Archive for The Gathering Place "The Gathering Place" is a web community where people can gather and make new friends, share ideas, enjoy a few laughs and learn about many interesting things together. It is a safe place where friends can correspond with each other about what they love.
I am beginning to see signs of spring in my garden even though it is terribly cold outside. My hellebores have already bloomed as have some crocus and buttercups. Can spring be far away?
Usually this time of year I am starting to think of all of the many new plants and seeds that I want to buy and all my thoughts turn to planning the planting of these new plants in my garden and yard. NOT this year however! This year I am trying to think in terms of practicallity. That is not easy for me or any gardener.
All of the years of drought and watering many hours a day have forced us to start thinking in terms of more plants that can survive without our constant care.
Time marches on whether we want to march with it or not. The abilities of gardeners and the amount of energy they have to garden makes changes necessary over time for most of us I suspect. It is also very costly to have to spend lots of money on water, replacing plants that have been destroyed by weather or natural disasters, buying expensive gardening equipment, supplies, sprays and other necessary items can create a financial burden for lots of people so that they can't really afford to continue gardening on a large scale. As I try to make myself think in terms of cutting back it is not easy. I have always eagerly awaited spring with all of the thoughts and plans of an eager gardener.
I am pretty much the flower person at our home. My hubby is devoted to growing the edible produce and maintaining the shrubbery and trees. I doubt seriously if I need any more flowers. I guess the word NEED would be an oxymoron when thinking in terms of real needs. I don't need any new plants but I will try a few. A FEW!!!! How will I be able to hold it down to a few? Ok, so some of them are given to me or started from seeds that were given to me. Does that still make it practical for me to start many new plants just because they are free? Nope! OK? What can be planted that will not require much water and labor? This is a whole new way of looking at things for me since my gardening has always been motivated by my wants rather than by the practical side of things.
This should be an interesting spring to say the least...
To be continued........
