A Year of Gratitude – April 26, 2024

I found my gratitude today in a place I can always count on finding it: in the garden. It was a beautiful day here, so lovely that I had to give myself a bit of time in the garden even though I had a long list of inside projects to focus on. It was simply too nice for me to spend the entire day inside.

The sun was warm and the songbirds were busy creating a delightful soundtrack for my afternoon. Our chickens were making their happy hen sounds. The ducks were doing what they usually do: making a racket and splashing about.

I spent a bit of time weeding the raised beds. The chickens were happy to see me come to visit them with two arms full of bright green weeds for them. They scurried over to me, standing at my feet to see what I had to share with them. I was happy to share. If I can trade garden weeds for fresh eggs, I am happy to.

My mom and I took a stroll along the raspberry hedge. It’s coming in nicely, but we have made a few plans to improve it for next year. That’s one of the funny things about gardening. The planning and improving never seem to end.

There’s always something to learn, something to try, a spot you’d like to be a bit different. The work of a gardener is never really done. It just keeps evolving.

I took a stroll through the perennial gardens to see how our plants were faring in their transition from winter to spring. The hydrangeas are starting to produce leaves, a sight that always fills me with hope for the beautiful flowers to come.

The daffodils are in bloom, adding their bright color to our gardens. The tulips are a bit behind this year, but they’re making progress towards blooming. Everything seems to be coming back to life.

As I was rounding the corner in the front of the house, I looked down and saw that the pulmonaria were in bloom. They’re such a unique plant. The leaves are spotted and the flowers are bright pink and purple. This bud will open up in the next few days to reveal a cluster of new flowers. Until then, it will look like a prehistoric berry of sorts.

I’m thankful that gardening season has returned. It’s nice to escape to the sunshine before returning back inside to return to my to do list. I’m hoping to enjoy more sunshine tomorrow. I’ll have to remember to check on this part of the garden to see if the new flowers have emerged.

What is blooming in your garden this week?

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.