Walking about the yard on a cool spring day, I couldn’t help but feel impatient. Everything was behind this year. We had a heavy snowfall the middle of April. The spring rains came late. The trees opened up much later than last year. Even the allergies arrived a month later than last year. Only one thing was not delayed…my enthusiasm to roll up my sleeves and get some dirt under my fingernails. I couldn’t wait to go to the greenhouse and select my flowers.
Spring just can’t come quickly enough when you live in an area of four distinct seasons. It seems that every year, I get more impatient to get about the business of planting my blooms. In March, I am shivering in the big store’s unheated garden area while looking for anything relating to gardens and flowers and all that goes with it. There may not be much out at that time, but it just makes you feel good knowing that yes, spring is going to come. I start working on my plan for the year and taking inventory of my supplies. When the bags of soil start arriving, I get serious. I start frequenting the stores to be sure I can get my favorite soil before they run out. I make my own special mix of three different things to put in my containers before planting.
Soon after the pallets of soil arrive, the statuary, bird baths, and fountains show up. I have to look at them every year. How often do I need to get statues or bird baths? Seldom. How often do I feel a need to look at them? Quite often! Gradually the beauties start to arrive. A few petunias, some ferns, pansies, and lilies start to slowly fill up the shelves. Hostas, Hydrangeas, and Bleeding Hearts leave their peaceful growing environments and arrive to the sounds of rolling carts and cash registers. Soon people are going from flower to flower checking them out. The excitement is building and all the flower-lovers are smiling. This is what they have been waiting for. What a wonderful gift nature gives us to enjoy.
Anticipation and planning are all part of flower gardening. Those who know me know that at this time of year, I am impatient for my Impatiens!
I have learned a few things to help my planning. This year, I decided I wanted to start keeping some helpful records on my flower garden. I started to design a Flower Gardener’s Journal and Records book. As I worked on my design, I thought…why not share this? Why not let others prolong the enjoyment of their beautiful flowers even after the sun has set and the season has ended? Would others like to record information that would help them care for and remember their flowers from this summer and prepare for the upcoming season? Perhaps some planning and record-keeping would prevent repeating some mistakes of seasons past. Perhaps some record-keeping would help focus on what flower gardeners would like to continue to do.
With that in mind, my new release, “Flower Gardener’s Journal & Records” is now available. It will help you track your flowers and keep the enjoyable memories of your flower garden as vibrant as a fresh-picked peony. As an introductory offer, the price has been reduced. Grab your copy now before it goes back up. http://bit.ly/FlowerGardenersJournal