It Makes Me Smile :)

     Usually by this time of the year I am itching to get to the local garden center to pick out the flowers I am going to plant.   But so far this year, for a variety of reasons,  I have not been motivated to do so.   The weather has not exactly been inspiring.   The warm and sunny days have been few and far between. 


     Another thing that had me discouraged was the tree that is planted right smack dab in the front of our little patch of Adult Community Paradise.   


     It seems that a large number of the 2400 residents who live here came from either the city, where there were no trees, or they lived in houses with lots of property and lots of trees.
     I think the Developer figured a good compromise would be to give every home one tree to call their own.   
     Of course, the bottom line being the Bottom Line, the type of tree they decided to plant on the sprawling  lawn front yard of each home was the fast growing Silver Maple.  At least I think that's what it is.  
      All I know is that the little sapling that was planted a short time ago has gotten much much bigger.   The branches hang over the sidewalks now and people walking by have to duck down when passing. 

      Very poor planning for a community of seniors who should not be climbing on ladders to trim trees.   But as I said, I'm sure the Bottom Line was the Builder's primary concern.


    Anyway, every year I would plant flowers around our tree.  The first few years, the plants thrived and looked beautiful.  But as this tree grew, the area under the tree got shadier and the roots got bigger and tougher and more plentiful. So my planting area got smaller and smaller.  And the flowers got wimpier and wimpier. 


     Last year I decided that maybe a perennial flower would be good.  I noticed that a number of homes had this carnation looking flower planted around their front yard trees.  
     Every spring there would be what seemed to be an instant burst of  color around their tree.  And the white, pink and purple flowers would bloom all summer.   


  I planted my Dianthus last year around my tree.  It bloomed once.  This is what came up this year.

Dianthus caryophyllus is a loosely tufted species pink with flat, medium green, lance-shaped leaves with conspicuous sheaths, to 6 inches long. In summer, bears loose cymes, 2 inches wide, of 1 to 5 single, strongly fragrant, serrated, bright pink-purple flowers, to 1 inch wide.

    


So I have decided that this year the only things that would be planted around our tree would require no sun, no water and no effort on our part.

Cherub Bird Bath

Ceramic Chickadee

Made for me by Bella :)

   


     I do still have the nice little garden area under our front window to consider.


     Yesterday it was actually warm and sunny.  Mikey D, the landscape guy, came to trim the tree and mulch around the bushes.  Everything looked so nice when he finished that I finally felt the urge to go to Reynolds Garden Center.


     Apparently, Reynolds was the place to be yesterday.   Everyone seemed to have the same idea.  The place was hoppin'.   I have to say being around the hustle and bustle of enthusiastic gardeners was just the inspiration I needed.   


    As Ross and I were wandering up and down the aisles, I almost tripped over a most unusual display.  I looked at this thing and found myself smiling uncontrollably. 
 Then I proceeded to have the following argument with myself;
      "No, you couldn't put that in your garden, what would people think?   I have to have it.  No, don't be ridiculous, it's too silly, it's just not you."


I asked Ross what he thought.   
"Look at you," he said.  "You are giggling like a little girl.  You need to be able to see this everyday.  It makes you smile.   You need to smile."

Big Foot

    So being the wild and crazy woman that I am, here is what I will see everyday.  It makes me smile.