Good morning! Welcome, please come on in from the rain, the wind, whatever, and have a sip of something comforting because it looks like winter might be making a comeback attempt in my neck of the woods this weekend.

Anywho, it was a beautiful week while it lasted. The tulips in the back garden began to bloom. The plum trees began to bloom profusely, which I hope will turn into lots of delicious plums in the upcoming months. The peas and fava beans I sowed 3 weeks ago are finally peeking out from beneath the soil. Even the cherry trees are beginning to bloom but then comes the cold weather this weekend.

I’ve had many surprises in the garden so far this year.

First, the tulips are coming up better than I thought. Actually, I didn’t think they would come up at all, considering I dug them all up last summer before I learned I’m not supposed to dig them up until their die back. Anyway, I dug them up last summer and separated the tiny bulbs from the large bulbs, washed the dirt off of them, let them dry, and stored them in the basement until October. That’s when I re-buried them. I started in 2021 with 40-odd bulbs and probably ended up with over 100 last year. The colors of the flowers are also a surprise because I cannot recall the colors I purchased.

Another surprise is some of the perennials – wild bergamot, lovage, and hyssop – I thought were dead came back to life. I didn’t even think that was possible. I didn’t do anything to it other than cutting it back to the ground. Maybe that was the trick, leaving its roots in the ground and let nature take its course – dead or alive.

The third surprise is volunteer flowers. I have so much volunteers this year – flowers, which I didn’t plant – these are flowers I planted last year but somehow its seeds got spread all over the place. I have been plucking pansies, violas, and sunflower seedlings from between the rocks. It’s growing through the heavy-duty weed fabric like it’s nothing. It’s unbelievable to the gardener part of me, while frustrating to the perfectionist side.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve taken a day off of work that didn’t entail going on a long trip. The last time I’ve taken a single day off work was the day of my car accident. I think that was punishment for not telling anyone other than my co-workers about my plans during my day off.

I’ve told mom about me taking a day off at the end of this month, hopefully it will be okay.

I didn’t exactly tell her where I was going though, because I know she wouldn’t approve. I only told her I have an orthodontist appointment that day, which is true. The truth is I bought a ticket for the Tulip Festival, which I have been trying to go for the last few years, despite, technically, I have a miniature version of the festival in my garden.

I still want to see it. The selfish part of me wants to be surrounded by flowers. I don’t care that mom will call me “selfish” while my aunt will ask why I didn’t take her along. The thing is I really just want to be alone. I want to experience that mental clarity again, to get away from the chaos and noise, even if it’s just for a day. Is that wrong?

#weekendcoffeeshare is hosted by Natalie of Natalie the Explorer. I appreciate you stopping by. Until next we chat. 🙂