We all love flowers and color, and in some ways the blossoms and hues that appear in the spring are the most appreciated. Every garden should contain some bulbs, shrubs and perennials that are colorful as winter ends and the growing season begins.Consider, however, that your spring garden offers more than early-season flowers. Throughout the world, spring is associated with rebirth. It is the season that marks growth and renewal. When we put spring-flowering plants in our landscapes, we’re participating in this global celebration of regeneration and progress.

There are, I propose, very deep reasons why spring flowers lift our spirits. Yes, we love the colors. Agreed, we’re happy that winter is over. But beyond all of that, our hearts and souls rejoice because we are reminded that growth, in all aspects of our lives, is not only possible but inevitable.

Join in the celebration: plant for spring color.

It's Garden Bloggers You Can Grow That! Day and I'm hear to say you can cultivate renewal.

I’ve featured my bamboo cloches in this blog before so you know how much I love them. Imagine how upset I was when one blew away last week after a night of very strong winds. Despite the weights and ties, one basket broke free and disappeared. I looked in the lot next door, on my neighbors’ property, and the area between our house and the lake. I found nothing.

We’ve all experienced how something lost will suddenly turn up when you’re no longer looking, right? Well that’s what happened for me today. I was all dressed up for my speaking gig at in Hingham, MA, when I took the dog out early this morning. I needed to be sure he was well walked before I left for the morning, so I was paying more attention to the canine than I was to my surroundings.

That’s when I saw my basket. It was in the lake, about seven feet from shore, upside down. I looked down at my speaking attire and thought, “It can’t go far…” so I left it where it was.

When I returned to Poison Ivy Acres after my talk I once again returned to the lakeshore. This time I took off my shoes, pulled up my pants and waded in. The water is still freezing, but I was able to walk out into the lake and rescue my bamboo cloche.

Five paragraphs into this post I finally get to the point and bring all of this back to the garden. (Thanks for sticking with me.)  At this time of year the landscape is all about renewal and those of us who love plants and gardens feel absolutely, totally saved. A couple of warm days in March pluck us out of our winter funks as surely as I pulled that cloche from the shores of Lawrence Pond.

Do we stop to appreciate this season enough for the sense of liberation we feel? Maybe not. Let’s all unite in our thanks for the yearly cycles of renewal and the return of growth.

Although I had my camera with me at 7 AM, I wasn't prepared to fish this cloche out of the water.

The dog loved the rescue of the cloche later in the day. Not only was I willing to throw the stick into the icy water for him to retrieve, but I went into the water too! A spring celebration!

It isn’t winter nor is it spring. It’s not time, therefore, to hunker down and be cozy, nor is it appropriate to start planting. It’s March in New England.

Truth be told, most of us have periods of March in our lives no matter what the calendar says. Those periods that aren’t horrible or barren, but they aren’t filled with growth, rebirth or color either. These are the times when we slog through and make do. I’m sure you can relate.

March is here, in actuality and metaphorically for many of us, yet I remain determined that there are ways to celebrate both the barrenness and the promise of growth ahead. Things always come full circle, spring arrives once again, and we humans can continue to plant and grow.

This photo sums it up for me: the bare branches of winter, some small spring violas, and the lights that we use to celebrate our faith in renewal and growth.

If it were up to me, every garden center would sell Adventure Glasses. Hell, why quibble? They’d be passed out for free, and not just in the nursery but at every college graduation, wedding and job interview. Street corners even.

Adventure Glasses allow the wearer to view the world without any desire for guarantees. An adventure, after all, is by definition “an unusual and exciting experience or activity.” To be on an adventure is to engage in hazardous exploration of an unknown territory.

Gardening is an adventure, as is work, friendship, and family life. No promises are made but there are interests and thrills galore. Growing anything is a journey of discovery and we never know what will happen.

Reminder to self: put on Adventure Glasses every day, and joyfully travel down unfamiliar paths.

Do Adventure Glasses come with purple frames? Or am I just being picky...

Last Saturday when more than 400 people toured my gardens, I heard this comment several times. “Oh…it’s an annual.” The last word was said with a downturn of the voice implying extreme disappointment.

Now, I love my perennials, and frequently champion my favorite varieties. Shrubs and trees aside, my gardens are planted with about 60% perennials and 40% annuals. I would not want to be without that 40%, however. I think that gardens absolutely benefit from both.

Some object to annuals because they have to spend money for them every year. Others don’t like the effort it takes to place them in the ground each season. O-Kaaayyyy…but let’s look at these viewpoints honestly.

In terms of the expense, let’s compare the cost of annuals to a couple of restaurant meals. How much do you normally spend when you eat out? I’d say that most couples can spend between forty and eighty dollars easily, depending on where they eat and if they order drinks before and with their meal.

