I’ve
always wanted an old-fashioned country garden at the farmhouse. When we moved
here, I bought one of those picture books of lovely country gardens and
envisioned the yard on south side of the house just full of old-fashioned
flowers. It didn’t happen, of course. How could it? It’s hot and dry out there.
Just
last year I tried to kill off some of the “grass” so that I might develop a
small plot of flowers. I made some progress, but my follow-through wasn’t what
it should have been. It reverts to weeds even as I write.
Of
course, always the bottom line is ease of mowing. It’s not a concept peculiar to
Mike. After Grandma Ina’s passing, my dad removed her roses and peonies and any
fencing to make the yard easier to mow.
Actually,
gardening here “back in the day” was probably easier than it is today. It wasn’t
as hot, and we would have summer rains. Perhaps they couldn’t grow everything,
but they knew what they could grow successfully.
Another
factor that makes gardening difficult today is the deer. Of course, there have
always been some deer, but not like today. We know – we can tell – that when we
aren’t here, the deer cavort in our yard. And the rodents we have always with
us.
At
any rate, I think I’ve established here that a gardener I am not. I content
myself with the hollyhocks that grow along the side of the house. And perhaps
that’s not so bad. They volunteered to grow here, which means they’re happy,
and the hummingbirds like them. They’re a bit messy, of course, but it doesn’t
matter.
Regardless
of my lack of gardening talent and interest, weeding and trimming must be done,
and so I wanted a garden cart. It’s been hard to find one. Home Depot said they
don’t carry garden carts and have them only as special buys. Watch for them in
the flier, they said. We did notice them in the flier once, but by the time we
got to the store, they were sold out.
But
the good news is, while visiting the landfill in Orofino, we found one. Landfill personnel
attempt to reduce the garbage by showcasing usable items in an area they call “Clearmart.”
“There’s
a garden cart over there,” Mike said. “If you’d like to have it I’ll ask how
much they want.” I agreed.
“You
can have it,” said the worker.
What
a find! It looked great – still had the label attached -- but as we pulled it away,
the wheel fell off. “That’s all right,” Mike said, "I can fix it.”
Fix
it he did, and now I have a garden cart. KW
I used to have dreams of a country flower garden too, then reality set in: I am not an outdoor person. And I kill plants. End of the story. Your hollyhocks are wonderful and I remember them as a flower from my early childhood. Old timey and nostalgic. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat is a $40 garden cart that you got for FREE! Boy, oh boy, how I love a deal. :)
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love being outside. Mmmm hmmm...someday I hope to discover if I can garden. I think I'm getting pretty good at pruning, so at least I have that.
Yes, the hollyhocks are nostalgic. They don't require attention, but this year I've fed and watered them. I'm thinking of going for for drought-tolerant plants.
ReplyDeleteThe garden cart is great. It's lightweight and has a tray where I can set my tools, gloves, etc. It's so much easier to manage than the wheelbarrow.
Anyone can develop gardening skills, and you won't be an exception, Hallie. It just takes the desire to do it.