they are the charming gardeners who
make our souls blossom."
Cyndi Lauper - She Bops (Special Dance Mix)
Original post dated August 28, 2007
Comments from my original entry on Yahoo 360 posted follows this entry
Nature has a way of healing everything that ails you emotionally. Since I started getting out there pulling weeds, overgrown ground covers, fighting large stalks of palms, replanting and propagating cuttings . . . oh my, I have such a smile on my face and I feel so invigorated.
I came in to take a break and this 80's song from Cyndi Lauper was playing and it reminded me of me bopping around the yard ready to tear into everything right now. You know, if I had a magic wand and could make it functional, all cleaned up and pretty again . . . I would miss all the fun.
This is a photo of the Palmetto Palm I whipped into shape today . . .
Bromeliads are growing wild in both my front and back yard. The blooming has just begun . . . it will be spectacular when they are all in full bloom. The first photo is a flower bud ready to bloom, the second photo is a flower that has been open several days, so it is not as brilliant . . .
My gardenia bushes are turning into trees . . . the blooming has slowed down, they were covered with the gorgeous white flowers a couple of weeks ago. I started them from cuttings and they took off fast . . . very easy plant to propagate.
Don't laugh, but I have this thing about making trash to treasure. One of my neighbors threw this trash can away when the City provided us with those very cool trash containers on wheels. I've been meaning to paint it . . . and I actually did not plant most of those plants in that container. I was using it to hold leaves to make leaf mold as compost . . . lol this is what happens in my yard, plants appear everywhere like magic. I love elephant ear plants (alocasias) . . . they grow wild in my yard.
Comments from my original post on Yahoo 360
(17 total)What beautiful thoughts, Gina! Thank you for sharing, and for reminding us that there is so much more to the big picture than what WE see. Great pictures, too!
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 07:45pm (EDT)
Looking good, Gina. I'm a hopeless recycler, too. I take those plastic containers that cakes & cookies come in from the bakery, and make mini greenhouses out of them for seeds. Just poke a hole in the top and there you go. Sounds like you had fun today. Did you get a sunburn on your nose?
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 07:48pm (EDT)
garden therapy is just the best thing ever! i do lots of recyling, too. your bromeliads are gorgeous! i need to take a pic of my elephant ears, too. thanks for the fab pics. enjoy the full moon tonight. *hugs*
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 08:01pm (EDT)
Nature most definitely has a way of healing those things that ail us. Your yard looks lovely and I cannot wait to see everything in full bloom. The trash can fits well. I love how you find the positive through the negative. In this life, we are going to face many trials, but we overcome and grow stronger. We have so much to be thankful for!! Love your blog and your positive outlook on life!!! Hugs, Dawn
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 07:38pm (CDT)
WOW absolutely beautiful. Here in Indiana, if you have an Oak tree, your doing good LOL
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 08:40pm (EDT)
Beautiful! I just love my gardens. I have a butterfly garden, hummingbird garden, veggie garden, and perennial gardens. I have a few related blogs. One about my butterflies and one about garden art and making a bowling ball gazing ball. I'm currently making a 'flower bed' out of an old doll bed that someone threw away.
I try not to throw anything away!
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 09:11pm (EDT)
Chevy, you sound like me. At one time I had used an old brass-look bed frame and used it for a flower bed with trellis . . . actually, it was pretty awesome. I'll try to find some pics. We were in the flea market business, so we always used to find interesting items to use in the garden. The best stuff comes out of someone's trash . . . lol
hmmm David . . . I could never live in Indiana . . . and it gets cold there too . . .
awww Dawn, thank you, but . . . my attitude can get very dark at times . . . I should call my blog "the good, the bad and the ugly" . . . I'm trying to learn how to change my attitude when it starts to turn dark.
Deb, tonight, I'm feeling like a million bucks . . . that is what gardening does for me. Thanks for reminding me about the full moon . . . I had to check it out and spent some time at the park bench by candlelight. I loved it . . .
OMG NS . . . I have used those as concrete molds . . . they make awesome garden stones for a path . . . nice detailing. lol I've used them for little greenhouses too . . . they are so perfect!
Cayenne, I was due for a MAJOR attitude adjustment!! I love sharing the good with the bad . . .
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 09:56pm (EDT)
Oh, how wonderful! You can grow GARDENIAS!!!
Up here, fragrant gardens are limited to lilac, roses, heliotrope and other annuals, plus magnolia trees. Apart from that, there's not much.
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 07:45pm (PDT)
Talk about fragrance . . . the night blooming jasmine fill the night time air with the most delicious fragrance ever . . . great time to spend time outdoors. Those are like trees in my back yard and choking out everything around it!
Tuesday August 28, 2007 - 10:53pm (EDT)
I just love your post, such peaceful therapy.. and I am totally envious of your gardenia bushes... They are so beautiful. Have a wonderful rest of the week, and thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers for Matthew. He's doing better.
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 01:36am (EDT)
the gardens looking good :) lots of work to get it back from over grown but it will be worth it in the end :)
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 02:27am (EDT)
I was totally urbanized at one point in my life, and gardening was the last thing on my brain, but since then, I have discovered the soothing effects and benefits of gardening...my mother gardens, and she got me into it...tackling that Palmetto was quite an undertaking! Where do you live anyway? It almost looks tropical in nature. I'll look on your page and see if I can figure it out when I am done here.
"Girls just wanna have fun..." oos, wrong song...her stuff was always so cool or upbeat. I also loved True Colors before Phil Collins made it so popular (although I love both versions :)
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 03:50am (MST)
This is beautiful!!!
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 07:21am (EDT)
Bromeliads in your back garden? Wow! That's amazing!
The grumpy old lady next door told me off the other day. She told me 'In the 18 months you've lived here I've never seen you smile. And I watch you every day!' That thing about watching me freaked me out a little, until I realised it wasn't true. If she'd been watching me she'd have seen me smile everytime I weed out those front flower beds, every time I trim the roses and every time I water teh hanging baskets. Nothing makes me more content than pottering in the garden. I have a really long daily commute and sometimes it's the thought of that garden that gets me home in one piece.
Great blog xxx
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 07:58pm (BST)
Oh Gina I love your garden, no wonder you feel good having been working in it. I too collect things to plant things in, the trash bin is great, I don't think you should paint it, it looks natural the way it is:) Great blog Gina, it is always so nice coming to your page. Especially to see what you are grateful for, I think we can all learn from that.
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 04:07pm (CDT)
Cyndi Lauper is so "unusual" smiles. yeppers the sun came out and i went to my garden nibbled on rasberries got some compost done but mostly basked lazily. It was fine to give thanks and praise.
Wednesday August 29, 2007 - 04:59pm (CDT)
Nice bromeliad blossom. :-)
Thursday August 30, 2007 - 10:06am (PDT)