The Hidden Art of Homemaking {Chapter 6: Gardens and Gardening}

What?  Chapter 6 already?

I have to confess that vacation waylaid me.  Not only the getting ready to go and the nine days away, but also coming home to a busy week.  And then trying to post all about our adventures. 

So...I am a post behind in the Hidden Art of Homemaking book club.  Although I have not yet written about Chapter 5 (I may do it later; I may not get back...), I am going to forge on ahead into Chapter 6.

 Chapter 6: Gardens and Gardening

I have never had a green thumb—not leafy green or grass green or even the palest shade of celadon. I am the "kiss of death" to houseplants. I forget to water the geraniums in my window boxes. And gardening? Well, consider my loathe of heat and snakes, and you might guess that I am a very reluctant gardener.  (And a wimp, you say?  Okay, that too.)

(As an aside...my father has a very green thumb. For years when I was growing up, he had a wonderfully diverse arrangement of plants in front of our dining room window—everything from several varieties of cacti to a miniature orange tree! And our yard...well, let's just say that it was one of the beautiful spots in our neighborhood.) 

But The Hidden Art of Homemaking is about inspiring creative ideas in the realm of the home.  In the first chapter, Mrs. Schaeffer acknowledges that we must make choices regarding our expression of creativity, as we humans are bound by limits of both talent and time.  So I was prepared to say that gardening is "not my thing."

Then I began to read Chapter 6, and I read this...

...one does not need to have a degree, nor even a tremendous talent, to enjoy and bring enjoyment to others through the medium of gardening.

Again, I am off the hook!  I don't have to have talent (or a green thumb?) to do some small thing to "enjoy" or "bring enjoyment to others" through gardening. 

And then I thought of the few realms of gardening in which I have found delight.

One is my herb garden.  

I love that herbs make such few demands.  They are friendly and forgiving...and quite useful!  I will often step outside my back door with a pair of shears and snip something green and fragrant to add to what I'm cooking...chives for the scrambled eggs, basil for tomato sauce or Caprese salad, rosemary for roasted potatoes or chicken, parsley for the soup, cilantro for the salsa.

The small area of gardening that I enjoy is the planting of annuals.

I say "small" because we have scaled down to a more manageable level in recent years.  With my not-green thumb and my scatterbrained ways, I need a limited number of things to water during the summer heat.  But in the spring...oh my...I can get excited about lovely pops of color on the patio or on the porches!  I also enjoy that it is a family affair.

It was a little chilly on planting day!  :)

This gorgeous pot is a gift from my green-thumbed parents.  Thank you, Daddy and Mom!

At that, I am off to pick the strawberries from the garden before the day gets any hotter...

If you're interested in this book discussion, you may read along as I usually do 

(click ~here~ for all the posts in the discussion), 

or join in the discussion yourself!

(Click ~here~ for details on how to participate.)