I'm not sure I've mentioned it here, but heaven knows I've chatted about it everywhere else. Six weeks ago I did a little slip and fall going out to dinner with friends. Four folks got me up off the pavement and I went on inside Applebees to enjoy my burger. Food first, always. They provided ice in a rubber glove which a friend duck taped to my slowly swelling knee. He retrieved a roll from his car. Why do all men seem to have duck tape for emergencies? My late husband carried it with him in his brief case all those years ago.An appointment with the orthopedic doctor confirmed I'm good, but fractured my knee cap. So that's the back story to my shopping spree, small as it was, yesterday at Home Depot right after I left physical therapy. I wanted to plant a few roses and my go to lavender ( a must have always, lavender and rosemary) in the empty pots on my patio.
At best, before my fall, I rarely went into my yard except to water. Not as good walking as I like, on a cane most days heading out, I didn't want to fall in my yard. You know, on soft grass. Instead I did the hard pavement thing at dinner. My handyman, an old friend for years, had cleaned out the pots of all the dead debris from the previous year shortly after the Applebees incident, and I kept looking at the soil just begging for new life to be planted.
A quick run through the garden center at Home Depot, holding on to my cart for support, I found my treasures. The rose bush spoke to me, as real as if the petals could turn into words. There were so many beauties, but this sweet one with its small multi-colored blooms said, "Me, me, me!" A breeze gently moved the leaves as though the bush was becokening to me. I lifted it up and put it down. My attention diverted by a sweet smell.
A lush pink rose (and I have no clue as to roses names, but it was an old rose not a knock-out rose, see I know a little) with a delightful fragrance and huge thorns made me think of arbors and all those photos on Instagram. It was too heavy to lift, and dear friends, that is how I make most of my decisions these days. Can I lift it by myself? No to the pink rose and back to the darling multi-colored peach one. I placed it in my buggy with relief I could handle it. I think I heard it sigh, but that might have been my own heavy breathing at the strenuous shopping activity.
At home in my carport, I pulled my five flowering pots from the back of my van and placed them on the back steps leading into my kitchen. My yard is fenced and gates locked (for my five Chihuahuas' protection. I am also neurotic someone might open a gate and they would run) so I have to bring the plants through the kitchen and den and out the French doors to my little patio. That is today's mission. I was too tired yesterday to take the plants any further than the back steps. I took a nap with the pups and my favorite word tomorrow crossed my mind. Fingers crossed I can plant these without incident later this afternoon. But then again, my lawn man is due this week, perhaps he'll help.
I'm writing this post this morning because it's easier than working in my garden. Procrastination, another of my great skills. I hate that I have trouble moving around to take care of my plants. Watering is a chore some days. Or maybe I've becom lazy and just let Mother Nature do her thing. She takes better care of my garden than I do.
A charming rose that has the courage to come back each year despite my neglect (It was here when I bought my house in 2020) is in the picture below taken a few days ago. In my younger days I had my own glorious garden that I diligently maintained. At my age, with my achy joints and now knee on the mend, I'm so much slower. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming of a beautiful garden spot. I am so lucky the previous owners took such care here, planting gardenias, hydrangeas, roses, and many native plants that flourish despite me.
That pink beauty at Home Depot has stayed on my mind overnight. Perhaps one more trip back to buy it. We'll see.
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