JWOW

jewish women of wisdom

How Does Your Garden Grow?

By Miriam Liebermann

Susan came to visit several weeks ago. I ran to the car eager to greet her and helped her unload. It was her first visit to our new home here in Lawrence. She had brought with her cuttings from her own garden. What a meaningful gift. Those yellow irises are growing taller every day. They have not yet bloomed, although Susan assures me that these tall green stalks will soon display lovely yellow irises.

“Patience, my dear Miriam, is the name of the game!”

Susan has the most gorgeous garden hidden away on a side street in Flatbush. I visited with her last week.

I stroll into her garden and literally gasp with delight! Come walk in with me! Can you see it? A pond with golden koi swimming in circles. An abundant waterfall, with birds coming to shower and bathe in this exceedingly bucolic, beautiful setting. Two large adult swings in either corner…a periwinkle blue bridge leading to another corner. A most inviting sitting area, table and chairs inlaid with an intricate mosaic design. Bushes of azaleas, bright crimson, draw our attention to the left wall. Birdhouses. Tulips. Budding rosebushes. Flowers of all shapes and sizes and colors. Metal silhouettes of young children frolicking. It’s a sensory delight, and I’m in heaven!

Can I recreate Susan’s garden? Nope. Susan’s been working at it for years. Her husband tends to the koi, and Susan tends to the rest. So what are we doing in our garden? It’s the first time ever that we’ve lived in a house. I’ve been a city girl all my life; my husband as well. So we’re getting our hands dirty – that’s for sure.

Ivy had taken over our trees and bushes, had invaded our garden. The front garden had been covered with a layer of ivy 3-feet tall! Last Sunday, we worked on removing these vines. Pulled, wacked, and managed to clear a nice area. Today, we will continue with that task. When the ground is cleared, we’ll begin to plant. I’m envisioning a riot of color. A feast for

the eyes. Perhaps tubular flowers to attract hummingbirds. Reds. Purples. Pinks. Right outside my window. Can’t wait.

Of course, we could arrange for a gardener to tend to our garden. We’ve considered that. But we’re actually enjoying all this hard work. What a blessing! And what satisfaction and joy we derive from all our efforts. Another dear friend just down the road has cuttings for us also. What a beautiful gift of friendship. Sharing the joy and the beauty, unsurpassed!

While we’re enjoying the joys of suburban living, I take note of the other details needed to be tended to, namely, the birds and the bees! Carpenter bees had invaded our backyard. Quite large and frightening,

they certainly needed to be taken care of. Thanks, Danny, for ridding our backyard of these bees. And the birds seem to be using our patio as a “restroom,” much to my dismay. I have not found the proper solution to rid us of this problem. For now, I head out every morning with a kettle filled with boiling water and brush the offensive stains away. Any tips for me out there?

And one more issue: I head out to enjoy the great outdoors. I settle down comfortably with my coffee and crossword puzzle. Blissful. Beautiful. I’m thrilled beyond words. And then it starts! They’re mowing again next door, or across the street. Or they may be mowing my own front yard! My peaceful interlude has been rudely interrupted.

My next purchase will be noise-cancelling earmuffs. Seriously!

Three weeks later:

We did it! With the enthusiastic assistance of our granddaughter Aviva, I’m delighted to announce that we now have a garden. This past Sunday was the big day. We shopped for our flowers, enticed by the large array available. We weighed the pros and cons, annuals vs. perennials, picked up proper gardening gloves, and then, finally got to work.

And voila! A feast for the eyes. I find myself heading out every couple of minutes to check out our garden, again and again. What a thrill!

Still not totally done, adding the finishing touches. Still pulling out the roots of those persistent ivy vines. Clipping away extraneous twigs and branches. Each bush should be distinct, not totally intertwined with the neighboring bush. We’re working at it. When I recover from my Charley horse and aching back, we’ll resume the fun!

As I so enjoy walking through Lawrence, admiring the flora that abounds, so grateful to all my neighbors for creating such beauty, not just for themselves obviously, but for all passing by, so I hope others will derive joy from our garden as well.

What a beautiful world! Thank You!

P.S. Susan’s irises have finally begun to bloom. Hurrah!

I’m envisioning a riot of color. A feast for the eyes.

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