I remember my mom taking me with her on the 40-minute trek to Sunshine Garden Center to pick out annual flowers. I hated it. We would walk rows and rows inside of a greenhouse picking out marigolds, impatiens, begonias. It was the most boring outing for me ever! I didn’t know what all the fuss was about. My mother would take what seemed to be endless flats of flowers home, dig small, evenly-spaced holes in beds, and add beauty to the borders of our homes.
Fast forward several decades, and you will find me every Spring walking the aisles of Seven Oaks Plant Shop or Lowe’s, or even Walmart. I have never committed to perennials, only because I know my tastes change over time. I like deciding every year which flowers and foliage I want to grace the pots on my back porch stairs, the round glass tables, and the small nooks. Somehow I always seem to be drawn to red Gerbera daisies, and they do keep coming back year after year.
I keep a variety of clay pots in our shed, even several plastic ones that we have had for many years. I keep reusing and try to keep a bag of potting soil on hand throughout the year. I keep my back porch beauty simple and don’t overcomplicate. I always fill several pots with herbs: rosemary, thyme, mint, oregano, basil. Publix has beautiful, lush herbs in 6-inch pots for only $3.99 right now. I picked some up yesterday and am contemplating going and getting some more. Herbs make lovely centerpieces too!
Sometimes we think we need graph paper, a detailed plan, and overcomplicate designing a lovely outdoor space. We think too hard. Most of us are novice gardeners and simply want some beauty. I have realized that I will never be one who cultivates amazing cottage gardens or who spends hours pouring over seed catalogs. That’s all too complicated for me although I admire it deeply. I have come to accept that some plant center flowers, bagged soil, and about a dozen or so pots make me happy, is doable, and accessible. Getting my hands dirty is good for my soul, but gardening as a lifestyle would drain me. It’s good to dabble in interests and not feel like you have to become an expert. We can enjoy whatever level of engagement suits us and leave any shoulds or comparisons behind.
Maybe adding some beauty is as simple as picking up some herbs at the grocery store today. Or adding a bag of soil to your Walmart pickup. Or sweeping your outdoor spaces. Wiping down chairs, washing cushions, clearing pollen, and cleaning windows. It’s a gift to ourselves to spruce up these outdoor living spaces. Last night we ate dinner outside and it was so life-giving and refreshing! I noticed that a hummingbird arrived looking to see if the feeder was filled with the sugar/water solution. That’s next on my list! Clean the bird feeders and refill. Fill the water fountain. Taking the time to cultivate beauty and life in our backyards will give us so much in return.
Off to make hummingbird nectar,
Aimee
You just wrote something I didn't even know I was feeling: pressure to be an expert. Like, if I'm going to do any gardening at all, I have to make it A Thing. When really, I just enjoy my veggies and, like you, want some annuals. I think I do this with a lot of interests, actually. Thanks for the freedom to just enjoy.