I love this time of year. Everything is as green as can be, and my flowers are starting to bloom. 

There are many types of gardeners, and my sisters Laurie and Mary are what I consider master gardeners. They have beautiful beds of flowers and prodigious vegetable gardens as well.  

I, on the other hand, am what you might call an accidental gardener. I have flower beds around my home, but most of the plants in them are of a particular type. 

My favorite plants are perennials that are nearly weeds. I prefer mildly invasive plants that won’t quit.  I have some huge hostas in my back garden that love the fact that for years, we let the fallen leaves mulch there. Also in that bed are some lily-of-the-valley that have been here since we bought the house. They always remind me of the lily-of-the-valley that bloomed in my Grandma Kohler’s garden. I love that scent which by the way is the main note in Diorissimo perfume. 

Dan Kelley, the gentleman we purchased the house from, took us on a tour of the gardens before he moved out. He was a master gardener as well, with a lovely rose garden in the front. I managed to lose those dear roses to some mold or blight contracted from the crab apple trees next door. I did feel quite guilty about Mr. Kelley’s roses, but one must move on. Now that bed has some hostas, a few Siberian irises, and a riot of black-eyed Susans. 

Over the years, I expanded that bed and added sedum, balloon flowers, and a clematis vine that climbs up the light post. And yellow primrose (another legacy of Mr. Kelley) make their cheerful appearance every year. I also planted some lamb’s ears, which my granddaughter loves. 

My favorite bed by far holds my tall Siberian iris plants. Those beautiful purple blooms on their slender stalks are my ballerinas. Though their blooms only last a few days, they are a sight to behold. 

Again, given enough light and moisture, these irises are quite hardy. Also in that bed are lavender plants, which tend to get all woody on me. I cut them back quite severely last year, which they didn’t seem to like, but ah well, that’s part of gardening, I guess. Trial and error. 

I love this time of year when Mother Nature often takes it upon herself to water my gardens on a regular basis. As the days go on, she shifts the watering chores to me and I’ve quite the gardens to keep fed, watered, and bug-free. This is when my gardening skills tend to show their weakness. 

My gardens are a riot of plants selected over the years. They are not all neat and tidy like some gardens, but they do give me great pleasure as those plants grow and bloom each year.  

I’m not a great gardener, but I am a grateful one.