarf Korean lilac
Oriental poppies
Shasta daisies
Peony, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’
Lily of the Valley
Honeysuckle
Finished Blooming:
Bradford Pear
Apple tree
Tulips
Muscari
Forsythia, ‘Northern Gold’
To see what else is blooming, check out May Dreams Gardens, where gardeners worldwide are sharing their blooms today!
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And the Winners of the 2008 Mouse & Trowel Awards Are….
Blogging Categories
Best New Garden Blog: Faire Garden
Best Garden Blog Design: Digging
Best Photography in a Garden Blog: Digging
Innovation in Garden Blogging: May Dreams Gardens
Garden Blogger You’d Most Like to Have as a Neighbor: Carol from May Dreams Gardens
Garden Blog Post of the Year: “Garden Attentions Distraction Syndrome – Do You Have It?”, May Dreams Gardens
Best Writing in a Garden Blog: Garden Rant
Best International Garden Blog: Bliss
Best North American Garden Blog: May Dreams Gardens
Garden Blog of the Year: May Dreams Gardens
Web Site and Podcasting Categories
Best Gardening Podcast: Wiggly Wigglers
Best Forums: You Grow Girl
Garden Website of the Year: MyFolia
Congratulations to all of the winners!! I’ll be in touch with each of you regarding badges for your blogs/sites sometime next week. What an exciting year! Let’s do it all again next year, shall we? (perhaps with a less distracted awards host next time… )
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Welcome Home, Baby Girl!
May 5, 2008
9 lbs, 1 oz., 21 inches
Elizabeth is here! It seems like I waited forever for her, and the wait was more than worth it. She is gorgeous, and sweet, and everything I could have wished for. We got home yesterday, and have been taking this time getting to know one another. The girls are thrilled. Sarah tells everyone who will listen how beautiful her sister is. Emily absolutely dotes on Elizabeth. Her favorite thing to do now is to sit in the big chair in the living room, holding Elizabeth.
I want to thank everyone for the well wishes. It is very touching to know that so many friends were thinking about my family during this magical time. It has been a lot of fun for me to share it with all of you!
Off to snuggle with my girls. I am tired, and a bit achy, but deliriously happy. I will be around to everyones blogs again soon. I know my garden is full of activity right now, and I am looking forward to seeing all of the May Bloom Day posts.
Take care, and thanks again for everything!