Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.

Allan Armitage

Friday here in Tarboro turned out to be a spectacularly beautiful spring day, so Rebekah and I spent the afternoon beginning to address the backlog of various chores. Today looks to be more of the same.

Max happily parked himself on the porch – apparently to supervise – while I did things such as rake, move bricks, mow the grass, cut out vines, pull weeds and assemble new porch furniture.

Rebekah meanwhile took the opportunity to address some serious weeding. Then she worked on a few items from the ongoing repair and refinishing projects she enjoys so much.

Vision for the garden

It feels good sometimes, and especially after a week that has been so emotionally taxing, to simply roll our sleeves up, work hard and get dirty!

As we approach the end of our first year in this amazing house, having seen all the seasons roll through, we are beginning to get a clearer idea of what we want to do on the outside.

Our gardens in Pensacola, Brandon (near Tampa) and Wake Forest were all markedly different and offered their own unique opportunities and challenges. But Rebekah always has a vision and she unfailingly develops creative gardening solutions that are lush and beautiful in their own way.

Gardens in the past

Pensacola was all about the oak leaf hydrangea, the azalea, the day lilies, the massive pine trees, the most amazing southern magnolia, the pathways we developed and several beautiful river birch.

Subtropical Brandon featured huge oaks, crepe myrtles, a terraced patio and Rebekah’s incomparable collection of bromeliads – all against the backdrop of the golf course behind us.

Our Wake Forest property was dense with pine trees, springtime offered a riot of color from dogwood and azalea, sometimes the hydrangea gave a great show, and my favorite feature was the year-round display of color provided by our extensive collection of Japanese maple trees.

Here in Tarboro, Rebekah and I have a small, quirky lot that has had us scratching our heads and wondering how we are going to make it just as wonderful in its own way.

But stay tuned because we are planning some major work for the very near future. We want it to be beautiful – obviously – but also sympathetic to our home’s 1870’s roots.

Not just beautiful but manageable! We are beginning to realize that our gardening ambitions need to match the energy and strength levels that seem to be markedly less prolific than in the past!

So enjoy your weekend, and whatever you do I pray that it is creative and gives you joy. Then, pause for an hour of love and gratitude in church Sunday morning – and if you are in Tarboro, come join us for worship at HMPC.

Love and blessings – DEREK