Gardens are like Kids!

Taking a walk in my yard last night I realized that my garden has done extremely well this year, even with the heat.  My hydrangeas have bloomed beautifully - last year I didn't have one bloom and this year it is totally covered. Breathtaking!

The butterfly bushes have grown to be 10' tall and attract so many butterflies and hummingbirds it's fun just to sit and watch all the activity.  Butterflies dancing around each other in circles in the air s they float/drift from bloom to bloom. 

 

As I'm walking I weed a little, trim an errand vine, watch a finch take food to its young that I can hear beckoning, and I realized that gardens are like kids -  gardens grow at their own pace.  Think about it.  

• Fertilizing and watering  a garden for it to grow is like making sure you give your child has a healthy diet and that they get enough sleep. 
• Guiding the growth of a tree with supports is what parents and teachers do with gentle instructions and guidance.
• Standing back to look over the overall effect of the garden - see if plants are where they grow the best or deciding to move it to a better location is like when parents lovingly watch their child as they learn a new task or ride off on that new bike or change schools because the parents are looking for a better fit for their child.
• Watching my goldfish grow and having little ones is very gratifying I know that  the pond environment is not stressful and they are thriving, just like watching your kids grow up to have their own little guppies and are successful and happy!

So I'm going to continue looking at my garden as my kids - my summer kids.  They have fun playing in the sun, making me smile and bringing me great joy!

 What grows in your garden?