A new flower bed

For nearly all the years I can remember, there hasn't been anything growing along the front of the house between the porch and the barnyard. I vaguely remember daffodills may have bloomed there at one time. But for at least 30 years, there has been nothing but dirt. Dad did plant a climbing rose bush in the space between the bedroom windows but it never really grew or bloomed. Today, I dug it out. Blue skies, 68 degrees, and a need to plant the flowers I bought Tuesday inspired me to change this 30 year old tradition of barren nothingness.

I had almost given the last batch of pansies and snapdragons to my mom because I didn't know where to plant them, but today after getting home from work, the weather was so warm and inviting, I determined to redeem the ugly side of the house. Sanford had filled in this area with dirt from underneath the addition. The lawn had always slanted down toward the house foundation and San determined to have the slant go away from the house. The dirt he used is red and smells like clay when wet. I though it would be unbearably difficult to work with but after soaking it down I found it amazingly easy to turn over. I filled a small wheel barrel full of compost and llama manure. After digging a shallow trench, I mixed the compost and manure with the clay dirt. The crepe myrtle my mother bought me 4 or 5 years ago has languished in a pot without a permanent home. Today I gave it a place of its own in the new flower bed. It will stand guard as the only shrub. I placed it in the corner by the porch and filled in the rest of the bed with pansies, primroses, violas, sweet peas and snapdragons.


I also planted the climbing sweet peas on the west side of the rose trellis. I planted the rest of the climbing sweet peas and the dwarf sweet peas in the space between the bedroom windows where the pitiful rose bush used to be. I am going to put a lattice there for the sweet peas to climb on. I also watered the lawn today with the irrigation water Sanford connected yesterday. It truly felt like spring outside today, but the forecast is for rain tomorrow, so I asked Sanford to build a fire in the fire pit tonight in order to relish the warm beauty of this country evening. After dinner, Sanford and I sat outside by the fire and listened to the creek water spill over the dam and a few frogs begin to practice for the spring concert. I love this place. Thank you God for enabling me to see the beauty in where I live. Thank you for blessing my life to overflowing with simple pleasures. May the new flower bed be a reminder of your grace and the miracle of life.

These are the blossoms I removed from the pansy plants after planting them in the new flower bed. My neighbor, Poppie, taught me to do this. I didn't believe it was good for the plants until I had to do it for the ones I transplanted for Poppie. Within a couple of days the transplanted plants had more blossoms and the plants seems very stout. I hope mine will do the same.