Of Shoes, of Ships, of Sealing Wax...and Gardening and Things...

I'm a little late, but on Friday I finally bought and repotted some flowers for our apartment balcony!

I went to Meijer just to look to see what they had and I walked out with a cart full of flowers, potting soil, and a few new flower pots. I didn't get any geraniums this time around, but I got Impatiens, a Vinca, and Marigolds. I've never planted marigolds before, so I hope they do ok. 

Shopping for flowers and then repotting them turned out to be a surprisingly emotional experience. Gardening was a pastime that my Granny loved and shared with me from the time I was very small. Last year was the first time I tried gardening for myself and I had tons and tons of questions for her. I remember that as soon as I left the store, I headed to her house to show her my flower purchases. She was so excited and told me exactly how to repot the flowers, how much soil to use, which flowers liked shade, which ones needed more sunlight, and how often to water each kind. I remember how her face lit up as I pulled the flowers out of the back of my car. 

As I planted my flowers this time, I found that I had forgotten some things and repeatedly had the urge to pick up the phone to call and ask Granny. As you can imagine, it was emotional to remember that she wasn't there. The holidays were hard without her...Mother's Day was strange without her...but by far...planting my flowers was the most gut-wrenching thing I've done without her. 

I miss her. 

Anyhow. 

The flowers have been successfully planted and I am happy to say, are already flourishing. Several of the impatiens have new blooms that have opened up and they're literally spilling over the side of the pot. As the warm months continue, I hope to get a few more flowers to add even more color to our balcony. I hope they do well...because this year's garden is for Granny.