How does my garden grow?

So we did something this past week that I thought I hated, but I totally loved it. If you were to mention gardening to me, I would most likely explain to you how much I truly detest gardening. And then I would go on to explain that in my little cul-de-sac are 3 homes on the garden tour. One of them being my lovely next door neighbour. The first summer we lived here, her and I were chatting in the front yard and she recommended that I take a walk around the neighbourhood and notice what other people had planted so that I would have some ideas for my own yard the following year.
No pressure there. None.
Actually she is very sweet and understanding about my lack of gardening. I am the only one in the neighbourhood with small children. One can't really expect the perpetually pregnant woman to keep be spending a ton of time in the garden. We do mow the grass fairly often and there was some basic landscaping done by the previous owners. Tons of flower beds, that thankfully had some perennials in them. Because that is all they have had in them since.
My husband's idea of gardening has been to watch me weed in the sun for hours, and getting the boys to help me occasionally. And digging up flowerbeds and filling them in with sod.
Not so much fun for me.
This spring though, if you remember, I am supposed to be taking it easy. I can't spend hours weeding and my perennials that have needed pruning for 3 years required the use of the big shovel. I am not supposed to be doing that kind of stuff. So my husband stepped up this week. We went to the garden centre and filled our cart with some new perennials, some annuals, and some herbs to put in hanging boxes on my deck.
Brent dug up those enormous lilies in the front, weeded and turned soil. He hung up my deck boxes and filled them with soil. And then we all worked together to plant all of our flowers. It was so much fun! Everyone had a job, my Monkey boy really enjoyed all the watering he got to do. I don't think The Boy was quite as excited about his job though. He got to do some of the tough weeding, like along the fence line in very hard soil. But he didn't complain.
I completely enjoyed myself. Even getting completely covered in dirt. ( I so do not like getting dirty!) All the kids keep asking if we can garden again today. Poor Monkey boy, it has rained every night, so he hasn't been allowed to water. He really wants to water!
When the sun comes out and perks up my plantings I will have to take some photos. There is still a lot of yard work to do, especially trimming of bushes and hedges, and restaining the deck. But I am actually starting to like my yard.
I think that I loved it because we were all working together, enjoying one another and the sunshine and some good, clean, dirty fun.

Comments

  1. I used to hate gardening, but while I still am really bad at it, I am really starting to enjoy it. Just the idea of being outside, hands busy in the soil, your mind free to wander whereever it pleases. It is so therapeutic in many ways.

    Glad you had a good weekend with the family - I bet your garden looks great as a result :)

    Heidi

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  2. Now that is the kind of gardening you should be doing - the supervising kind!

    Take care - Kellan

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  3. I had never done any gardening before nad lst year I started a front garden and this year I have added 3 back yaard gardens, including one veggie...it is kindo of fun, when you do not think of how much hard work it is!!!!

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  4. I know right?! I mean who knew it would actually be fun?

    As you know...ditto! :)

    I love the baby count down. Sometimes I come just to see it bouncing around in there!

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  5. :)
    Train those kiddos to love yard work!
    :)

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  6. Sounds fun! need to do some gardening myself before it gets too hot.

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  7. Yeah I'm not crazy about the work but I do love the results. Keep up the good work. Well everyone else, you need to relax.

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  8. Now that's the way to garden! Teamwork instead of it all falling on you. That is pretty much how it is around my house...maybe I should get pregnant.... :)

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  9. How lovely that your husband helped get things rolling in your garden. Sounds like it was a wonderful family project!

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  10. The transformation is so satisfying too--it sounds like a great day.

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  11. There must be something in the air right now because I was telling my wife how much I like working out in the yard and gardening lately...and now I've visited at least two different blogs that have talked about how much they now love working outside. Now that I think about it, this is probably just a sign of our old age.

    Oh, and if your neighbors give you any fuss about not having a garden, just tell them that you're busy growing babies while they grow plants.

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  12. It shocks me to realize how much I like gardening. Like working out, it's one of the few things that can honestly quiet my mind.

    That makes me sound like a serial killer, which I assure you I am not.

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  13. We just started getting back to our yard after 4 years of neglecting (two kids back to back, and if you count the pregnancies, it's been about 4 years)

    I thought I hated gardening too--but the more chaotic life has become with two little ones, the more I enjoy mind-numbing tasks like pulling weeds! :)

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  14. I have to say that I do love working in the yard, except for the weeding part. Can't wait until my boys are old enough to help with that part!

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