Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Many people (and by many, I mean 1) have asked me where my garden posts have disappeared to. I've so far managed to avoid answering questions, but it is time the truth was revealed - my garden and I have broken up. To this day, it's difficult to talk about the ending of our relationship, but after 3 seasons I finally realized that the garden just couldn't commit. Every spring/summer we would have a great time and make all sorts of promises for the next year, but after a frosty winter, I realized that the garden just couldn't be there for me in the Spring. It was a tough thing to accept, but I just could not continue to live with the disappointment of disappearing perennials and late spring frosts. The straw that broke the camel's back was the 10 new daylily plants that failed to live and left me with an ugly empty plot of weeds and dirt.

As with most break-ups, it's been hard to let go and I have to admit to the occasional slip up where I've wandered barefoot into the dirt thinking that a few seeds and a new annual could heal all the hurt, only to wake up the next day and see the empty spot where my white columbines used to grow. While these temporary delusions have been hard to bare, they have also taught me that just because I couldn't be in a relationship with the garden, doesn't mean we can't be friends. I have tried to find ways to make this friendship work, outside of all the expectations of grandeur.

Distancing myself from the garden has been aided by the horrendous weather that Whitehorse has suffered this summer. The drive to loiter around amongst the flowers has been curbed by what seems like a continuous cycle of cold rain and gloomy skies. I should have predicted fate when on June 9th we were covered in snow while Ottawa basked in 30 degree heat.

There are a few parts of the garden that are doing well:

I've had fun growing some moon flower vines, which are, unfortunately, being overwhelmed by my overzealous cosmos.

I've learned that blanket flowers will not make it through the winter, but instead of being upset about it every Spring, I've decided to replace them on an annual basis.

The vegetable beds are doing well, considering the bad weather. It seems like lettuce and cabbage are the greatest benefactors of the consistent moisture.

I started these white begonias from bulbs in April, we will see if I can keep them alive through the winter and next year.

I decided last year to try out alliums, despite the fact I knew they wouldn't survive through the winter. I kept them in the fridge all year long and put them in the garden in May. Only one survived, but it was a special surprise.

Finally - the only perennials to truly perform are the globeflowers and delphiniums which are running rampant and threaten to take over the entire side bed.

I caution everyone to not feel too sorry for me, yes the breakup was bad, but I've met a wonderful new partner...actually multiple partners. I've decided that I'm not ready to commit myself to anyone had have been seeing a variety of bicyles and I'm definitely enjoying the ride.

Sierra posted this on Jul 29, 2008 from the garden | | permanent link