I thought I would share a quick post about one of my favorite hobbies – gardening! 🙂 My husband and I built our home a couple of years ago in West Fargo. When we were discussing landscaping – I mentioned I really wanted to have a couple of flower beds in our backyard. Well a couple turned into several – and our backyard has become one of my favorite places to be. We have two large flower beds, a few beds by the river, and one more for good measure!
My mom is also a gardener; growing up, I helped water (much to my dismay) and weed the numerous flower beds in our yard. As I got older, I looked forward to our trips to the greenhouse every spring -choosing the perfect flowers for the beds and flower pots adorning our home. I like to pretend I have a green thumb – and for the most part I do – along with some luck, the Red River Valley soil and lots of water.
This is the time of year that I wish would last months instead of weeks. The grass is getting greener by the day – the leaves on the trees are growing and everything smells simply lovely! The first blooms of spring are popping up and everyone seems to be in such a better mood. It’s amazing what a sunny, warm day can do for one’s spirit. I wish I could bottle it up and keep it for those long, N.D. cold winter days.
Here are a few shots of some of our first blooms:
Our weather has been up and down lately and we’ve been traveling here and there – so I haven’t had a chance to get into our gardens yet. Last night was the perfect spring evening, the temperature was warm and for once there was no wind! After finishing dinner and wrapping up a few design projects – I decided to tackle some of the weeds in one of our larger beds. It felt so good to get out and get some fresh air. I was amazed at how big some of our plants already were and how fast everything is growing! It is incredible how much larger each plant gets as the years go by.
My wonderful husband came out and helped me tackle a few of the larger weeds. Isn’t he handsome? 😉 That’s me on the right, working relentlessly on some of the dandelions that seem to be overtaking a few areas of our garden.
I went to bed that evening feeling so much better about my day. I forgot how much I love getting outside, digging in the soil and working in the gardens! It’s mindless work – but it gives me a little “me” time as well as a couple of hours to think about the important things in life. I often get wrapped up in the day to day – thinking I cannot wait for this or that. There is something about gardening (or maybe it’s simply having a hobby that I love) that magically slows time down. It gives you a moment to think, catch your breath, relax and unwind. I didn’t realize how much I missed gardening until I was out there. I thought about my mom and how grateful I am for all of the little tips and tricks (of life!) and of gardening that I learned from her as I grew up. Childhood memories of the taste of snap peas fresh from the garden and the smell of fresh cut flowers placed around the house – ah the simple things! 🙂 I also thought about how I need to take more time way from my work – which is easier said than done. 😉
I recently came across this quote – and it seems to capture what it is about the hobby that I’ve grown to love over the years.
“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.” – May Sarton
Thanks for browsing and reading! Every now and then I hope to share little bits and pieces of my life along with the projects I’m working on – to keep things interesting – and to document moments as time flies on.
xo, Lindsay
