The Poinsettia remains a favorite plant for the holidays. Plants, like people, sometimes make a…
Leaving My Garden after 33 Years
The last couple of weeks have provided me with all sorts of feelings.
We are selling our New England house after thirty-three years.
The land around our house, three quarers of an acre, has been my garden and has taught me so much.
I know people think the location is great. After all, we are only a block or so from the beach.
But it is the garden that I will miss.
From the Beginning
Over many summers I would attack a different area, and create a special garden.
No surprise that today I have a white garden, a yellow garden, and a blue garden. Also, perennial beds and borders add wonderful color as well.
The plants I met along the way are too many to list. Some of them still enjoy a spot in the garden.
I must say that I learned gardening by doing. I saw that plants need soil, water, and sun in varying degrees to grow and prosper.
No surprise that I lost many plants. That is how I learned.
Here is one of my favorite memories from the garden. Every summer the wrought iron table in the backyard would support a pot of ever flowering petunias. [below]
My garden was home to many treees, some decades old.
No surprise that in the fall if I would have leaves everywhere, including on the steps to the front door. [below]
Lately we have been sorting and packing.
Not easy, especially when it comes to anything related to the garden like garden tools.
My next garden adventure will be to create an outside patio of color at our shady condo. Gardening in containers will become my outside focus.
I take consolation in the thought that I have learned so much about gardening over these many years, but I have learned much about life as well.
No surprise that I met so many wonderful gardeners. I can truly see why people love gardening.
Local Newspaper Story
For a local story about this farewell to the garden, please check out the Seacoast Media story “Longtime garden writer Tom Mickey bids his garden goodbye.”
We come, we give, we live, we work, we enjoy, and we move on to the next advernture.
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I’m with Jason and Joyce — keep writing :-))
Charlotte, thank you so much. On to new adventures ahead – whatever and wherever they might be. Who knows- I may enroll in an online garden history webinar.
Way to go Tom! You have the kind of retirement I want. Keep writing I hope you will continue to keep us apprised of your accomplishments. Hopefully, you, Rita Mae, Amber and I can have dinner in the future.
Jason, thank you. I appreciate your support at this juncture.
Loved discovering your blog this year as I found enormous comfort in 2020 through gardening I look forward to continuing reading about your next chapter in potted plants via your new condo life
Joyce, thank you for the encouragement. Glad you like the blog, now celebrating 10 years. Hard to believe. Best.