You can buy a lot of annuals for forty to eighty dollars, and they last far longer than that two to three hour restaurant meal. For the price of a couple of meals out, you can have flowers from June through September or beyond.

Yes, we have to plant annuals every year…but if you want a beautiful garden you’ll be doing something in the landscape every season without fail. Perennials need weeding, dividing, mulching and other care. Shrubs and trees the same, not to mention pruning. Spring and fall cleanup is necessary in all gardens no matter what is planted. All gardens take work…so what’s your problem with annuals?

Like much of life, it’s all a matter of perspective.

For the price of a few cups of coffee to go you can have this spectacular Vertigo fountain grass from Proven Winners, and enjoy it for three or four months! How many cups of coffee last that long?

Two or three packets of zinnia seeds from Renee's Seeds cost less than $12. and takes less than an hour to plant. We've spent another five or six hours weeding this cutting garden and watering it over the past summer, and have been rewarded with dozens of bouquets for us and our friends.

Dahlias only need to be purchased once - we save the tubers from year to year and share the overflow with others. Yes, we spend a half a day planting and another day digging them up and wrapping them for the winter. Most people spend more time watching television in one week than we spend on dahlia care, but I'm willing to guess that these colorful flowers provide more joy and grace than what is on TV.

My gardens, The Rapture and 1940’s gospel music have all rooted in my mind these past few days.

Let me begin by asking this: Have you ever had a tune stuck in your head so that you wake in the night listening to your mind playing a song? Since last Friday I’ve been awakened by my brain repeating, No Restricted Signs In Heaven, a gospel tune sung by the Golden Gate Quartet.

I attribute this to the May 21^st predictions of the start of Armageddon and The Rapture, when certain evangelical Christians said that they would be lifted into heaven while the rest of earth’s inhabitants would  remain or go to hell. The deepest, truest part of me believes more in the message of this gospel song than in Herald Camping’s prediction.

“So how does this tie into the landscape?” you garden geeks ask. As an answer, I invite you to go outdoors between 5:30 and 7:30…AM or PM, it doesn’t matter. Stroll around the landscape with no other purpose other then being there, totally and completely.

Do you feel it? The life force in the garden is almost overpowering at this time of year, especially at the beginning or ending of the day. Growth and spirit are so strong that if you’re open to it, God’s presence is inescapable.

Bringing this message fully into the present moment, God’s being here is available to all. As the song playing in my mind says, you’re “Welcome! Welcome!”

A stroll through my landscape makes me absolutely, completely sure that The Rapture is here, right now, in the garden. Welcome home.

This part of the garden happened to be the area where I felt tremendous spiritual energy, but it is not singular to this landscape or my gardens. Growth, love, God, is everywhere for everyone. EVERYONE.

Showers likely. Cloudy with a chance of drizzle. This is how the forecast has been for the last two weeks and continues to read for the next six days. The lilacs and peonies show signs of botrytis, and any annuals I plant just sit and sulk. Who can blame them? The weather sucks.

As I freely, willingly, grumble about this cool, wet growing season, I’m also aware that where I put my attention matters. Absolutely.

Wandering around the web, be it to facebook groups or reading various blogs, I am struck by our collective propensity to complain. I think that talk radio and the internet encourages this somehow.

It’s easy to criticize, of course, and we can quickly draw an audience that feels the same way. Yes! The weather sucks! Substitute what ever word you wish for “weather”, be it the government, our state Senator, school cafeteria lunches, etc…no matter which direction you go, you’ll find agreeable listeners/readers.

Because on one level or another, we’re all discontented. There is always something, or several things, that we can be unhappy about. The question is this: are we well served when that discontent is being continually fueled? Does it move us forward in any way?

The weather sucks, but so what? Are you and I any richer by dwelling on that which we don’t like but can’t change, or are we ultimately better served by focusing on solutions. And if ready answers aren’t immediately at hand, perhaps we need to look more closely toward those things that are beautiful, positive and life affirming?

So I invite you to turn away from the forecast and focus on growth: look at the stylish and magical Jack-in-the-pulpit that is blooming in my garden.

Wow.

Although I don’t have the means to indulge in spa retreats frequently, I have been fortunate to be rejuvenated by a few such visits over the last ten years. Three or four days at a spa offers relaxation, invigorating exercise, meditation and the experience of taking a total break from work and responsibilities. Being at a spa makes you feel healthier, refreshed, and positive about the days ahead.

Today I came home from work and since the weather was still nice I immediately headed to the garden. I wanted to finish pruning my hydrangeas and Physocarpus, and I ended up pulling weeds along the way. The air was crisp but not cold, the birds were calling, and even though it was nearly 6 PM, the day was still bright.

