After church today I noticed that the pecan trees have begun to bud. Now, the town trees are a little ahead of the ones closer to my house, but I’ll take it. Easter is next Sunday, and by the rules, we should be able to begin planting our gardens after that. That is…if the rain stops.

You see, Pawpaw Don always said we had to wait until the pecan trees were “all leafed out” to plant anything. Because they “don’t lie about the frost”. He was a pretty smart old man and I was lucky as a child to have him around. He liked to tell stories of “the olden days” as I liked to call them. Come to think of it…maybe he just liked talking to me and my baby sister about anything. His ways never steered me wrong, so I stick to them. Maybe more folks should.

My husband and I were at the co-op a couple of weeks ago and he was chatting with an older fella who was buying some watermelon plants. They were discussing the recent rains, and how he was having to re-plant because some of his baby melon plants had washed away. My husband told him, he’d better consider waiting a few more weeks, but he didn’t listen. Since then, we’ve had some huge thunderstorms resulting in many flooded areas. I sure hope those baby watermelon plants made it…but I’d be willing to bet we will see him at the co-op again.

The first of my seeds have arrived, and I just can’t stop myself from smiling as I shake the packages. It’s mostly wild flowers that I want to plant for the pollinators. I can’t wait to put them into my garden this year. My garden…mine. He does his garden the way he wants it and he shakes his head when I talk about doing mine the way I want. He likes straight rows and I like patches. Him: “Gonna make it too hard for me to till it up where you walk”. Me: “I told you last year I didn’t want you tilling it up where I’m gonna walk. Makes it too soft and mushy. Stay out of it with your tractor!” Him: <shakes head and mutters>. He doesn’t get it.

Last year, he “helped” by planting tomatoes and peppers in rows in my garden while I was at work. Sneaky. Really sneaky. We had lots of peppers, but the tomatoes struggled and I harassed him by saying “tomatoes like to be patches”. He wasn’t as amused by this as I was. My lips twitch even now remembering his face when I said it. : ) I’m sure it was due to calcium deficiency in the soil but I had to pick at him a little. It keeps him young.

I’m sure the discussion is not over and probably won’t be until I get everything planted. It might not be over then. I just don’t like formal gardening. I never have. I love the chaos of a pretty cottage garden. I love it when plants just do what they do and we work around that. The riot of color lifts my spirits. Maybe it’s about letting go. Maybe it’s because when I was a kid our rows were straight and looooong. Gardening then meant work and lots of it! Gardening now means relaxation and fun. The disorder soothes me somehow.

By week after next I will have some seeds in the soil come what may. I planted in ankle deep mud last year and everything sprang up! We were both a little surprised when that happened to be honest. That might be what we love about a summer garden. There is always a surprise if you keep your eyes open.