And just like that, I am 60. I don’t know how it happened but I am officially “older” than the dirt. My mind still thinks I am 40 but my body wants to slow me down. It is frustrating but I am determined to stay active and continue to do the things I love.
One of my favorite hobbies is gardening. At the first sign of spring, you can find me puttering around in my yard spying emerging bulbs as they poke through the soil. I begin making a stash of plants to set out in a corner of the garage. I take frequent trips to the garden center to find new and unusual varieties of plants with interesting flowers and foliage.
I still envision a beautifully, manicured garden oasis. Slowly,… slower than last year, it is coming along. I used to very ambitiously pick out trees, shrubs and plants in 3 gallon sized pots and haul them home in the back of my SUV then plant them myself. Those days are gone. Now, I seek plants in 1 gallon pots. My selection is becoming more limited. I find flowers and perennials in smaller sizes but it is becoming more difficult to find shrubs or trees in that size container.
I have begun recruiting my thirty-something aged children to do gardening projects for me. If they want to know what Mom wants for her birthday, Christmas or Mother’s Day I usually say I don’t need a thing but sure could use their time to help me when it is time to do some gardening. It would be great if I could ask for a honey-do coupon to save for sometime in the year when I need a hole dug in the yard.
Last weekend, the weather was warm enough for one such project that I have been asking about for quite some time. My daughter was willing to dig two holes since the ground was soft from all the rain we have had this winter.
I found two Black Diamond crepe myrtles for our new yard, last spring. They have been sitting in their nursery pots for almost a year now. The leaves have not come out yet and I am not quite sure they are even still alive. I did the scrape test and found some green inside a twig which is usually a sign of life.
I am proud to say that they have now been planted. I am thrilled and can’t wait to see them come back to life. I am like a proud new mama! I check on my babies often, nurturing them along by watering and feeding them as they grow and develop.
I may be getting older but still feel young as long as I can take part in gardening with all its therapeutic and creative attributes.
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