Below you will find a photo of peonies that bloomed in my garden this morning. For some reason this is a once in three years occurrence so I greet each bloom with excitement. They are among the most beautiful peonies I have seen, and the scent is intoxicating. I have been a gardener for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, I remember my mother at work with her roses, about 50 bushes of various varieties, secateurs in hand as she deadheaded, debudded (to leave only one rose on a stem) and carefully removed aphids and other undesirable pests. My grandfather who spent a third of every year with us always wore a fresh rosebud in the lapel of his suit jacket. When I was an adolescent I was given the rock garden as my provenance and loved to plan and plant and move rocks. My nemesis was the snails who shared my rock garden. Johannesburg, situated on a plateau at 6,00 feet, and with a temperate climate, dry heat and usually reliable summer rain, is an Eden for gardeners. There is one drawback, cyclical drought and with it watering restrictions, so every seven years gardeners watch their hard work, manicured lawns and the beauty they created wither and die. In the suburbs drilling for artesian water sources was a flourishing business.
As a young wife and mother I had first a pocket garden with an almost sub-tropical micro-climate due to a sunny vantage and thick white washed walls. Around giant strelitzes, avocado and mulberry trees the carefullly designed borders flourished. Later I had almost an acre in which to garden and loved every inch of the rich loam in which whatever I planted grew with vigor and beauty.
When we moved to the Boston area many years ago I had to re-examine everything I had learned about gardening. Our first home was a three hundred year old carriage house set on an acre of land. We had hundred year old giant beeches on the property. The land itself had been neglected for years, but with care and attention a garden will emerge with alacrity from underneath the undergrowth and weeds. As I uncovered flower beds, dug and sowed, the garden returned to some of its previous glory. From spring to autumn we ate fresh produce from the rescued and resuscitated cold frame beds. I planted strawberries around the swimming pool, hosta in the shady areas and a riot of day lilies wherever I could. I learned to accept the cycle of the year, and reluctantly return my gardening tools to their permanent place in the garage each November. Come February the catalogs arrived and soon I would have spindly seedlings growing under lights.
I planted myself in American soil in bringing that garden back to life.
Now I have a much smaller garden again. It is all I want to manage. For me little else in life compares to the satisfaction of caring for a flower bed of rich dark soil where every plunge of the weeding fork or hand spade reveals not only the roots of the weed but wriggling earth worms too. Then you know you have an arable patch and the result is glorious peonies like these.
Spot on with this write-up, I really assume this web site wants much more consideration. I’ll most likely be once more to read rather more, thanks for that info.
Excellent write up, saved your blog in hopes to see more!
Thanks very much for writing a lot of this excellent content! Looking forward to checking out more!
I expect you by no means stop! This is one of the very best blogs Ive ever read through. You’ve got some crazy skill here, man. I just expect that you dont lose your style because youre surely one of the greatest blog writers in existence. You need to continue simply because the net needs someone like you spreading the word.
Hey there I am so grateful I found your webpage, I really found you by accident, while I was searching on Yahoo for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say many thanks for a tremendous post and a all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the great job.
Greetings! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I truly enjoy reading through your posts. Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same subjects? Appreciate it!
Im no specialist, but I really feel you simply crafted the very best point. You naturally understand what youre referring to, and I can actually get behind that. Many thanks for staying so upfront and so trustworthy.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I have truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!
Actually good article, it was a plaisure to read it. I sent it to all my friends. Really thank you, every little thing is de facto true.
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your weblog? My blog site is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would definitely benefit from some of the information you present here. Please let me know if this ok with you. Thanks a lot!
An fascinating dialogue is worth comment. I feel that you need to write extra on this matter, it might not be a taboo subject but typically people are not sufficient to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers
Amazing summary, bookmarked the site with interest to read more information!
Hey there! I know this is kind of off-topic however I had to ask. Does running a well-established blog like yours require a massive amount work? I am completely new to blogging however I do write in my diary every day. I’d like to start a blog so I can easily share my own experience and thoughts online. Please let me know if you have any recommendations or tips for brand new aspiring blog owners. Appreciate it!
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your site. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme? Exceptional work!
Im no qualified, however I feel you merely crafted the top point. You naturally understand what youre speaking about, and I can in fact get behind that. Thank you for remaining so in advance and so genuine.
you might have an excellent weblog right here! would you wish to make some invite posts on my weblog?
Would it be possible to PM me and tell me few more thinks about this. I am really a fan of your blog.
I’m typically to blogging and i really respect your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your site and hold checking for brand new information.
Thank you very much for writing this great info! I am looking forward to checking out more!
Im no specialist, but I feel you simply crafted the top point. You obviously know very well what youre referring to, and I can actually get behind that. Many thanks for remaining so upfront and so honest.
Amazing summary, saved your blog in interest to see more information!
Great job right here. I genuinely enjoyed what you had to say. Keep going because you unquestionably bring a new voice to this topic. Not many people would say what youve said and still make it interesting. Properly, at least Im interested. Cant wait to see more of this from you.
i’d love to share this posting with the readers on my site. thanks for sharing!
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all of us you really know what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Please also visit my website =). We could have a link exchange arrangement between us!
I wanted to say this blog is almost amazing. I always like to hear something new about this because I have the similar blog in my Country on this subject so this help´s me a lot. I did a search on the matter and found a good number of blogs but nothing like this.Thanks for writing so much in your blog.
I am just commenting to let you be aware of of the helpful experience our daughter found browsing your webblog. She noticed too many pieces, which included what it’s like to possess an incredible coaching mood to get many others without difficulty learn some problematic subject matter. You truly did more than our own expected results. I appreciate you for presenting such insightful, trusted, revealing as well as easy tips on your topic to Jane.
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is magnificent blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.
very well written article, I wish more bloggers offered the same value of content as you, the internet would be a much better place. Please keep it up!
Informative post, saved your website in interest to see more!
I am really enjoying reading your well written articles. It looks like you spend allot of effort and time on you blog.I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles. Keep up the good work!
I think youve created some really interesting points. Not too many people would truly think about this the way you just did. Im truly impressed that theres so a lot about this subject thats been uncovered and you did it so properly, with so a lot class. Very good one you, man! Actually excellent things here.
I was more than happy to search out this web-site.I wanted to thanks in your time for this wonderful learn!! I definitely enjoying every little little bit of it and I’ve you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.
I definitely didn’t realize that. Learnt some thing new right now! Thanks for that.
Thank you for the wise critique. Me & my neighbour were preparing to do some research about that. We obtained a beneficial book on that matter from our local library and most books where not as influensive as your info. I am quite glad to see this kind of facts which I was searching for a long time.
It’s onerous to seek out educated people on this subject, however you sound like you recognize what you’re talking about! Thanks
Genuinely enjoy this article. It’s challenging to sort the great from the bad sometimes, but I believe you’ve nailed this!
This nice post assited me very much! Bookmarked the site, extremely great topics just about everywhere that I see here! I appreciate the information, thanks.
I have been reading the articles on this site for sometime. This is my first comment. Your blog has been very useful for me and it provides very good content.
I would like to thnkx for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I am hoping the same high-grade blog post from you in the upcoming as well. Actually your creative writing skills has encouraged me to get my own blog now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a good example of it.
Hey there, You’ve done a fantastic job. I will definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from this site.
It’s arduous to search out knowledgeable folks on this topic, but you sound like you recognize what you’re talking about! Thanks
Good post. I learn one thing more challenging on totally different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice slightly one thing from their store. I’d want to use some with the content material on my blog whether or not you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a hyperlink on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
Please tell me that youre heading to keep this up! Its so beneficial and so important. I cant wait to read additional from you. I just really feel like you know so substantially and know how to make people listen to what you have to say. This weblog is just too cool to become missed. Good things, seriously. Please, PLEASE keep it up!
very good submit, i actually love this web site, carry on it
Thanks for the information, helpful indeed. If I may, would I be able to use an extract or two on my article?
A thoughtful insight and ideas I will use on my website. Youve obviously spent some time on this. Congratulations!
Hey! I simply want to mention that i favor your publishing approach which therefore Im going to follow your blog often from currently on Keep writing!
I admire the valuable info you provide in your articles or blog posts. I will bookmark your blog and also have my children check up right here usually. I am quite sure they will discover lots of new stuff right here than anybody else!
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Just wished to say your blog is incredibly sensible. I sometimes like to hear some factor new regarding this mainly because I even have the similar blog in my Country on this subject so this help´s me a lot. I did an enquiry on a subject matter matter and observed a really sensible variety of blogs however nothing like this.Thanks for sharing most in your blog.