The Rain Is Music To My Ears

Every year, in the spring I get excited about planting.  The trouble is holding onto that excitement after months of daily watering.  I woke up to the sound of rain this morning.  It was music to my ears.

This weekend, I went out with my daughter and spent my annual $100 on plants and flowers (followed up by a little more at a different location).  My family thinks that this is a huge waste.  They call me "brown thumb".  In my defense, if you have ever dealt with trying to grow things in this Carolina clay, not dirt, you can commiserate with my, in general, lack of success.

When the kids were really little, I was very ambitious and actually built my own garden in the back of the house with official wood borders and the requisite marigolds to supposedly ward off the bunnies.  We would have to carry buckets of water because the hose didn't reach the garden.  I  definitely learned my lesson.  Anything planted in the ground needs easy access to water without the need for child labor.  I have to say it must have been a mild summer because that garden was relatively successful in that plants did live and what lived was enjoyed immensely by the bunnies.

The problem with flowers for me is the watering needs when you go out of town which in the summer months tends to be relatively often.  One day of no water in July in North Carolina and most likely your plants are toast.  It's really an imposition to ask someone to water your flowers daily.  I guess the answer would be to pay, I could probably get a volunteer that way. 

So this year, I cheated a little.  I bought pots and stuck them in my pots.  I figure I could then transport them to someone's house to be watered.   But what about my beautiful herb/vegetable garden?  It's so pretty and full of life right now.  I put really good dirt in there this year (including a little manure per my dad's recommendation).  I have such good intentions.  My mom says, a thriving rosemary bush means the lady is the Queen of the house.  I don't know about that but that's the only thing that has survived for years in my garden.

So today I'll take a break from watering and admire my handiwork and hope that I'm enjoying a fresh tomato salad in August that's from my little garden.  I really don't know if you should join me....