From my potting bench

A little inspiration from my potting bench................... which of course would not be complete without a Cardinal.

 

Celebrating Dad

Today - January 27th, is my Father's Birthday. He passed away very suddenly 12 years ago, far too early in life at only 63 years old. We will raise a glass of cheer to him at dinner as we do each year and celebrate the incredible man he was.

Everyone loved my Dad, he was just one of those warm and happy personalities. He worked hard (owned his own business), always put 'his girls' first, was devoted to his family, had a great sense of humour and did 'what was right'. He was one of the good guys.

I was always a Daddy's girl and knew without him telling me that he 'had my back'. I miss him so very much every day. Today I celebrate his life and the incredible man that he was. Happy Birthday Dad ~ ~ i love YOU.

Pool tubing with DaddyO

Ha, here we are swimming in the family pool. I think I was 20. My Dad didn't swim - thus the tube to float around in. Then when my Son was born and I took him to baby swim classes at six months; my Dad came to see him at swim classes and said ' there will be more Grandchildren, I think need to take lessons too'. And so my Father signed up and took swim lessons so that he could confidently swim with the kids.

                          Here's to you Dad, we celebrate you today.

Cardinal visits connect me with my Dad

How Does Your Garden Grow

This Jackmania Clematis grew up to the second level of my house. It was in the perfect spot at the corner of the walls. The brick provided heat that made the vine grow quickly and bloom full right from the first year it was planted.
Soft impatients planted around the base helped to keep the plant cool at the soil level. The clematis plant needs to have the base shaded.

I moved away from this house and my first garden (sniffles). But it I learned so much by exploring the possibilities. It was always a pleasure to sit in the middle of the garden and enjoy the flowers - -  and enjoy the Cardinal visits.

Cardinal Visit's

Cardinal's visit me every day

Ten years ago I started to plan my first garden; it was right after my Father passed away.  I remember sitting on the floor of my living room looking out at the window at the snow covering my back lawn. I kept thinking that if I couldn't manage to get away on vacation each year, then I should make the yard an oasis for myself.
I took a week's vacation in the spring and stayed home to construct the garden. At the time our patio was pave stones across the back of the house just as you stepped out the patio door. Not attractive. So the process began of lifting the patio stones and reusing them to create a new space began.  I had to dig the patio foundation and lay the gravel base with just a garden shovel. I ended up digging the garden beds out, adding peat/top soil and laying sod to the space around the patio. I had never done anything like this before and managed it with the help of internet instructions.
I repositioned the patio so that it would be in the middle with grass and flowers beds all around it. No matter where you sat on the patio you were surrounded by beautiful flowers.  

So the Cardinal, how does that play in to the garden story? Well, every day since my Father passed away I've seen a Cardinal. It might be the actual bird, maybe a drawing of the Cardinal on a delivery truck, or sign on a bakery window. My Father was fascinated by this majestic bird and I believe the Cardinal sightings are messages from him. Certainly I was inspired and encouraged by my Dad all my life, and now he continues to inspire me to garden and to be creative.
A Cardinal came to visit me when I sat in the middle of the yard after digging it all up and wondering if I had bitten off more than I could chew. As soon as I saw the bird I knew that it would all come together and it did.
The garden was a place for me to grow just as much as the plantings. I had been on my own raising my children by myself for 11 years at that point. I had never gardened before and quickly learned just how rewarding it can be. I miss that pretty little garden that developed over the next seven years. But I've moved on and met the love my heart was always yearning for (more details later on gardens, houses, exploring and settling in with Richard).

Cardinal  visits and my Father's strength inspire me daily to try harder to go a little bit further and not give up on my dreams.