Making things grow

Growing things brings me happiness. Gardening is not something I've recently discovered but in the last couple of years, I've rediscovered a passion I'd not indulged in for far too long. I planned what I was going to do and enacted the plan soon after with great results both in what I grew and the enjoyment I found through growing. I toiled there, nurtured and cared for my plants, and they returned in kind with fruits and vegetables I get to eat or trade for other things; it's a nice arrangement that endures.

I have to carefully plan how I use the available space and need to find a balance between plants that provide food and those that exist simply to look good.

I stay home a lot preferring home over going out; I like the comfort of my own space and when I have company I can choose it rather than share a space with random people I don't know. I wouldn't say I entertain a lot although I have gatherings from time to time but generally it's me and one other who spend the most time here and I like to provide a space that feels welcoming, comfortable and natural, inside and out.

There's a special feeling gained from sitting in one's own garden enjoying it so much that a valid reason to leave cannot be found; it's that feeling I've worked hard to create and I think I've managed it judging by the remarks I get when people come over.

I was sitting outside this afternoon after spending some time wandering about my garden looking at my plants, pulling a weed or two and keeping tabs on my vegetables...I might have pulled a strawberry or three off the plants and ate them too. It was just kind of nice, relaxing, which is something I need at the moment all things considered. I was sitting on one of my wrought iron garden benches opposite a lavender bush and realised just how prolific its growth was; I'd only trimmed it a couple months ago and it was bursting with blooms.

The bees buzzed all over it and I wonder how I'd not noticed that it was literally inundated with flowers. I guess I've been focused on my vegetables lately so completely failed to notice. It smelled wondrous really, and that's when I decided I'd bring some inside - no bees though, they had to stay outside.

I might have overdone it totally went over the top because my house now smells like it's made out of a lavender bush! I mean every room of it, but that's ok the girl loves the smell of lavender and she was pretty impressed with my flower arranging skills too, although I get the impression she was just being nice. It went down very well though and I earned a good deal of brownie-points which I'll cash in at some stage when I do something dumb. I'll be like, but you remember when I brought all that lavender in and you told me how thoughtful I was and what a great gardener I was?

Seriously though, I will do something to warrant that line at some stage, it's inevitable.

I like the fact I'm multi-faceted and have the ability to do and be many things that some may feel don't combine so well. It's a strength I believe and is certainly something that those whom I allow to scratch the surface and know me value, or so they say.

I don't know about all that really, it's for others to perceive me as they see fit, but what I know for sure is that I love my garden and the time I spend in it. I am not the most knowledgeable gardener although I do a reasonable job at it and it repays me in kind, over and over. I love making things grow and whether I find success or failure, the enjoyment abounds. Afterall, I made those lavender flowers you're looking at above grow, so I can't be all that bad at it right?