Where to start...

I've been interested in gardening/plants/flowers all my life. I got it from my folks in a very legitimate way. Mom and Dad had a greenhouse in the back yard. My Dad told Mom when they were considering building it,,"The flowers will be growing while we're sleeping". I guess that was his way of convincing her, but it must have worked. I don't remember ever NOT having this greenhouse.

We would grow annual plants starting in January. Dad would plant the seeds, then Mom and I would transplant them into pots and packs. Later, when the season started, people would come to our house all day long to buy plants. In the winter, Dad would plant the whole greenhouse in snapdragons that he would sell to a wholesaler. Sometimes around holidays the greenhouse was full of specialized plants...lilies before Easter or poinsettias before Christmas. So, I guess planting things became a way of life for me at a very young age.

Dad did all this while he worked full time at a florist wholesaler...the same one he sold snapdragons to. At some point, he stopped that and bought a flower shop. For twenty years he and Mom ran the shop and I worked there as well. Lots of times my kids were there too while I helped out for a particular order or holiday.

My desire for flowers has always been strong. I'd love to live somewhere where the season doesn't kill off plants. You go through all the work of planting and coddling them only to have Mother Nature freeze them to the ground. But then, I'd miss the seasons. Spring is my favorite. The world seems to burst into color after the cold, almost as if renewed by it.

This new education. It's all about getting the most from Mother Earth. Learning how to achieve the best of each planting. Finding ways to more efficiently utilize water, mulch and fertilizer. Looking at ways to do all this much "greener" than ever before.

So, this is the start of my new education.

The beginning bud.....

So, here I am, wondering what to do. I'll soon be at the BIG birthday and feel somewhat scattered. You know, the feeling that time is fleeting by and if I'm going to accomplish something I'd better get on it. But the question is.......what? I've been looking at my interests and trying to sort out the types of things I really enjoy. I really love my pets and feel that if I knew more about them it would be cool. So, I've considered doing some online classes in Veterinary tech stuff, but don't know if that would be good or bad. I might start seeing imaginary illnesses or symptoms. Knowing a little might be too much!!!

So, I’m moving on to the next interest. This is the one I’ve grown up with but don't feel competent in. There are many pages of information online regarding gardening, but I think I would like to actually study with an online study course. Some of the basics are missing and maybe I could pick them up with a legitimate course.

I envision new concepts of “green” sustainable gardening and feel that there are ways to create beautiful, simple landscaping changes that will benefit both the eye and the wallet. I’m really getting into the green concept. Although I guess I’m not showing it much. As this “bud” begins to grow, perhaps I will find ways to make my family's life greener.