There's No Place Like Home...

Not too long ago, I posted about some changes happening in our lives. It has taken some time to settle, but we finally know everything. We thought job changes might send us out of state, but instead, we get to stay put!

Now I don't mind an adventure now and then, but home is truly best. We've been here in Ohio now long enough to put down roots. We like Columbus, we've made many good friends, and I've gotten involved in many activities. I became a master gardener, I belong to the garden club and a book club, plus I sing in several different music groups. It was sure going to be difficult to start over again with all of that going on. 

Our family doesn't live in the area, but they are close enough to visit often. And we do love our home and garden here. You garden lovers know how it is. You really do put your blood, sweat and tears into the place, right? 

I had already mentally prepared myself to go. It was frightening, but exciting too. I had already looked at real estate, scouted out a new church, even checked to see if my favorite stores and restaurants were nearby. In this way, I had hoped to make the transition a little easier. 

Still, I was pretty sad to think of moving far away. And thank goodness, I don't have to think about that again for awhile! 

Watching spring arrive here has been bittersweet this year, with thoughts of having to leave. Each new bulb popping up might have been the last time I saw them. So I snapped lots of pictures! 

One of the most frustrating parts was the uncertainty. There were so many things to put on hold till we knew for sure. For instance, I really did want to go ahead and place my annual seed order. But I didn't dare waste money on seeds that I might never use. It even became the signal for good news. If hubby got the final word to stay, he said that he would message me to "Buy seeds!". As you can see, I did just that. 

No sooner did the job situation resolve itself, than we ran out to buy seeds, put pansies in the window boxes, and ordered several yards of dirt to fill up the veggie garden. Now the old place is starting to feel like home again! 

And I didn't even have to click my heels together to get back here. 

Winter Winding Down

I've sure enjoyed this mild winter. Well, enjoyed might be an overstatement. I'm still not a fan of winter, but this one was more tolerable than usual. We only had a few light snows, and mostly mild temperatures. But the best part of a mild winter is that it's usually followed by an early spring. Usually I have to rush spring by forcing amaryllis bulbs in the kitchen.

And don't we all buy those grocery store primroses at the end of winter? Mine will be planted out once they fade, and they do return reliably for me.

But the very, very start of the spring garden season is not a flower at all. Late winter is when sedum Angelina really shines. While it's a lovely chartreuse green all summer long, this time of year it comes in all shades of yellow, orange and red. Just when the rest of the world is drab and bland, this ground cover can give your garden much needed pizazz. It spreads quickly, but is never invasive.

Hellebores start off the garden season for many, but not for me. My hellebores are early, but they aren't the first to show up. They usually bloom in March, even though the buds form long before that.

Now many people might think that snowdrops are the first flower of the year. Maybe they are at your house, but not here. I really should plant more of these. This little guy is the lone snowdrop found. I've heard others say they spread like crazy, but that hasn't been true for me.

Maybe crocus is the first flower to bloom at your house? Not for me. I did see a lawn full of crocus today, and it really made my heart swell. Maybe someday I'll be ambitious enough to try planting a lawn full of crocus. But in the meantime, I'll enjoy my own spring favorite. The first to bloom at my house is always iris reticulata Harmony. It's such a gorgeous periwinkle blue, but the reason that I love it so is simply because it's the first flower to bloom after a long, cold winter.

It was so warm and pleasant here today that I was able to finish up the winter cleanup outside. I don't think I've ever been able to complete that task in February. It was at the end of this chore that I found this cute little iris. I think it was my reward for a job well done.

EDIT---No word yet on our possible change of venue, except that it's highly likely that we'll be able to stay here after all. Nothing certain yet, but should be soon.

Changes

It's a very white and wintery day out there. There's fresh snow cover, and the sky is white with clouds. In my last post, I said that the mild spell was over, and real winter had arrived. This is still correct. I also said that I was busy dreaming about my upcoming garden year. Well, this hasn't turned out to be true.

You see, there have been some changes around here. We've had a monkey wrench thrown into our lives, and we may not still be in this home come summer. All is uncertain at this point.

Will I even be here to see my tulips bloom? Or will I need to start a new garden somewhere else?

If I had my druthers, I'd choose to stay here. I've worked hard to make this garden come alive. The entire yard was a blank slate when we moved in. Now the garden is getting to a point where it needs less care. The plants are filling in, leaving less room for weeds.

There are many favorite plants to see bloom, many favorite spots to enjoy.

I finally have that patio that I've wanted for so many years. It's become a place to sit and watch the world go by. It's a place to see the birds, bees, and butterflies that visit here. It's a place to rest from my labors.

But if I end up elsewhere, I'll just do it all again. A new home must have a place to garden. Others have suggested that we think about a condo, but I'm balking at that suggestion. I'm not ready to give up gardening, especially since the knee replacement is healing so well.

I try to remember that I had all these same feelings about moving here. I didn't want to make a new garden, or make new friends. But I did it anyway, and it turned out wonderfully. We've been very happy here, but I know I'll also be happy elsewhere.

But please let me see my tulips bloom! I don't even remember which ones we planted, so I'd better stick around to check.

The Dream

"Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream." Josephine Nuese

I saw this lovely quote recently, and it couldn't have come at a better time. You see, our mild winter is finally over, and real winter has begun. It's been snowing for hours, and after the snow, we'll have bitter cold. January in Ohio can be a cold, cruel place, and gardening is not generally a part of it. But I almost forgot about the dream! You see, January is time to peruse the seed catalogs.

Seed catalogs allow you to plan and scheme for spring when there's no other gardening to do. I've heard other gardeners call these catalogs "garden porn". But maybe it would be better to call them eye candy. Either way, this is where the dream starts.

When I look out the window, all I see is white. But if I dream, I can remember the flowers that grew there not long ago.

And if I dream even harder, I can imagine the flowers that will grow there next time. That's the beauty of dreaming, anything is possible.

As we plan ahead for the upcoming garden season, gardeners will often say "This year will be the best garden ever!" We're an optimistic bunch. I guess we're just a bunch of dreamers.

Personally, I do think that this will be a banner garden year for me. My shiny new knee means that I'll be able to garden more efficiently. I'm already envisioning being able to better care for my flowers, and to once again be able to process the bounty from our expanded vegetable garden. My husband has already revamped our vegetable garden, with new raised beds that are more than double the space we had before. I can taste it all now.

So next time you think that gardeners aren't busy in January, don't forget about the dream. That's where it all starts.