June 3, 2013

School’s out for summer! Having had a career in education for thirty-two years, I can identify with the excitement on the part of teachers, students and parents. Although the summers are not as long as they used to be for those who work in education, it is still a time to recharge the batteries.

Families are already standing in lines at Disney resorts, staking claim to their slices of beach, or packing kids off to summer camps. My father is readying his travel camper for some short trips. Folks are pursuing hobbies and enjoying leisure pastimes.

In years past, I would often teach a few weeks of summer school for “project money.” Mary would teach summer school for the same reason. After we became school administrators, we really could not devote the fewer free weeks to teaching summer sessions. Summer was always a big time for my garden projects. These varied from maintenance jobs in the yard to extension projects: a new garden room or upgrading turf to sodded hybrid Bermuda.

In July 2011, I completed my last garden, The Serenity Garden. It is almost a secret garden (some of the plantings are close to enclosing the space). This year it looks to be maturing nicely. Now, the heavy-duty jobs have to be contracted out to landscape workers. We all have some jobs that we can handle. I am able to use a hand-held gas blower in my small jobs. In years past, I used a backpack blower. I tend to point more, instead of bending over to do a job. I tend to give directions or reminders of landscape jobs that a paid worker can do. Finally, Mary weeds and prunes more than she has done in earlier years. Thanks, Mary!

My restraint in doing gardening chores has increased for my own self-preservation. This new normal has not been especially easy for me, but I am proud that our standard for gardening has suffered little. Thank you, Mary, for being such a great gardener. Will and Evan help whenever a job needs doing, as well.

Blooming now: lace-cap hydrangeas (blue and pink)oleanders, ligustrum, roses, eight-o-clocks, Stella d’oro daylillies, ice-plant, oak-leaf hydrangeas, magnolias and very soon, Yuccas. The yuccas bloom every two years, so their blooms will be an event this year.

Gardening has always been a passion of mine. It remains so still.

Mike Green

The yuccas are pictured in bud. Flowering pics will come soon.
The Liddell heirloom rose was just prolific with beautiful shell-pink blooms.