Article #12: Watering Flowers

I used to really enjoy mowing the lawn and attending to the landscape. I would weed whip and rake and water. I don’t know why or when it happened, but I lost the will to meticulously manicure a yard. Don’t get me wrong; the yard still looked good because as a perfectionist, I can only let things go so far. I had not bought flowers for the landscaping in probably two years. If they are going to survive, flowers have to be watered and tended to almost daily. I’ve lost many a flower pot because I fell down on my watering and pruning duties.

That all changed this summer with the pandemic. I took a new look and liking to manicuring and shaping up the yard and landscaping. It started one day in late April on a trip to Kroger. Masked up and feeling uncomfortable, as I walked in, they had some really beautiful flowers, and it stopped me. I looked them over and chose two healthy Geraniums. It felt like a commitment to buy these living things with the realization I had to take care of them if they were going to live.

Now one of my thoughts was, I need some beauty in my life, and I am home every day, all day. I can water these suckers and nurture them. From that moment, I had a new spark for the yard and the landscaping. The flowers are doing great. The lawn looks good, but I have turned my attention to the landscaping for part of my sanity and partly because it feels like something I can control, and I can actually see a difference for my efforts.

So far, I have raked up most of the old black mulch (no small feat) and laid three and a half tons of rock. It has been a crazy exercise and a great distraction. It is like doing a workout and creating something at the same time. The one thing I need to keep reminding myself is that everything doesn’t need to be done in a day. I am learning to stretch projects out so that I don’t get hurt or have a stroke in 90-degree heat.

I am starting to work on the areas with the new rock to become like a Zen garden. It is healing. I look forward to being outside and creating something that gives me such satisfaction. It forces me out and pulls me away from the weighty, constant, and depressing news of COVID spikes, mask wars, hate crimes, and crazy people. In the midst of one of the most bizarre and challenging times for our world and county, I have found a haven in my own back yard. I am grateful to have such a place to live and work and play. In a sometimes-ugly world, find something beautiful to nurture: a pet, a child, a spouse, a flower, a vision. I hope everyone can find a passion and diversion to stay sane and grounded. For now, I’m watering flowers and slinging rocks. It doesn’t get much better. Remember, we humans are resilient.