Periodically I consider life after stay-at-home parenting and I am not sure it involves the lucrative, though not exactly exciting career of corporate compliance that I used to call my daily grind. I think I may finally take a clue from my past of growing corn in a sandbox and landscaping earthen dams as an elementary schooler to growing and propagating african violets as a teenager and then as an adult always having a garden or at least a balcony full of potted plants. Clearly, working with plants makes me happy and why not try to do for a living what makes me happy.
Just the other day I was browsing through a continuing ed. catalog from the local university, University of Washington, when I saw a program that peaked my curiosity. A certificate in Therapeutic Gardens. I think this is the program for me. I have considered landscape design in the past, but was having a difficult time getting excited about it and landscape designers always seemed so “dime a dozen.” This program sounds like an interesting niche of landscaping that hopefully has a good future, especially as the baby boomers age. It is also more in line with why I garden and the joy and relaxation my garden brings me. Year round interest, texture, blooms, color, motion, wildlife, morning, noon and night interest are characteristics that I consider in my garden and with some formal training, I think I could bring 24×7, year round gardens to others, especially those challenged by age or infirmity and really feel satisfaction and enjoyment from the endeavor.
My children are still too young for me to go to school this year, but hopefully this program will still be offered in 2009!
It’s our second 90+ degree day with the hottest day expected tomorrow. I was just looking out of my bathroom window at my nice green lawn thinking, “Thank goodness for our irrigation system!” I was getting exhausted just thinking about watering everything by hand/sprinkler like I did the first summer we lived here and it was a LOT of work. Of course, I had a lot less garden, but still, there was enough. I feel bad for home owners without irrigation systems. Our HOA mandates green lawns which I agree look nice, but sure are a waste of water as I would be perfectly happy to let my lawn go dormant. Either way, at least I don’t have to worry about anything other than paying the water bill these days. My irrigation system is currently set to run through my 7 zones in 60 minutes which seems to do the trick. Though, even with irrigation, I still had to provide some supplemental water in the evening last night to some of the drier areas though I am taking the night off tonight. Then of course, the kids had a blast jumping through the sprinkler last night after dinner. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! The dry patch of grass got watered and the kids were entertained. This afternoon the kiddie pool watered a different dry patch as a 1 and 2 year old enjoy making sure water gets out of the pool as quickly as possible, though all in good fun.
Newly blooming:
- Japanese anemone/windflower, Anemone x hybrida
- Balloon flower/ Chinese Bellflower, Platycodon grandiflorus
I get a phone call yesterday and my husband picks up and tells the caller that yes, I am on the sofa resting like I am supposed to be for my medical issues and not in the garden where the caller suspected I would be. Guess who was right? But it was all Martha’s fault. I was on the sofa browsing the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living and she always has wonderful cut flower arrangements and I couldn’t help it, I was inspired. Here are my creations from yesterday:
Scented geranium leaves, ornamental grasses, cornflowers, sweet peas, liatris and cone flowers.
Dahlia, rose and baby’s breath.
The garden is pretty much on its own right now which is a good thing as I have had some medical issues to deal with. So, water from the irrigation system seems to do the trick. Then when I feel up to it I clip some deadheads to ensure new blooms and everything else seems to take care of itself. All I really have to do is sit back and enjoy which is all I really feel up to doing anyway.
Oh, and an update on my baby birds. During a recent watering episode, all the babies fled the nest in the hanging planter, the parents “yelled” at me and no one has been back since. I hope the babies all made it! They were kind of flying and seemed pretty good sized. I haven’t seen any evidence that they didn’t make it which is encouraging.
Newly blooming:
- liatris
- crocosmia
- rudbeckia
- aster
- cornflower
- zinnia
- scented geraniums
- ALL dahlias
- ALL roses
Here’s a catalog link to a really great idea to incorporate into a garden for kids, a Fairy Garden.
The catalog has many many wonderful children’s items though not inexpensive. I think I am going to try to see if I can come up with my own fairy garden by borrowing the catalog’s concept and perhaps just purchasing the fairies. My daughter saw the picture and said sadly that our garden doesn’t have fairies for her to play with. I suggested that if she keeps her eyes open, perhaps one day the fairies might visit. I’ll let you know if any fairies move in!
