Before the heat gets intense and the yellow flies descend, before the squash bugs make their first appearance and the weeds start growing faster than I can grab them; the spring garden is full of hope. I hope that this year we stay on top of the weeds. I hope that this year the insects aren’t quite so bad. I guess my first hope is that I manage to get everything planted. I am moving slowly, slowly.
While everyone else was at soccer this evening, I pulled up a handful of chickweed and discovered a worm snake. The first snake sighting this spring, and my kids weren’t here to see it. I grabbed it and headed for my camera, only to have to turn back to release it after a few seconds because the way it was twining tightly around my fingers was seriously creeping me out. I was sorry not to get a photo to show my kids. And I know that you guys can’t wait for me to start posting snake photos, right?
We had unexpected company this afternoon. My mom called to tell me that my Aunt Julie and Uncle Paul were going to be passing through our town on their way back down to Georgia. They pulled up to our house about forty five minutes later, a great surprise. They only stayed for a few minutes, long enough to remind us that we really miss our extended family. Silas practically leaped out of my arms for Aunt Julie, despite the fact that he’s never met her before and proceeded to give her what I would describe as kisses on her face. I’ve never had a baby behave that way before. He’s awfully sweet.
Jonny and I live very differently than our families do for the most part. It is always fun to give a tour of our place and talk about our plans. We have been making plans together for about fourteen years now. We’ve been playing in the soil and hoping for more; our plans evolving together as our family has grown. When we were college kids just married and living in a little apartment in Athens, Georgia, we bricked a big raised bed on our back patio and filled it with soil so that I could have a perennial garden. I grew hostas in pots and we had a big compost pile behind the patio. When we moved from that Georgia apartment to our home here in Virginia, we had to rent a trailer to pull behind the moving van to transport all of our plants. Most of those plants died over our first few years here as I was consumed by my early years of motherhood. My tiny corkscrew willow made it and is now a climbing tree for our kids. Jonny’s Japanese maple, the one he dug up as a tiny two leaved sapling, is about six feet tall now. Our two survivors.
Sometimes we overextend ourselves, but mostly we have a lot of fun. Sometimes Jonny takes forever working on a project and I get really frustrated with him, forgetting that it was my idea to begin with. I am sure he gets frustrated with my expectations. I am not sure what has me thinking about this today. I guess just that it’s spring, and Jonny and I are having fun. This time of year is exhausting in such a good way.
p.s. Thank you for all your sweet words yesterday about my poor little chick. Jonny helped it to a better place, and I know we made the best decision. I’m fine, it’s just the initial realization that we will have to make a life or death decision for another creature that always gets me in the beginning. It’s never easy, but there’s also no reason to stay sad about it (and it’s not a reason not to get chickens, really!) I’ve still got an adorable little flock of chicks! I’ve been getting some questions about what we are feeding and what breeds we have this time around…I’ll tell you more next week. I promise!
Melissa L says
Larkspur looks like a sweet Garden Sprite! Doesn’t spring just make your heart feel full?
Linda says
I think your life is the most wonderful! It’s the life that I envisoned for myself but it never materilized. So best wishes to you all and keep up the good work. I love seeing the pics of your wonderful sweet life. The way life should be.
TJ @Anygivenmoment says
Ginny, I so enjoy reading your blog, but have yet to comment. Today I will though because I came back within hours of your chick post to keep seeing how you ended up having to deal with it. I had no opinion on what you should do, but as I recently had to make that decision for our 16.5 year old beloved dog, I felt vested in following the fate of your little chick. Chick or dog- they are all living things and your sentiments above are exactly how I feel too 🙂
Gorgeous pictures! I live in Vermont and our land doesn’t look or feel quite as Springy as that just yet!!
Nicola says
I love your rambling about plans you and Jonny have had over your lifetime together. I have been in a similar rambling place with Mike recently.
Nichole says
Beautiful photos as always.
nancy says
Love your posts. I am a Christian, mother of 5, Nana to 10 and I am an AmeriCorps volunteer in our local public school Afterschool Program. I would not trade my time with my students for anything. Every day I spend with them is modeled after a visit to Nanas house. We read, discover ways to solve problems, craft, eat….Thank you for your blog.
Katrina says
I love your gardens! We moved into our current house late last summer. My husband thinks that I am crazy because I want to start a small garden this spring, but he will help 🙂 the crazy comes into play because I am expecting our 5th child in july.
