Gardening, tomatoes and planters

This has been a week when color exploded in the garden.  Snapdragons are a beautiful pink splash as are poppies waving in the breeze in orange and salmon. Roses are budding. Diascia are planted. I've filled patio planters with our favorite varieties of flowers from home-grown petunias and geraniums, to daisies, to verbena and begonias, as well as caladium. And the tomatoes are two feet high! On Memorial Day at our yearly picnic, we'll give out many of them to friends.  The varieties that have been the heartiest heirlooms so far this year are Marianna's Peace, Anna Russian and Big Orange Tomato. More about all of them as they grow.
Have a beautiful spring week!

©2012 Karen Rose Smith

Karen Rose Smith's web site
Karen Rose Smith's SEARCH FOR LOVE SERIES web site
IN TOUCH WITH KAREN ROSE SMITH e-zine

 WHEN MOM MEETS DAD by Karen Rose Smith

Missing a Mom

I love holidays, and Mother's Day was always one of my favorites.  My mother passed on years ago. Since then, a deep-down ache would begin the week before.  Commercials and sentiments about the day didn't help. When our son moved far away, I decided to handle the holiday differently.  I thought my strategy could help others.

Embrace the day.

I discovered that ignoring missing and an upsurge of grief is denial.  In the end it adds to the heartache.  How do I embrace the holiday now?

The week before I make a picture collage with those photographs that might be stuffed in a closet.  I take the time to remember how much my mom meant to me and I to her.  Or...I have a notebook of short stories my mom wrote when she was in college and some years I excavate those and learn about a younger side of her I didn't know.  Or...I unpack a box in my closet where I store some of her keepsakes, like her wedding album and an account of my parents' travels on their honeymoon.  The memories have become more sweet than bittersweet over the years and now I feel almost joyful as I remember.

But the best way to appreciate the day all over again is to talk to my son and spend time with others I love.  We have friends with children.  Visiting with them, playing games, reveling in the sunshine remind me that I'm a mom, too.  I have love to spread that reaches beyond my family.  I believe this is how my mom would want me to spend the day--living life to the fullest and remembering the love she gave away.

 
©2012 Karen Rose Smith

Karen Rose Smith's website 

     

GARDENING In MAY, Gardening as Therapy

May Day! What's new in the garden this week? Since we've had such a warm winter and spring, there is already so much color in the outside garden. The columbine are three feet high!  These pink hardy gladiolas are brightening the patio.

Although we have rain in the forecast, the temperature is supposed to go up over the next week with no danger of frost. So I planted our herb bin. New this year--Thai basil, pineapple sage, and boxwood basil. I also added English thyme and spicy oregano.  I have a planter that wintered with lemon thyme.  I added another plant to that of a different variety.

With the sun shining today, I moved trays of petunias, geraniums and impatiens outside for a little sun. As you can see, the tomatoes are a bit spindly, but warmer weather and sun should remedy that. Next week I'll discuss the heirloom tomatoes that are the hardiest.  The petunias are stretching their necks for the same reason and are ready to plant. But our outside conditions warn me to wait until next weekend, at least. The impatiens are vigorously growing and also will be ready to plant outside after Mother's Day.  That's our date that we hope won't see any more frost.

In another week I'll be ready to fill planters that will be able to thrive outside. I've filled one for a friend with petunias, geraniums and a daisy.  New this year is fiberoptic grass!  I'm looking forward to watching the planters grow. Next on my growing list--planting zucchini and sunflowers.

Have a wonderful first week in May.

Karen

© 2012 Karen Rose Smith

IN TOUCH WITH KAREN ROSE SMITH e-zine
Karen Rose Smith's web site
Karen Rose Smith's SEARCH FOR LOVE SERIES web site
KIT AND KISSES by Karen Rose Smith My heroine has a butterfly garden!