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The Lockhart Chronicles
A Lighthearted Side of Gardening
By Linda Lockhart
A Charles County Master Gardener Volunteer
Gardening is a strange hobby. When it's spring, I think, "Wow. I can't wait to get out there and dig."
Everything seems like fun: raking, putting in annuals-even cutting the lawn. Fun, fun, fun!
Photo by Cindi Barnhart
Then summer arrives.
By July, everything looks beautiful. The annuals are lush; the perennials bloom. I think, "Gardening, what a great hobby."
Photo by Carole Butler
August arrives. It's hot-really hot. It seems all I do is sweat, water, weed, deadhead, and cut grass, over and over. The garden begins to look a little tired. I begin to feel tired. And I begin to think, "Gardening isn't really that much fun."
Fall arrives.
Photo by Carole Butler
I rake leaves, cut back perennials, remove annuals, plant grass, rake, rake, and rake. Whew, I'm exhausted thinking about it. I wonder, "Why am I doing this? I am sick to death of gardening. I'm cutting back next year.
That's it. No more gardens. I have enough to do. Maybe I should just dig up some of the plants and give them away. Heck, I'll just throw them away and forget about it."
Finally, the holidays arrive along with lots of excitement and activity. The garden becomes a distant memory, and I never get around to following through with my threats.
In January, life grinds to a halt. There's nothing to do outside. Things look blah. My mind begins to wander to the garden.
Photo by Carole Butler
All the memories of the work disappear. All I remember is how pretty things looked. I begin to think, "Maybe I should move some of those flowers to the side and perhaps add a few next to the shed."
Then, just when I'm at my weakest, the ultimate happens: the garden catalogues arrive. Too late. I'm hooked again, and I start to plan.
"I'll move this here and that there, and maybe I'll just add a few of these. Wow. This year my garden will be really beautiful."
For more information, contact Marcia Wakefield; 301-934-5403
Last updated: 05/5/2009