blooming

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

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It’s fascinating to me that sometimes my life and my garden seem to be on the same path at the same time. Maybe their energies mimic each other; I don’t know. Even though I do believe that the seasons of a garden are reflective of the seasons of life; I haven’t quite thought about it exactly this way.

This has been one of those weeks. I have been busier than busy pushing out, listening to, and thinking about as much as I can. While some of the things that were happening or I was doing were absolutely wonderful; others were stressful, or sad, or just not very good. You know those times that I’m talking about – really full and bursting with energy and stuff, good and bad. Some plants in my garden are pushing out their very best and as much as they can while others have given up and are either dying or going to sleep until next year. Some look very tired and others are screaming “look at me’. This is one of the best times.

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Will You Remember Me When I’m Gone

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Wonderful, beautiful people, things and moments come into our lives, and poof, before we know it, they’re gone. These two lovelies need to be on the “remember me list” for the dark, dreary days of winter. It’s a beautiful day, one to be stored in my memory and brought out when I need them.

Have a good week!

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One of THOSE Weeks

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This past week was one of those weeks. You know the kind I mean. You have so much to do that you feel like you’re going in every direction AND you just aren’t feeling well to boot. Of course you do, we all do. I have a spider flower that grows along the walkway entering my home. It’s tall, wispy, is busy growing seed pods from its stems and blows in any direction the wind is blowing. It has a botanical name but I can never remember it.  It seems to reflect and verify that the person who lives here is mimicking its growth pattern by just going in every direction and doing way too much. These flowers are currently shedding their seeds. “Enough” they’re saying. They’re going to take a rest, protect the seeds they dropped, engage in a little self care, and then work on their own strength to prepare for next year’s show. Lots to do but because it’s for themselves, you can’t see it. This season of all that blowing everywhere and anywhere is ending for now.

Have a good week.

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FREE PROGRAM – WHO KNEW?

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If you go to South Park on a Tuesday afternoon you’ll find volunteers working in a demonstration garden who can answer your questions about flowers that do well in our area – even with deer; who knew. These folks are members of the Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County and they are testing these beautiful pollinating gardens.

The Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County will host a special annual event at South Park and North Park on Saturday, August 15, from 9:00am to 1:00pm educating county residents about gardening in our area. They will have tasting stations, tons of information and children’s activities. In addition to this special event and the knowledgeable volunteers, you’ll want to check out their website, Allegheny County Penn State Extension – TONS OF INFORMATION.

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It’s spring!!

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blooming_dogwood…that is, it’s the first day of spring for me. I’m generally not ready until May 1st because that whole March & April thing just doesn’t work for me. I need the warm sun on my face, a little chill in the breeze, the smell of dirt, and blooming flowers to believe that it’s really here. It stirs my whole being with memories of past springs and plans for this one. It was such a long wait this year but today it’s finally time to wake up from that way too long winter’s nap, time to bloom, and time for rebirth. Get your gettin’ going, examine the landscape, clean those tools, and dig in.