You must have taken advantage of the Lands End clearence sale. I have seen some of the same dresses that my girls have on your little ones! I love there dresses. They wear so well and are modest!
Blessings,
Katrina
Carolyn says
Such a wonderful and big garden. Will you preserve food or is this a fresh produce garden?
Open Roads Mama says
absolutely beautiful photos!!!!
Meg says
sweet thoughts! I worked all day in my little garden and it has brought me such peace! I still want my husband to make me a few more beds! Your home is beautiful. I have only a small space in my 1/2 acre homestead but still want to make some beauty! The children are my true gems. (Even though I wanted to marry a farmer when I was a small girl!)
charlotte says
oh the joys of spring!! I live my life so differently to my siblings but we are fortunate to celebrate this. What an amazing veg patch I have a touch of the green eyed monster 😉
Leslie says
Spring is surely a busy time of the year! The first warm day makes a person want to dig in the garden. We don’t have raised beds…the Farmer (my husband) has perfected his way of watering his summer garden with a drip system at each plant, no over head or flood watering. Only watered dirt grows weeds. Fall/winter with row crops get over head watering so those gardens have weeds. This post from last year shows how he does it.
http://thoughtsofgrace.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/cozy-acre-garden-2011/
I love thel ook of raised gardens but he has a tractor .
Meryl says
Love the garden in the Spring. Always so much possibility!
So sorry to hear about your little chick. Having tried to nurse a few along myself, I know that some just don’t make it, but it’s still always a little sad.
Heather says
Keeping the fun in mind is what makes this life so liveable and enjoyable. So glad he helped with the chick and gave you a giggle with the image of the two of you sitting together. I love having dreams to share with my husband.
barbara says
Ginny, if you have any great tips on keeping the weeds back please share. We have a smallish garden, much of which has been taken over by strawberries and mint, and still I can’t control the weeds!
teresa c says
What great photos! Your story about the way your garden evolved is very nice. I can’t build a garden in my appartment right nw, but we’re looking for a house with some outside space. I’d love to see my kid wandering around playing with flowers and plants.
meghann says
I’m so sorry to hear about your chick, Ginny. It’s never easy…
I love the photos of your garden. It is shaping up so nicely! I am living vicariously through you this year, and all the other lovely bloggers I know who have gardens. I keep telling myself: “Next year…” xo
Wendy says
This is just beautiful, Ginny. What could be better than to be able to say that as you work towards all you’ve dreamed and planned, than to say that you’re having fun–and what a great example that is for the kiddos! And I thanks for reminding me to be thankful for a husband who ‘takes his time’ on projects, because, like you, most of those projects are, in fact, my idea. 🙂
Karen says
What a wonderfully hopefilled post.
I love when those moments of clarity are so tangible….those moments when nothing is clouding the fact that your life is wonderful.
Thanks for sharing this. It is nice to read.
swanski says
The snakes are super active here. We have garter snakes mostly, some milk snakes. My dog loves to chase them, paw at them and bark at them. We (meaning my husband) rescues the snakes and moves them outside the fenced in area. Sorry about your chick, I was hoping for a miracle.
Tracey says
I always start out with such grand plans to weed the garden daily, making it look like a photo in Better Homes and Gardens…I last until about the end of June when the heat becomes unbearable and I just puddle on the ground from the humidity! It’s still nice to dream though.
Kirsty says
Those first buds of springs are divine, as is your little garden fairy, I have never seen a worm snake. We have the leaves beginning to fall here.
Evi says
Beautiful pics! Love the combination of your girls green dress and the fresh green of your spring garden. Looks very professionally done!
I am heaving a sigh as I read about your new gardening year – here in Tasmania we have just had our first taste of what’s to come in Winter……. rain and snow and wind…..yuck! Thanks for reminding me of the Spring that will always come again. xx
Jane says
Stunning photos as ever but look at that girl of yours! So sweet. And well done with the little chick. We have six roosters currently from a batch of eggs we hatched, and they are starting to look so lovely, proud and glossy, but soon we have to ‘deal’ with five of them….
Jacq says
I love the excitment of the spring garden planning! I envy just how MANY beds you have.
We are planning here too even though its only the beginning of Autumn…we need time to get organised!
Happy Days!
Jacq
Wonder Why Gal says
This are wonderful photos. I love this garden too. We are going to put a small one in this year. Fingers crossed.