My dad used to say, "I'm going out to putter in the yard." Maybe it's our farming roots. His dad was a farmer and my dad was also farmer until I was about three years old.
My mom once told me that while she gardened, she'd set me on a blanket outside with our dog as my bodguard. Crazy! Six months old, rolling around on a blanket in the Tennessee summer. That was my early life. Now, fifty years (or so) later, I love nothing better than to be outside puttering. Springtime is glorious for this pursuit. Even on our small city lot, the puttering opportunities are endless.
Trimming. Digging. Planting. Edging. Mulching. Watering. Transplanting. And in general just poking and peeking around the flower beds to see what's up. Without fail, I call over one of my neighbors, Dove or Lynn, to identify a new shoot: weed or flower. Dove says, "everything's a weed." I'm not sure what she means, but I've gotten better at recognizing things.
There's something basic and earthy about dirty fingernails and grungy socks and my jeans all smeared up with topsoil. Mmmmmmmm.
The down side of yard puttering is that the inside of the house goes to pot. Yesterday I found a souring, damp load of clothes still in the washer from who-knows-what-day. I prowl the freezer for a quick meal to allow for more yard puttering. I haven't vacuumed in ages. Not to mention this blog has to take a rest.
But my flower beds are looking dandy.
4 comments:
I say when my yard looks good, don't look in my house! And I'll always choose gardening over housework.
"Everything is a weed" because everything grows naturally somewhere on this earth, but that doesn't mean it can't look beautiful in our little gardens!
I def am married to YOUR SON! He loves to yard putter too! I like to just sit and sip some mint water...and enjoy some Vitamin D...
Since I'm just now getting all the beds established -- in fact, most everything, from tree to shrub to itty bitty perennial is still in pots. Wanna scour your beautiful garden, dig up a couple contributions for me and drive on down here to dig in my dirt? (Yes, a not so subtle plea to get you to come visit!!!) I'd love to putter with you :) AND, our house is a complete mess now that we're outside all the time. Probably how God prefers it -- enjoying His beauty instead of our own!
Hugs! KD
I vow every year to putter before graduation so my yard looks nice when all the parents drive by...it never gets done until I've posted grades...and then it's too late! I did immediately begin puttering Wednesday, having the boys dig up a weed infested area, then shoveling (with Daniel) 1 and 1/2 "yards" (FULL truck loads) of dirt! ...feeling my age still today!
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