Many Hands in the Garden

It’s finally starting to look like spring! The daffodils and tulips are blooming.

The Star Magnolia, focus of My Magnolia Saga, is showing signs of life and trying to bloom…

…although around town they are in full bloom.

And the hostas, daylillies, astilbe and peonies are all bursting out from the ground.

In the house, the seeds are sprouted and the next set are ready to be planted.

Why so many hands in the garden this year? It’s hard write this down, but I am currently not able to garden or do anything strenuous for about a month following recent surgery for breast cancer <<sigh>>. I went for my screening yearly mammogram back in February, and after lots of testing was ultimately diagnosed with a Stage 1 invasive breast cancer. Boy, was I not prepared for this and there’s definitely no good time to get a bad diagnosis. I’m still waiting to find out exactly what the next steps are after surgery (there’s a lot of waiting) and a little stressed out over what family events I may or may not have to miss. But every day, I am so thankful that this was caught early and my prognosis is excellent after treatment. I’m also thankful for my husband and kids, and all my family and friends who have reached out with support and to help in any way they can.

So while my hands may be out of the garden for a bit, I’ve also realized a garden can be a very healing place when going through a stressful life event. I can still plan and enjoy the beauty and smells of the spring blooms. I am also blessed by many who have offered to help make sure I get things growing and cared for in a timely fashion, and keep my life as normal as possible. This will be a village garden this year.

It may not be a great year for my garden, but that’s what this blog is all about. Real life experiences of a casual suburban gardener. And gardeners get sick sometimes.

Spring Surprises

As I was walking around the yard the other day, a few surprises caught my eye.

Why was there fuzz in the garden?

On closer inspection this is what I saw!

As best as I could tell, there were 4 babies snuggled in the nest

The next day I went to show my husband…Gone!

The Dead Man’s Fingers were back (Dead Man’s Fingers) although in a new spot. I’m not sure why they showed up in a new location and what they might be growing on. But, still as oddly interesting as before.

We had a bit of a mushroom farm going after a nice spring rain.

I love looking up close at mushrooms… I thought they were all the same, but on closer inspection actually quite different.

These tulips are some of the oldest flowers in my garden. Most tulips here are considered annuals because of cold or rodents, but these keep coming back year after year. Sometimes better than others, too. This year they are stunning!

And lastly, while I was out on a recent walk with a friend we came across a beautiful yellow magnolia. In an area with an abundance of the usual, but of course striking pink magnolias, this was quite a surprise.