Today in the Garden is back!

Snow drops make me so happy. They are so brave and faithful and they have the advantage of being the only flower around to look at this time of year. They are closed up on this cold, rainy March first, but they still make me happy!

And now for something completely different.

Hello blog! It’s been a long time! Much has happened in the interim, the most significant being our 13 month old son. What a gift he is! More on that later. What has compelled me to write again? No idea. But this is what I have to say:

I love coconut oil as a moisturizer! It is very soothing and I like that I know exactly what is in it. Coconut oil. Period. Its great after shaving my legs—takes away all the sting. I had an idea yesterday and decided to change things up. I put the oil on my legs before the shower. I like a HOT shower. Every few minutes I turn that knob a little more to the left. (Husband boost: I’m so grateful he gives me that time every evening to relax in the shower while he plays with bbc!) Its winter and my skin is pretty dry and my hot showers only exacerbate the dryness. To keep my itchy skin from hurting when the blessed hot water hits it, the other day I put coconut oil on my back and hips before the shower. Worked great! Soft skin and no pain. So I thought, why not try the legs? Benefits are easier shaving, protection from cuts, and moisturized legs. It is recommended to put oil on your razor to keep it from rusting, so add that to the list. Possible drawbacks are the oil gooping up the razor and slipping in the bathtub. I did notice that my second leg is not as smooth as the first. That and the slippery bathtub might deter me from continuing this strategy, but I’ll try it for a time. I definitely felt very historical in this routine, like I was at a Roman bath. Just forget the frigidarium, please.

Some (very few) of you may ask, “Why shave at all?” I tried that during a few winters, mostly out of laziness. I think its perfectly natural and should be socially acceptable. Don’t feel guilty about your leg hairs, friends! But you see, my genes have made me so very hairy. Not one hair, but at least three grow from each follicle. And if beards are itchy…more info than you wanted to know about me? That’s what blogging is all about, right?

What’s your most recent revelation about coconut oil? Leg hair?

And now for your gratuitous garden photo:

I imagine myself in this picture hopping from flower to flower! Taken in '09, these 'Crazy Daisies' aren't doing so well. They are being crowded by the Japanese anemone. Ah well, that's why I take pictures :-)

The Design Comes Alive

It seems the best time for blogging is the winter. Cold nights lend themselves to dreaming in flowers. But the beauty of the garden right now is just crying out to blogged about. One way I experience God's love is through beauty. He may not have planted with His own hands or played the instrument, or caused the child to laugh (or did He...?), but he gave us the senses to experience it, the capacity to be filled by it, and the commensurate longing for it. This evening in the garden left me full and longing at the same time. Thank you, Father!
One of the goals of this garden design was to be easy to see in the evening, since that's when I have time to enjoy it. In the jargon of the web: Epic Win!

Today in the Garden

The Genius of Farmers

A few weeks ago we went to an estate sale down the road and picked up a push broom, a shovel, and a hoe (as well as the yellow bowl in the pool garden). Woohoo! I don't ever remember using a hoe. My clearest memory having anything to do with a hoe is freshman year of college there was a one outside at a class (Why? No clue.). Its amazing how many jokes can be made about a dirty old hoe.

While my perennials are enjoying Spring and getting lush and happy, bajillions of malicious plants are being born every second. Its pretty disheartening. So I thought about picking up the hoe, but you know what stopped me? Embarrassment! I'm a flower gardener, not a farmer! What will people think of me, hoeing my perennials? But, like with my new gardenning hat, I threw vanity to the wind and hoed my row...of tiarella cordifolia.

Farmers are geniuses. The tiny baby weeds are easily scraped off the surface and biggers ones are hacked out with the corners. How supremely satisfying! And totally worth the plebian feeling. Thanks farmers!