The Green Green Grass Of Home

The snow has finally left us here and we couldn't be more grateful.

I've been spending quite a bit of time thinking through the things that I want to grow this year. 

The garden will be a pretty good repeat from last year and I'll continue with my full-mulch decision.  I was educated on that concept last spring when I reached out to the University of Saskatchewan Plant and Garden help line and, although it took me awhile to wrap my head around no-till full-mulch, I had a great garden, with improvements noted in some areas and much increased ease with less watering and less weeding!

The early stages - probably early July - garden planted, straw laid down, now everything is up and filling in.

Over the past few years I've played around with a variety of concepts when it comes to the front yard.  Actually, that's an understatement!  For 20 years, I've played around with concepts!  And I've become more refined in acknowledging what I like, what I'm capable of and what I don't like doing.

I don't like weeding.

I can't commit to perennials.

I'm getting better at container gardening.

I like whimsy.

I love herbs.

I love grasses.

The common geranium makes me smile.  As do pansies and petunias.

This year, I think I want to focus a lot on "ordinary" green.  I've started already with a couple of these beauties at the front door:



I had the funniest experience yesterday though.

Only a week ago the back yard was full of snow and the spring warmth just couldn't seem to come fast enough.

I was very busy over the weekend with a few things - a big concert, some shifts, .....laundry..... - and all of a sudden the snow was gone.

It seemed like none of us really knew what hit us - after these long months, the yard just "showed up". 

The day before yesterday, I walked out onto the front lawn and, I don't know, there's something about my feet hitting the lawn - it grounds me.  It's like the lawn says - "I've been here all along, how could you forget?"  Familiar, treasured ground. 

Then yesterday, I got ambitious and decided to rake up some leaves around the mountain ash tree.  The cat was out there with me meowing his heart out, the wind was blowing, the sun was shining so nicely, and I raked for a little while where the sun had been nice and warm.

I moved over to a spot where there was still some ice and snow among the leaves.  When I raked up that section, much to my SURPRISE, there was green grass growing under the icy leaves!

GREEN GRASS!!

It caught me so off guard, I had to look twice.  Green grass!  Under the icy leaves!!

WHAT?!?!?!!

I think there's a lesson in that for all of us.

It's been a tough go for us all lately.  Untimely deaths of some young friends in March.  The big Humboldt tragedy.  The Toronto tragedy.  Death.  Sorrow.  Sadness.  A loooong winter.  Too much snow.  Snow too often.  Cold. 

It just seemed like life lay buried.

Yet when we pull back the layers of what appears to be dead and things that were "yesterday's joys", 

Life is reborn.  
We didn't have to beg for it.
It just happened.
New.  Fresh.  
Faithful.

Maybe this is one of the reasons I'm drawn to my yard and garden over and over again - it has a resiliency that encourages me to keep on living.  It encourages me that life gives us a 

second chance.  

It reminds me that seasons 

come to an end.

So, if you dial my phone or ring my doorbell in the next 4 -5 months and no one answers, 

you'll know where to find me.

I'm outside, 
getting grounded.






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