I love to garden. It’s more than a hobby, it’s a passion. It’s something I enjoy not simply because it’s relaxing and gives me a sense of accomplishment, but I’m always learning something new. I like that. With a yard the size of mine it’s a full-time job. Unfortunately I already have a full-time job, so until someone’s going to pay me to tend to my own yard, it is what it is. I guess it’s a good thing I love being Out There.
I’m fortunate enough to have two people that help teach and guide me. First, my friend Monique (who I’ve mentioned a few times here before). She’s my go-to when I don’t remember the name of a plant, or how to care for it. She tells me how to feed it and when. She’s taught me a lot; most recently that plants need water. I know, I know we all know that, right? It’s not that I don’t water my plants, but with a yard my size and so many different varieties of plants, shrubs, flowers, trees, vegetables… it’s hard to know what needs what. And how often. She came over recently and said one of my vegetable gardens needed more water. So, I increased the water and just like Samantha twitching her nose, everything starting growing taller and fuller. Huh. Interesting, I thought. She might be on to something. And if you haven’t checked out her blog before… please do so. Visit her Little Yellow House.
The second person is my aunt Nancy. And while she may not have the formal training Monique does, what she knows comes from a lifetime of experience and let me say she’s a natural. I usually leave her house with some sort of cutting even though I remind her that my house is where her plants go to die. She just laughs and says she has faith. The bad news is I’d be scared to count how many have actually died. And when I tell her about the corpse, she just gives me something else and says, “Okay, there’s no way you can kill this one”. Yikes, no pressure! The good news is my yard is also full of beautiful plants that were originally hers. What a lovely tradition and what a blessing she is in so many ways. Another nice thing is that I don’t have to share her, she doesn’t have a blog. Yet.
I started writing tonight because I wanted to post some pictures of my flowers and yet somehow I got on the topic of the learning side of what I love. When we learn, we grow and we always want to keep our minds stimulated. Whether it’s through music, literature, nature or formal education, it’s what we need. I hope I’ve inspired you to learn something new today. You decide what it is. And then I’d love to hear about it. Now Get Out There.
My Bungalow Days 
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