Lessons in the Garden

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners
who make our souls bloom.” 
...M. Proust

With the lack of winter and the early onset of spring things which normally do not begin blooming until May are bursting open.   While I welcome all the foliage, flowers and beautiful colors,

 those things which show up in April have sadly come and gone.  We've had a few days nearing 90 degrees, if not above, with little rain.

Early spring flowers fade all too quickly in these temperatures.

My beautiful lilacs, the willing host of a band of inebriated bumblebees, quickly grew tired, faded and disappeared.

The garden, like life, occasionally finds it necessary to kick us in the shin and show us who is really in control.    

Trying to not let the premature warm weather get the best of me, I summoned my "glass half full" attitude and...

went to the closest nursery!

You seriously don't think I go to the garden center to just get ideas, do you?

This was only the first trip. 

Lots of activity going on. 

Many pots to fill

                        

old

and new.

Some needed to

monkey around.
(Doesn't he dress up nicely?)

Some just begged for a little attention.

A snip here...a trim there.

There was a little matchmaking.

Delta Dawn heuchera paired off with the Big Daddy hydrangea.

Tennessee Williams could not have created a more perfect couple.


Last year an older gentleman ask if he could walk back to see the backyard.  When we turn the corner, surprised with what he found, he said, "Oh this is like the Garden of Eden.  This is how it is suppose to be."  (He was over complimentary and I was smitten.)

And yes,

 just like in Eden there is always the surprise visitor



in the garden.

Enjoy every surprise; it is a gift given to teach....patience, flexibility, tolerance,  and above all humility.