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I plant a tiny lilac tree, he mows it down. I plant a slightly larger lilac tree, and this time I mark it with an enormous metal stake that says "welcome to my garden". Well, golly, of course, he has to move the stake in order to mow that side of the yard, and so... well... he mows down the lilac tree again.
Sigh... I buy another lilac tree, but this time I plant it in a pot so it can grow big enough that my dear husband can't possibly miss it when he's mowing. And I'll ask him to plant it instead of getting someone else to do it. And I'll put one of those round plastic collar things around it. And fill it up with impatiens or maybe a groundcover like Creeping Jenny (Lamium) that will grow well in shade (in case the lilac ever gets big enough to make shade). But when your Significant Other sees significance in other things, it can surely test a relationship. Whether you have a partner, spouse, mate, or friend, that person is part of your gardening life, so read on. ♥
I don't know of any break-ups that can be directly attributed to a difference in gardening styles, although I don't just mean that I like a wild look and he likes an orderly look. No, in some aspects of garden planning, I like a living look and he likes a dead look. Take roses. I don't know about you, but every single St. Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, birthday, and anniversary, I get a bouquet of roses. Some years, a spectacular, sunset-colored, three-dozen-stem bouquet. Other years a limp, grocery store bouquet - but always a bouquet of roses. Even when I forget the date, I get the bouquet. I ooh, aah, and exclaim over them, and a week or two later, they're dead roses. I wonder, for the price of one or two bouquets, could my dear, darling husband have bought a rose bush? A live rose bush? A $10 rose bush to plant in a $50 hole? ♥
But, let's concentrate on gardening style. I've been reading and learning and absorbing. I've learned that gardens do look better and more natural with flowers in groups of one, three or more, not twos and fours. And curving lines, not straight rows. My dear, darling, wonderful husband has the job of planting out the perennials I purchase online, even though it might be rainy, cold or even snowing. But next spring, when it's wheelchair weather, I see short flowers coming up in regimental rows behind taller flowers in regimental rows, which in turn are blocked by the plants that he buys on his frequent errands to the local big box store (which he does without complaint and without delay). ♥
He - my dear, darling, wonderful, loyal husband - knows a perennnial from an annual, and thinks that a perennial is the better deal although he often is tempted by the showy blossoms of the annuals (aren't we all). So after his zillionth quick trip to get more potting soil for me, he'll say "look what jumped in the cart when I wasn't looking, Sweetheart, can we keep them?" and bring out 5 or 6 Bee-balm (Monarda didyma) that are destined to be 36 - 60 inches tall! The back wall of my tiny garden is already full. We have the semi-dwarf, Pizzicato poppies (Papaver Orientalis Pizzicato), not the full size ones, and I'm hoping to grow some Pixie Meadowbrite Coneflowers (Echinicea Pixie Meadowbrite) next year - they're the smallest I can find.♥
So I think I will trade away my tall Bee-balms and keep the Love-of-my-life. After all, I do make the gardening decisions, and my decision is that from now on everything that comes in has to be a dwarf, mini or petite variety that is slow growing. And no more planting in the snow for my Dear, Darling, Wonderful, Loyal, Beloved Husband (that's my DDWLBH). Because in my garden, True Love conquers all!♥
Thanks to Todd_Boland, Bigcityal, and Poppysue because nothing in my own garden ever looks this good!
You can buy seeds for the Pizzicato cultivar of poppies here, as well as other places.
About Carrie Lamont
Carrie has two teenage daughters, which is exhausting all by itself. She has been married for eight delightful years to her husband, who works for an airline, facilitating Carrie's frequent need to travel. She is forever coming up with crazy and irreverent schemes and trying to get others to do it her way, but is learning to be humble as she ages. Carrie has a masters degree in Music, and sings as she gardens a small urban plot from her wheelchair.
things, it can surely test a relationship. Whether you have a partner, spouse, mate, or friend, that person is part of your gardening life, so read on. ♥
a week or two later, they're dead roses. I wonder, for the price of one or two bouquets, could my dear, darling husband have bought a rose bush? A live rose bush? A $10 rose bush to plant in a $50 hole? ♥
lowers in regimental rows, which in turn are blocked by the plants that he buys on his frequent errands to the local big box store (which he does without complaint and without delay). ♥
trip to get more potting soil for me, he'll say "look what jumped in the cart when I wasn't looking, Sweetheart, can we keep them?" and bring out 5 or 6 Bee-balm (Monarda didyma) that are destined to be 36 - 60 inches tall! The back wall of my tiny garden is already full. We have the semi-dwarf, Pizzicato poppies (Papaver Orientalis Pizzicato), not the full size ones, and I'm hoping to grow some Pixie Meadowbrite Coneflowers (Echinicea Pixie Meadowbrite) next year - they're the smallest I can find.♥
