A client once asked me “How often should I walk through my garden?” I answered, “Each day, things change in a garden. If you walk through your garden every day, you will always see something new. It might be something small, but looking for it will help you take the time to enjoy your garden so much more.” I think of this often at this time of year, when new growth on the plants happens at a fast pace. Leafs unfurl so quickly you can see the difference between morning and afternoon. I love the many different shades of the color on the new leaves; from the palest of chartreuse of some of the maples, to the deeper green of lilac leaves, and the reddish tinge on the new leaves of coral bells. I love the early spring flowers; right now I have Helleborus just finishing it’s bloom, and several types and colors of daffodils nodding their flowers in the breeze. Columbine are just beginning to flower. White and red trilliums and trout lily are hiding along the edge of the treeline, and there are even a few clumps of vivid red tulips that survived the squirrels search for dinner last fall. The purple and pink flowers of lungworm are already in bloom, along with the pink and white flowers of lamium. I am even glad to begin the never-ending task of weeding, as it allows me to look closely at the daily progress in the garden. Today was the first day I could see the spears of hosta making their way through the mulch, and see the buds on one of my very favorite perennials; Rodgersia. I eagerly await similar spears to appear on the asparagus plants, that means we will soon be able to eat our first crop of homegrown asparagus. Although we had wild spring leeks and fiddleheads that I had just picked in a nice pasta dish the other day, and the rhubarb is almost ready to harvest for rhubarb crisp. Another of our personal rites of spring has already happened as well; the first barbeque dinner outside. Although it was a bit of a scramble to clean the table and chairs off before the food was cooked, and it was still a bit chilly, it was wonderful to be eating outside again. The patio chairs and lounge have their colourful cushions out, waiting for us to sit for a moment and relax…That may not happen for a while, with lots of garden work waiting, but the possibility and the promise is there. And really, that’s what gardens are about: possibilities and promise. Enjoy walking through your garden every day!
WALKING THROUGH YOUR GARDEN
