How Does Your Garden Grow?

Every so often I think of that silly game...If you had the money to pick only one of the following, which would you pick: To have a full time chef, a full time housecleaner, a full time hairdresser, a full time massage therapist, or a full time gardener, which would you choose? Oh sure, it'd be nice to come home to a clean house and a delicious meal each day, and how luxurious it'd be to have someone do my hair each morning and someone else give me a massage each evening, but nope, if I could, I'd elect to have that gardener.

I love flowers. I love plants. The trouble is, I do much better with the silk variety. I can't seem to keep the real ones alive for long. I love cut flowers and would love to have a lush garden full of gorgeous greenery but I don't have the patience to nurture a colorful landscape. I wish I did. I watch HGTV and have subscribed to Better Homes and Gardens magazine for years. Why can't I have a green thumb!?

Today I had one goal in mind: to brighten up the outside of my house with flowers. I just wanted to go get some hanging baskets for the three hooks I have out front and for the two hooks I have on my back deck. It seemed like an easy enough mission. But then I started doing laundry. I did the dishes. I paid bills. I then got hungry and made lunch. I announced I was taking a shower and then crawled into the recliner to watch a movie. Was I actually procrastinating in going to the gardening center?! I think I was.

Then I lost my shopping partner. My husband started mowing the lawn. I finally asked my daughter to go with me. She took a shower and I stood outside trying to visualize what I wanted to do on the small budget I had today. I froze. The thought of going to the shop and picking out just the right flowers to fill my containers and to dress up the front steps seemed daunting. Was I for real?! Was I truly nervous over shopping for flowers?!

Finally my daughter and I jumped in the van. "We're going to Sweet Laurel's", I announced. This shop with its beautiful hanging plants, already arranged and planted in gorgeous pots, is always my safety net. So much for the budget! I was going to have color and beauty without the hassle. Onward!

We picked up five hanging baskets and then went to a nearby gardening center where I again choked. There were so many possibilities for my containers! I told my daughter what we needed--a few tall plants for the middle, some filler flowers, and some that would cascade over the pots. We saw several lovely options. But as we made our way around the greenhouses, I could feel my uneasiness growing. Could I please just have my full time gardener?! Charging it to my visa, I picked out three containers, already designed and planted. I told my daughter we'd spent enough money for today, that I'd come back and finish the job another day. I will go back. And this time I will conserve money and get creative. I've done it before. I'll do it again. I can do this! Maybe I'll even learn to relax and thoroughly enjoy the process of putting a pretty landscape together?! But in the meantime, it is looking rather colorful out there on the deck tonight. And my front steps and the three hanging baskets at the front of the house look incredible.

Now if only I can keep them all alive past the Fourth of July...Oh, let's be honest. If only I could win the lottery and get that full time gardener...