Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Gardening





Growing up, I watched my dad labor in the vegetable garden and strawberry patch.  My mom helped, but preferred working in the flower gardens.  When they asked me to help, I complained.  I thought pulling weeds was the worst chore in the world.  When we moved to Libby, my parents said I could order something for the new gardens.  I labored over the garden catalog for hours.  I was a teenager at this point and loved anything unique.  I picked a burning bush. 

"What in the world do you want a bush for that doesn't even flower?  Bushes are ugly," my dad grumbled.

"But the leaves turn a fire red in the fall.  It will be really pretty," I argued. 

I lost the argument.  I don't remember if I picked anything, but the little spark I had was put out with a big bucket of water in the gardening area.  That is until my husband and I moved to Wolf Point.  I tried doing some gardening the first full season we lived there.  Everything died.  I did cut back a bridal's wreath.  The next spring it came back more beautiful then ever, so I didn't give up my gardening itch.  However, I became busy with college again and stopped any forward progress.

Moving around a bit and being busy with kids, I didn't get a big chance to do major gardening until we moved to our current location in the fall of 2000.  The kids kept me busy along with my military career.  When I was diagnosed with my autoimmune diseases, I slowed down a little.  I also struggled the summers of Madelle's start of her mental illness.  I did learn in all these years, that I gain strength in the dirt.  At some point, I began dreaming of a lush beautiful yard with every kind of flower and bush our area can grow.

After three bad years of gardening, I was determined to conquer this year's season of gardening.  I am happy with my progress so far.  I knew my real success would be in not stopping in July.  I usually do well with my work until this month.  I get burnt out and stop until maybe the middle of September.  I need to quit that bad habit.  Going on the Secret Garden Tour on Sunday helped.  I am so antsy to keep working.

Besides getting my current beds looking good, I am also working on progressing with my steampunk garden and memorial garden.  I am sure my neighbor is annoyed because they both are looking tacky and are only going to get worse.  Today I began laying down tarps to kill the grass.



So, what is a steampunk garden?  I am not sure yet.  I have a vague vision of what I am going to do.  After seeing a shade garden on the tour, I am forming a better idea.  I have planted four current bushes on the other side of the and sunflowers.  One died and I need to replace it next spring.  I have bought a few rusted items and a couple of wheels.  My neighbor has given me two rusted round metal things and a cool stove.  I want to add to the collect.  However, I envision this as a shade garden.  I need to get to planting bushes and at least one small tree.  I will do that this fall and or spring depending on what the nursery has left in September.

The other project near and dear to my heart is a memorial garden.  When I lost my Uncle Ray, Dad, and Grandpa Hedahl all within five months of each other, I felt very lost and lonely.  I looked out my writing window only to see a bunch of grass and the neighbor's house.  I realized I wanted to look out on something that made me think of them.  I wanted a memorial garden.  I wanted three pine trees.  My husband said no.  He hates pine trees in yards.  I didn't disagree.  The pine trees were a spontaneous thought in my time of grief.  Instead, we bought a sugar maple.  I also thought it would be cool to put in a dry creek bed and put metal fish in the bed.  A friend gave me one after Dad died.  This garden will take me a long time to get going, but every time I look at the plot, I see it in my imagination.



I almost forgot.  The first spring we lived here, I bought two burning bushes.  Ha, ha, Dad.  I still love them. 



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