Missing Garden

In past gardening seasons I have talked about my garden at least a little. I realized today it has been a very long time since I did a garden post. That's because the garden has been a casualty of Josh's layoff.

Zach got me a mum plant for my birthday a month ago. My Mom treated me to mums on Friday. Finally, it looks like MY garden!!!!! There hasn't been much to blog about this year because there hasn't been much in the garden.

I had pansies in the Spring along with hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils. I don't know if I can afford pansies next spring but there won't be any hyacinths, tulips or daffodils. That's because they are bulb flowers you plant now in our area. With such a tight budget I decided they aren't worth it this year.

It might be exciting to watch them sprout. But they don't bloom until just before I get the marigolds anyway. Marigolds and possibly pansies will be fine. I had daisies in the spring. If I can, I'll get them too. But with our current budget my goal is enough for our regular marigold display. Zach would need two and I would need four. As for mums next year, that might not happen. Just like it almost didn't happen this year.

I'm also hoping to get a whole-season plant for the pot by the stairs. What I mean by whole-season plants are those annuals that come out in early May and last until the frost. They are there for almost the whole gardening season. They are also my best bet to have some garden even on a tight budget. It helps that they are usually $2 each and we still have 8 - 10 bags of potting soil in the garage.

What also helps is all the perennials I planted last year and the year before. They might not flower for that much of the season, but at least they are pretty!!! I love my annuals for their long-term blooms. But perennials mean there will always be a garden even with a very tight budget.

I miss my garden. I still care for what's there, but I wasn't able to plant as much this year. I LOVE planting! Not just anyone's flowers, but my own. To a Gardener, there is something special about planting something you know you will be the one to care for.

There are a few plants I have removed from the garden plan for the future. These are the plants I didn't miss this year. I'd rather have the budget go towards crochet and knitting things. When I get that budget back, eventually.

Josh and I have been talking about his job situation. Where is he happiest? What are his strongest skills? We came to one conclusion. Retail might have sucky hours and even suckier pay, but it's where he's happiest and where his skills are the most appreciated.

It is possible to make a reasonable amount it retail. He even has the experience for it now. It's about the right job in the right company. I asked him to research places before sending a resume. No "open on Thanksgivings" unless they are a grocery store. "Open 24 hours" are physically too much for him too.

It's his Customer Service skills. He LOVES helping people find what they need. He loves learning about new people and interacting with customers. I suggested he design a resume highlighting those skills. It's a talent a lot of places look for. It might be our ticket back to budgetary balance too. I said in a recent blog post that God makes these very bad phases last two years. It's been about one year. Now we are working out how to get where God wants us a year from now. Hopefully, that includes a lot more planting!!!

I miss my garden. It looks sad this year. Thank God for my decorations!!! It fills the emptiness. I didn't realize how badly I need those mums until I had my hands in the soil with my legs wrapped around the pot. It's a spiritual experience for me. When I am planting flowers, I become a completed puzzle. I am literally and figuratively the most grounded at that time, in that moment. I have always thought the garden in general was a necessary expense. But when we had to make more cuts, I was willing to compromise. I realized it was necessary to at least scale down the size of my garden.

What did I learn for that scale back? That some of what I planted I'm better off not getting. But that two flowers I absolutely can't live without................literally.................are Marigolds and Mums. Just seeing either of them eases my anxiety. I felt fine most of the season. Because I had my Marigolds. Then September hit, when I usually start getting mums. THAT was a game changer. Thanks to my Mom, I am myself again. I am exploring how necessary pansies are. They only come out a month before the marigolds. I am weighing if I can make it that month. I'm currently leaning to "not at all, they are Spring winning the fight against a stubborn Winter every year!!!!!"

It's a reset. In our first year in this apartment, we only had Marigolds and Mums. I have other flowers this year. But in October of 2007 we only had decorations, Marigolds and Mums in the main garden. Today, we only have decorations, Marigolds, and Mums in the main garden. Back then, I literally based the rest of the garden plan around them. Now, I find myself doing the same. I also find myself asking God for a lot of answers. It seems like God speaks to me through my garden. It's where all the signs are. .