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MY FLOWER GARDEN
by Bette Swann
  
 

 

  
 

Gardening is one of my favorite pastimes. It lets my artistic side emerge as I arrange my flowers and plants in a palette that is pleasing to the eye. Although my father and grandfather were farmers, I did not develop a passion for gardening until years later. However, I observed the pride and satisfaction my father had as his crops produced bountiful vegetables for the market and dinner table.

There is something therapeutic about having your hands in the warm soil, the sun radiating softly on your back, and discovering the growth of delicate plants. Gardening gives me an incentive to get outdoors and a sense of order in my life. I look forward to each day that I am able to come in touch with Mother Nature and enjoy the flowers and shrubs which adorn my garden.

 
  Since I have myasthenia gravis, my garden is very small. It consists of a small area leading up to my front porch filled with plants that will bloom from spring until fall. I have it so packed with flowers and plants that very little weeding is necessary. Because I also have lupus and must avoid the sun, I do most of my gardening in early spring and early mornings before ten o'clock. Once the Texas summer heat arrives, my time is limited outdoors. Applying sunscreen and wearing a long sleeve shirt, jeans, a 'farmer's' hat, and cotton gloves, I start out early to remove the weeds and leaves from around my plants. Then they receive a cool, refreshing drink from the garden hose. Miracle grow is added about every two weeks. As for me, I have cold lemonade or water on hand and soon follow up with a restful nap.

To save time and effort on planting, many of my plants are perennials and will appear faithfully year after year like the purple and carmine petunias, yellow marigolds, hydrangeas, periwinkles, and blue eye phlox. I also have azaleas and crepe myrtle shrubbery to provide beautiful blossoms in the spring and early summer. Around the trees, I have planted canna, iris, and lily bulbs that add vibrant colors each year. Daffodils and buttercups grow wildly amid the fences. In the fall, multi-colored pansies give visual beauty and life to an otherwise bare garden until late spring. As the pansies begin to fade in April, my strawberries produce their delicious fruit that will top ice cream and cake in the months to come. No garden is complete without the special fragrance of roses. The yellow, red, and peach hybrid tea roses stand tall in my garden.

Gardening on an even smaller scale can be accomplished by putting plants in pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets. These can be filled with geraniums, begonias, English ivy and only require occasional watering. There have been times when I was too weak to do outdoor gardening, but enjoyed having an indoor plant such as the African violet. Even a hardy cactus plant can trigger the gardening passion in all of us.

My contact with nature allows me to watch something I have planted and nurtured grow into a beautiful, healthy plant. The beautiful flowers provide a colorful welcome and comfortable atmosphere to the entrance of my home and heart. There is nothing more enjoyable to me than to sit on my front porch and drink my first cup of coffee while viewing the beautiful array of blooms. To reflect the true joy of gardening, my flowerbed contains a stone that is etched with the following words -- "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow".

These are some great links for order seeds, bulbs, and other gardening resources:
http://www.gardenguides.com
http://www.gardenweb.com
http://www.growit.com

For beautiful easy care irises:
http://www.ccp.com/~comanche

More suggestions on Accessible Gardening:
http://www.mdausa.org/publications/Quest/q31garden.html
http://www.dynamic-living.com/news-gardening.htm

To curl up in an armchair and read about gardening:
Accessible Gardening for People with Disabilities
By Janeen R. Adil -- Woodbine House c. 1994