Soar-Dream-France: Pot and Pitcher Pansies

Yesterday I promised pot and pitcher pansies. I already had photos to use, but when I went out this morning they were screaming: "Take our picture-we're having a party!" There were lots of them and they looked like they were smiling and dancing! Pansies are one of my Mom's favorite flowers-she has so many. Early on in my time with the Chatette, I was walking up the back terrasse steps with a bouquet of pansies to put in the perfect tiny vase. I thought about my Mom, and that I am probably most like her when I am here. I'll never forget one of our conversations when I was at the peak of my craziest workaholic life and Mom said: "Gardening is therapeutic, Laury. You should try it!"

I felt my blood begin to boil and turned to her and said: "Mom, it's only therapeutic if you've got the time to do it!" I came to understand what Mom was saying when I spent that time at Wendy's. My writing was laced with garden metaphors. I became the Dr. Dolittle of gardening. After biting into Wendy's first peach of that season from one of her trees-I wrote a poem for her about the experience!

These days with our gardening at the Chatette, I often think of that children's poem: "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" I stand in the yard, holding my big green plastic watering can and scream: "My garden grows great!" I've actually come to feel that cutting the grass is therapeutic. (I know, I know-you've got a yard for me to come and cut!) I've written before about the differences between just dropping in and being here full time. My yard and garden are the happiest that we are full-timers now! Each season, I learn a little more about what flowers, herbs and fruit trees are happiest here. I also know what spots make them happy. Gardening takes commitment and time. Some things you can plant and they'll be pretty self-sufficient. Others need special attention. Last spring I got my first wisteria. I had wanted one ever since I purchased the Chatette, but couldn't bring myself to get one and then not be here to take care of it. I waited five years for wisteria! I now have a second, from my friend Joan Spinks and both are looking pretty happy at the moment. I like to stand at my side garden window in the winter and think about my plans for spring as the power we cannot see is working its magic during our winter time of rest.

So a very special thanks to my Mom-Helen Bourgeois who has tried to share a lot of her wisdom with me over the years. I can be very hard-headed, but eventually I'm able to hear it!