Awaiting spring

It's cloudy but warmer today in Connecticut. Many seed and plant catalogs collect on my tables, offering a glimpse of what spring and summer may hold. Everyday I have big plans, and everyday they shift. Last week the new vegetable plots in mind for the southern portion of the property line have been moved back behind the house where they will be east- facing and less likely disturbed by the neighbor's dog. Today lattice trellises may be the problem solver for the need for privacy on the back patio, as well as a place to grow climbing roses.

This is my first official spring in our home. We moved in last June and while I had a fun time playing catch- up, I'm really looking forward to planning this growing season, and planting at the right times. I also have a better idea of how the garden will look when the black walnut and maple trees towering above our home set to leaf. Last year I planned for more sun then the trees provided, and had to transplant several plants in an effort to save them- some of which did not survive the journey.

A garden has always been a source of inspiration for me- not only as a muse for my camera lens but a sense of tranquility and accomplishment rolled into one. Creating a better garden not only is a hobby, but a way I become a better person as well.

So I'll continue to daydream and sketch- and then resketch where the apple gourds wil grow, how many raised beds I need, or how alpine geraniums may look clustered in window boxes out front. For while the garden is gray and muddy at this time of year, it is a blank canvas awaiting the spectacle of color only nature can provide.