There wasn’t much to do living in the Townhouse. I found myself watching a lot of  The Dog Whisperer. I found though, that no matter how many shows I watched, notes I took and stern looks I gave the dogs….. Sammi remained resolute in his domination of the house and its inhabitants… Apparently the same lesson can be learned with Gardening Magazines.  I have read countless in the last few days but the weeds and mess are still in control….. The snow doesn’t help… The island has lost most of its snow but it remains four inches high in my garden.

With no other yard work option we torched the burn pile yesterday. It had become pretty high with all of the branches from the storm and the pruning from the apple trees.. We are still going to have at least one more in the late spring but it felt good to get something done. The fresh air is a daily must. We contemplated again with our neighbour as we watched pile burn,  “what would we be doing if we had not come here”… no doubt more hours  watching The Dog Whisperer..

It is mentioned repeatedly in the magazines that gardens are supposed to have themes. I didn’t have a theme in my garden at our family home . It was unplanned and filled with random cuttings and divisions donated from the gardens of neighbours and friends and family… When my Moms friend gave me three white rhodos which had grown too large for her roof top deck I gladly planted them by our patio door.. When they were in bloom they would shine in the dark like bright white tea lights. Long after Maryfrank was gone my Mom and I still had her visit my garden each spring when those rhodos bloomed. When I miss that garden (and I do every day) I think I miss the visits with my friends when their plants took their turn to light up the garden.. I miss the bond I had in each garden bed thinking of all the work the kids put in building it with me.

But life goes on and now I am here… with a new garden…. What I need is friends in my garden… I have the R’s with me when their Peace Rose blooms and their lilies unexpectedly reveal themselves… I have a  White Hydrangea which came from the house where I grew up and Mom sold in 1984.  I have a peony from my brother and sister-in-law, I have a Pear, Blueberry  and  braided Oleander from my kids… A Queen Elizabeth Rose from the W’s… There are others and I welcome each and every one.  If it is divided from your garden or snipped from your neighbours while walking your dog… it is welcome.. I will give it a home and will keep you with me when I tend to the weeds around it..

Because the theme to my garden isn’t so much Country or Romantic or a specific colour…. It is Comfort…  The comfort brought from having my friends and family around me in the garden. I am a recluse and a hermit but I do like to chat with you all

while I weed

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