Summer and Gardening!

I caught the gardening bug or developed a ‘green thumb’ a few years ago after moving to the US. I remember the first time when I informed my near and dear ones of my newly acquired hobby, they all looked at me in disbelief! "You and gardening?", "Are you OK?", "Is everything all right?" I wasn’t at all surprised by their reaction given the kind of life and priorities I had. Let’s say I was a footloose single and gardening was no where on my list of hobbies. I couldn't possibly envision myself in the yard with a strawhat, gloves and a water can.

Ironically it did catch my fancy when my hubby and I were trying to spruce up our tiny backyard of our old house. We didn’t have much space then but we surely wanted it to look clean and pretty.

I normally don’t enjoy going to a home improvement store but come summer, I make many a trips to get our quota of annuals and perennials! I am still learning the names of different flora and foliage but I think I am getting better in selecting the RIGHT stuff for us. By right I mean, those that require very little to none maintenance except for the regular watering and fertilizers. And there are plenty to choose from.

Having a handy hubby is a huge plus! He loves doing things around the house. Ever since we moved into our current abode, he has spent many weekends and innumerable hours hammering and building things. In fact he has quite a few achievements under his belt so far, a fully furnished basement with a bar, a wall to wall entertainment center, a deck, just to name a few! And right now he is into landscaping. He has planted a lot of trees,has build borders and a fine looking fountain! So, we sort of make a great team. I usually do the planting and watering of the plants and flowers. It is with sheer delight I watch them grow and bloom bringing vibrancy and color to our space. Every time I spot a new bud or a leaf, I feel as if I have breathed life into someone. The nurturing and care that goes into making them thrive can be quite time consuming but is truly worthwhile! The greenery and the color also serve as a reminder of the advent of summer and the glorious sun filled days it brings along with it. And did I mention therapy? There have been times in the past when gardening helped me alleviate the stress I felt or manage a headache that refused to go away. Hence, it is not only fulfilling but therapeutic.

And what a fun filled family activity gardening can be. My 3 year old is our diligent helper who comes with his own set of gardening gloves, trowel and water can. Yesterday evening, as he helped me put dirt into the pots I was planting in, we both sang, “Bob the Builder, yes we can…” with him screaming his lungs out which was indeed a funny sight. Later in the evening as I was getting him ready for bed, he holds my face in the palms of his two tiny hands, looks straight into my eyes and said, “Mama, we had so much fun today!”.

I beamed as I couldn’t have agreed with him more.