Um...Gardening?!

It occurs to me that I may have friends and family and perhaps even complete strangers who would wonder/be concerned at my new hobby of gardening. It may not seem to be, well, ME. Here is a go at my explanation.

First Reason: though we love our house on the inside, it isn't the prettiest on the outside. We have a phenomonal view from our back deck and our front porch of wild flowers in the empty lot next door and then just beyond that you see sloping hills and the rich green of a farmland, and then surrounding that are a zigzag of woods. Not one house is in sight when looking west, north, or east! It is an amazing view from inside our 2 acres and looking out. But driving up towards the front of the house what you see is just a bit plain and in need of...gardening.

Reason B: I have embraced gardening as my new hobby because it is in my blood. My grandmothers on both sides gardened. I have sweet memories of visiting their homes and being awed by the lovely roses and old fashioned flower gardens placed in velvety green lawns. And my mother gardens mostly roses right now. Growing up we certainly had some flower gardens and she has aways had a great affinity with roses, but her main emphasis was a vegatable garden. Rows upon rows of corn, new potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, green beans and a small orchard of apples and pears filled our table with yummy fresh food. There is NOTHING like new potatoes just dug from the dirt and slathered with butter and salt and pepper. Or tomatoes just off the vine!!

Reason 3: Having recently moved and having some extra time to invest in...something...I have picked up gardening and miraculously it is kind of working.

So basically, gardening was needed to up our house value, it is really pretty much genetic anyways, and I was bored and needed something to do. Problem is, I have always had a brown thumb with most of what I try to grow either dying or anything but flourishing. And it is really, really hard to enjoy something you really stink at!

Until now! I am finding gardening is working for me on several levels. I am not killing very many things, which is a huge confidence booster, but probably mainly due to the northern climate with more rain then is found in certain southern states (except this year apparently). It is healthy and fun to be able to work outside when it is not blistering hot, which it rarely is up here. And I am allowed to be creative! Creative in an arena that so obviously reveals God's awesome character and characteristics that whenever I garden I am inspired to think spiritual thoughts that are unforced and come effortlessly!

So that is my little insight into the current me and the why of my new hobby. You can stop wondering if I have a split personality with someone named Daisy who is 55 years old, wears a floppy pink hat, and who walks around with dirty fingernails muttering under her breath about manure and peat.