I began pruning and was bending, lifting and shoving the wheelbarrow from place to place. The natural sounds soothed me. I let all my current concerns fall away as I focused on cleaning and cutting the shrubs. Although I came home tired from my day’s work, after forty minutes in the garden I felt rejuvenated, energetic and peaceful.

OMG – I’ve been to a spa! Tending my garden for less than an hour produced the same results as a retreat that cost hundreds of dollars a day.  I took off my garden gloves and joined my husband for cocktails on the deck overlooking the flower-filled gardens…and I didn’t have to travel.

I’m remembering all the people who tell me that they want a no-maintenance garden and I’m thinking, are you kidding me? If you don’t garden, you’re missing out on the spa experience that’s in your own backyard.

At a spa you're there to indulge in many senses: touch, smell, hearing, and scent. All are found in the landscape.

Yes, it’s hard to believe but I’ve been hosting GardenLine on WXTK for ten years. How did this come to be? Well, I got hooked on radio when I did a weekly segment called “In The Garden Center” on The Cultivated Gardener, an NPR program hosted by Michael Weishan and produced by George Homsy.

When that program went off the air I approached WXTK, the top rated talk station in my area. They were in the process of changing station managers and were receptive to new programs, including the show I proposed, GardenLine, a two hour call in show heard every Saturday morning.

We’re celebrating ten years on WXTK this Saturday afternoon at Olivers in Yarmouthport, from 2 PM to 4 PM. Stop by to say hello, enter to win a door prize or ask about how to prune your hydrangeas.

Here’s what I’ve found to be true in the ten year’s I’ve hosted GardenLine:

1. Your question is everyone’s question. Many of my listeners start by saying something like, “This is a silly question, but…” Rest assured…it’s frequently said because it’s very true: The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask. If you’re asking, know that hundreds of others want to hear the answer too.
2. There’s always something more to learn. This is true for my listeners and me. I love it when someone asks a question that I don’t know the answer to…this gives me a chance to learn something new. My heartfelt thanks goes to those who stump me.
3. Sometimes we never know the answer. Mother Nature has her own ways and they are rich and complex. Frequently we can puzzle out what went wrong or right, but sometimes we’re unable to figure out why one plant died and another thrived. If only plants could talk! On second thought, it’s probably better that they’re silent…otherwise the din would be constant as our landscaping shouted comments such as, “Would you turn on the hose already? If you were a plant you’d know that it was just a mist falling yesterday, not real rain.”
4. My audience is gracious even when I tell them what they don’t want to hear. (Q: “How do I keep my Nikko Blue Hydrangea small?” A: “You can’t. Give it up.”) You folks are kind and polite even when I explain that there is no easy answer to your problem. Thanks.

I’ve often written about the various gifts that come from the garden…in fact, I’ve declared May to be Gifts From The Garden Month. On this fifth day in May I am here to say in all honesty that one of the things I’ve gained from my garden and gardening is all of you who listen to GardenLine. You are the individual blossoms that make up a lovely bouquet every Saturday morning and I’m so blessed to be a part of our weekly cultivation.

After a sleepless night followed by a jam packed day (mother-in-law who lives with us still sick, husband away, Mother's Day weekend prep at the garden center, landscape consultations, preparing for GardenLine on Saturday, and writing the sermon for church on Sunday) I see a rainbow over Poison Ivy Acres and count my blessings. Thanks for your continual support.

I confess that from the beginning of February to mid-April I’m orderning plants online. Some of these fall into the “I’ve always wanted one of these,” category and others are impulse purchases. In March I may read an article about a particular plant and think, “This sounds great!”  I Google the plant’s name, find a grower who sells it, and place my order. Done deal.

Since I’ve declared the third week in April as the ideal time for such requests to arrive, at this time of year the UPS guy is my new best friend. He delivers boxes of plants that I’ve forgotten that I placed orders for. (Sad but true.) Not to worry…my favorite garden activity is planting.

Putting plants in the ground involves creativity: you have to imagine how the particular selection will add to existing foliage and flowers. You have to mix the plants into the garden as surely as an artist mixes paint or other media.

Planting is an act of faith. When we dig that hole and put our selection in the ground we’re not only placing roots into the soil, but expressing our belief that this plant is destined to absolutely, positively grace our gardens. We know in our hearts that it will grow.

Whether that plant lives or dies is only partly in our control of course, which is why the act of planting is so dear. “I’m willing to do my part,” we are saying, “and mix my efforts, hope and connections with Nature so that this plant may grow.”

Planting is one of the most positive, life-affirming aspects of gardening.

These are just a few of the plants I put into the ground in the past three days. Such satisfaction.