The Garden

I decided when we moved out here that the next spring I would "fix up" our little patch of yard space and plant our own little garden.

We didn't have much space, but it was important to me that I grow a garden.

I grew up with the influence of a GREAT gardener.

My Grandpa.

We had a very special relationship,

and he is one of the most important and influential men in my life.

I spent many hours, of many days, of many years, wandering his garden with him.

We would walk and talk, plant and talk, weed and talk, and my favorite - pick and talk.

I learned so much from him out in that garden.

I don't know how much of it had to do with gardening . . . most of it had to do with life.

His life in the Airforce, his life with my Grandma, raising his children, trips that he took or wanted to take.

We talked of my life. What I wanted to be, who I wanted to be and what I needed to do to get there.

I LOVED spending time with him in out in that garden,

and some days it was really hard work,

but I never hesitated to jump out of bed at sunrise to go out and help where ever he needed.

I LOVED watching the big sprinkles spray over a beautiful crop of corn, on a warm summer day, just at sunset. The light reflecting so perfectly off of the water.

It was so beautiful, and even now to remember it brings tears to my eyes.

I miss that garden.

I miss the fun of watching everything grow.

I miss the delicious pickings that we would find every night for dinner.

I miss the smell of the fresh vegetables and the fruit.

But I think that mostly I miss the man who brought that garden to life for me.

I miss his smile and his sparkley blue eyes.

I know that having my own garden will not bring him back, or even make me miss him less.

But working out there makes me feel a little closer to him.

Like he could be there with me.

Teaching me, and helping me to find my way.

But the cycle of life is ever moving.

and now I work out in my own little garden;

with my own little beautiful garden helper.

And when she looks up from the dirt and smiles at me with those beautiful, sparkley, blue eyes that I know so well; I know that I am right where I am supposed to be.

So, thank you Grandpa for all that you have taught me,

and continue to teach me everyday.

I can appreciate more now than ever the amount of work that my Grandpa did to make his garden so beautiful.

He taught me that the preparation for the garden was one of the most important steps.

So, as gardening season was approaching I started the prep work.

I had to dig up grass, weeds, rocks, sticks and whatever other junk was out in that dirt.

It was in no condition for planting.

I fertilized, tilled, watered, weeded, fertilized, tilled, watered, and weeded over and over again, until it was perfect.

Then we planted.

Corn, tomatoes, zucchini, crookneck squash, butternut squash, cantaloupe, raspberries and strawberries, and pumpkins.

And of course a border of Marigolds to keep out the wildlife.

I was worried.

Worried I had forgotten something or done something wrong.

Worried that nothing would grow, and it would all just be a big waste of time.

But look at this.

Here is my garden on 6/6/10 (Grandpa's birthday)

And here it is today 6/16/10 (Only 10 days later!)

It is amazing to watch it all grow.

It makes me feel like a little kid again.

I go outside every morning, anxious to see how much bigger everything has gotten.

I have also been having fun with flowers.

Daisies:

Peonies:

These are my absolute favorite!

And I had no idea I had a plant of them in my yard until someone pointed it out to me a few weeks before they bloomed.

(And of course I enlisted a model to help me show the size and beauty of them off.)

Missed pics of my Irises, Lily of the Valley, and Mums and now they are done for the season.

Still waiting on my Big Daisies and my Black Eyed Susans.

We are enjoying our flowers and our little garden.

It keeps us busy.

It gives us something fun and active to do outside as a family.

I hope that we can grow closer together as we

"walk and talk, plant and talk, weed and talk, and my favorite - pick and talk."

I can't wait to watch little Hayden pick and enjoy her first homegrown veggies.

I can't wait to teach her all the things that I learned working in a garden.