In the Garden

I have been spending a lot of time in the garden lately.  We have had a weird winter full of warm days and just recently are finally getting rain.  The spring like weather has gotten me in the mood to clean up our yard and enjoy the new blooms that are already sprouting.

Maintaining a large garden is a lot of work.  Every time I go out to tackle a large task I remind myself that it is in work that beautiful things can grow.  Don't be jealous.  I blew the leaves and packed them up in the green waste all by myself.  And then I passed out.  My husband is amazing but in order to keep our home as pretty as I would like it, I have accepted that I have to take on a lot of the work myself because he only has so many weekend hours to himself. 

Little flowers are popping up everywhere.  I try to take the time to stop what I am doing and enjoy them while they are around.  With such early blooms, I am afraid some of these pretties will be gone not too long from now.

See, he does do his part. 

There is something about being in the dirt for me.  Though I love the inside of my home, there is something about being outside that completely distracts me from all the cares in the world.  There is no laundry to be folded or dishes sitting out.  Instead I just see our garden and how it continues to grow and bring new life all on it's own.  At the end of a long winter, being outside in the springtime is the perfect refreshment to my weary soul. 

Speaking of hard work, I started putting in a new garden bed last fall and finally got around to digging all the grass out. 

This is serious work.  By far not my favorite way to spend an afternoon.  But definitely a rewarding venture once I get it filled with some pretty flowers. 

Out front rain drops grip onto new blooms of this beautiful little tree outside of our kitchen window that I planted last year in celebration that we found out my mom was cancer free.  A beautiful reminder of the new life that comes with each season.

Another new tree that was planted last year is also showing off it's first bloom.  All that digging, planting, and spending all my money last summer on trees is finally showing it's worth.

“Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"...
"It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine...”
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden