Hot Plant Summer.

In the months since my last post, I have assisted in my local demonstration garden doing everything from sowing seeds to transplanting seedlings to trimming plants to watering plants to digging up weeds. I have also completed exams for about 600 pages of material on shrubs, trees, pests, fire safe(r) landscapes and more. I also worked a lot of hours in my local plant clinic learning how to help clients with plant questions and give them resources for future plant questions. I’m growing tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro and basil at home and with the exception of one case of Fusarium Wilt, everything is growing and thriving. It is hard to believe that in a few months it will be time for me to complete the certification process to become a Certified Master Gardener. In January I was beginning internship training.

My daughter graduated high school and I have one high schooler remaining among my children. My older children are navigating young adulthood. We are all learning our new home and neighborhood and lives as safely as possible. Some days I am surprised by how regular everything is becoming, but I am so thankful at the same time.

About those plants…

A while back I wrote about how I grew up around a lot of trees and vegetables and fruit that my folks grew and about how, over the years, I’ve grown a thing or two myself. I am currently enrolled in the Master Gardener Program and I am learning a whole lot of things about plants. It’s really interesting because there are some things I have known about plants by being around them and watching them and watching what people like my parents do to keep them healthy. The things I am learning are a bit more technical and involved than the things I learned growing up and since then, but it is all very interesting and exciting to me.

Hello, Summer!!

I had a very light jacket, sunblock and a hat blocking out the sun on my walk today, and I am on the hunt for shaved ice. Yesterday I made and bottled simple syrup to have on hand for lemonade, limeade, tea, etc. I almost can not believe that I had a coat on last weekend in the cold, cold rain, but I should be glad it was not snow because that has happened in June in the Pacific Northwest.

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Father’s Day.

Sometimes I wish I could call my Dad up and ask him about stuff going on in my life. He was a very good person to go to for advice. He was very smart. He told me so many things that I have carried with me all of these years. About working hard. About the friends I chose. About managing money. We did not always get along, I think because we are both very strong willed people. I just wish I could call him up now, but I can not. As sad as I am, I guess I am thankful that I have something to miss, even though it really hurts.