everyone gardens in a housecoat, right?

It's funny how things happen sometimes, how life surprises you, even with the small stuff.

I had a hell of a night last night. It just sucked, 'nuff said. I got up this morning in no better shape then when I went to bed. Tomorrow marks 2 months, and I've been feeling it for a week. So I expected to have a really lousy day. My kids went to school, my mother took my oldest fishing, and I took the opportuinty to melt down a bit while I had no one around to "play ok" for.

Then, the donations started coming in, and they came in at several different times today, and always when I was starting to sliiiiide back into the pit. A total of $250 dollars has come in today, and at perfect intervals. I have been encouraged and heartened and cheered and given the all around warm-fuzzies today thanks to some very warm-hearted and caring people. I have smiled. A lot. So much I almost felt guilty, until someone I love dearly said "FUCK THE GUILT!" and I took her advice.

Then, my husband came home from work. Guess what he had? He had bushes. Eight rescue bushes that someone else wanted out of their yard. They'd told Scott to take them to the dump - he brought them home and dumped them into our rescue-garden. We haven't paid for a thing out there, and this year, it's beautiful out there. Anyway, the bushes are Nandinas. And that is why they're so perfect.

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about planting Cupcake miniature roses for Alexis, and Supernova hostas for Nova, and adding a pond/waterfall? Well, we haven't been able to afford to do that yet, but that's our plan for our memorial garden for the babies. Nandinas will fit in perfectly. The first time I ever noticed Nandinas was while we were at the hospital with Nova. They have loads of them all over there. They're green now, and they'll have tiny flowers (or maybe they're past their bloom for this year?) and in the fall they'll turn a beautiful reddish color, and get berries. I fell in love with them while we were making our daily hospital trips. What more perfect plant could we add than the bushes I fell in love with at the hospital that cared for both of my babies?

He came home with them and I went out for a while, but it got a bit chilly (for me anyway) and I ran in and threw on my housecoat. He asked me to come out and see how they looked (beautiful of course) and what do I see? Scott had dug up all of the Irises! See, in late 2004, we planted 20 bulbs along the fence line in the garden. But they multiplied and then I got pregnant and gave up on weeding and they were a wreck, overgrown, overcrowded, buried in weeds that had just gone too far. Tonight he dug them up and I, in my housecoat, in the yard, separated them. There are now 70 plants/bulbs that I can replant in a better location. Possibly as a backdrop in the memory garden, and down the one side of the driveway, or maybe some at the mailbox? I just don't know yet, but there are a LOT of Irises.

If only he'd watched which ones came from where so I could keep the reds and the yellows separate when I replant...

Anyway, now the eyesore of grass an overgrown crowded up messy Irises is gone from the garden, we have new bushes along the one edge where it was naked before. The Nandinas were perfect for that spot. I have enough plants right now to at least start the Memorial Garden tomorrow. I have a lot of gardening to do tomorrow, which is excellent, because I need to stay busy tomorrow, and nothing soothes me like getting out there and getting dirty, especially if I'm doing it for the Memorial Garden!

I have these bushes out there now, more rescue plants that we actually DID pay for... if you think 50 cents per 5 gallon pot counts as paying. Anyway, they were sticks in dirt, and I thought for sure they were dead. The folks at Wal-Mart did too, which explains the price, and the lack of labels. We have no idea what they're called. But they're gorgeous this year, in full bloom, it's a small sea of dainty little pink flowers on tall stems coming from small bushy bushes with tiny tear drop shaped leaves... They're my favorite plant out there, the underdogs that won, like I told Ron.

My rose bush is bustin' out all over, the Canna Lilies are in full bloom, my Hostas are about to bloom, and my Rosemary bush would like to take over the whole garden. I keep having to trim it to keep it under control. It started out (last year - mother's day) as a 8" tall little thing, shaped like a Christmas tree. Now, it's round, easily 3 feet across, and about the same height. And MAN does it smell good.

I love my little garden, I really do, I just wish I were more adept. Thank God for Scott, or all I'd have would be a big plot of dirt with dead sticks and withered greenery.

So now I've babbled, when all I really wanted to say was that sometimes, when you're really lucky, and surrounded by people who love you, a shitty day can turn out to be something really surprisingly great. So thanks, all of you, and you too Scotty! I love you!

I just got an email from Ron. He says Nandinas are also called "Heavenly Bamboo." Even more perfect. Love it. Thanks Ron!