SHOWOFF

My garden began with a plan.

Tall things in the back.

Mid-sized in the middle

And shorter things along the edge.

It was a good plan

Stella d Ora re-blooming day lilies

Were just the thing for the front.

Leaving room for lettuce and arugula in season.

The middle is full of goodies

Gloriosa Daisies

Purple Coneflower

All kinds of lilies

And lots more.

I reserved the back

For beds of Dahlias

And Hollyhocks.

I love Hollyhocks.

I think of Santa Fe

And gardens of family and friends.

My red ones come from seeds from my mother’s garden.

The pink from my neighbor Patti.

The pink ones have never been as prolific as the red.

So I cherish each one

Along with the memories of Patti

And our gardening adventures.

A few years ago

When a pink hollyhock appeared

At the front edge of the garden.

I left it alone.

You see hollyhocks don’t transplant well

They have a tap-root.

One large deep root.

I’m sure God did it that way

To anchor such a tall plant

And keep it from blowing over.

Smart gardener…God.

Over the past few years.

This single pink hollyhock

Has gotten taller

And taller.

This year it has grown to a whopping 7 1/2 feet.

Way too tall for the front of the garden.

Even for a “relaxed”

Gardener like me.

Yet I can’t bring myself to cut it down.

While it’s in full bloom.

So the plan is to let it finish blooming

And set seed.

Then I will cut it

And lay the branches in the places

I’d like it to be.

At the back.

It will be a few years

Before it grows to these heights.

But I can wait.

After all

Patience is perhaps the greatest

Gardening lesson of all.

Gail