Trares
Another springtime rite has come to pass — and it’s my favorite one yet.
With the calendar turning to May, our gardens have been calling my name. Perennials have sprouted, adding a blast of greenery to the otherwise dull plots.
That alone is encouraging enough. But I’m ready for the color rush that only comes when the flowers bloom.
Since we bought our house 11 years ago, we’ve methodically carved out gardens all around our house. In the more shady front, hostas and daylilies unfold among the shrubbery.
The backyard, which receives full sun all day long, is dedicated to pollinators. Butterfly bushes and patches of wildflowers are placed both in planned plots and filling formerly empty spaces next to the house. In a raised bed, I have space for a vegetable garden to grow tomatoes, peppers and whatever else intrigues us.
But even with everything we’ve already planted, plenty of room (and an ever-growing number of flower containers) are available for annuals and new additions.
The first step is making an annual trip to Hall’s Greenhouse in Bloomington. Owned by my wife’s aunt and uncle, the greenhouse is stocked with brilliantly colored blooms, tiny sprouting tomatoes, and decorative grasses.
We always try to make the drive to pick up hanging baskets, potted plants and more to fill out the yard.
As Anthony has gotten older, he’s gained more interest in helping me pick and plant. So as we walked through the greenhouses marveling at what to buy, he ooh-ed and ahh-ed at each different variety.
Finally, he spotted the one he wanted: a bright orange bloom known as Sunpatiens, whose brilliant color brings a tropical feel to the yard. His mom and grandmother each picked one out, too; they decided to have a contest to see whose would grow best.
We brought home a wealth of other horticultural delights, from tiny growths of Super Sweet 100 tomatoes to the brilliantly named mounding plant called Campfire Flame to full and bushy marigolds.
On a late Sunday afternoon, Anthony and I went to work getting everything in the ground and in pots. There’s something so soothing and fulfilling about getting your hands in the dirt, working hard as you dig out holes and carefully stabilizing each plug to let it thrive and grow.
Anthony asked to plant a few of his own flowers, and I let him scoop out soil and place the tomatoes and peppers in the vegetable garden. We had previously purchased carrot and pea seeds, and I let him handle putting those in the dirt and smoothing it over.
“I love gardening with you,” he told me as we finished up our last planting.
The feeling is definitely mutual, I told him.
Now, we just have to see how it grows.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
