A couple of weeks ago I received a text from my cabin neighbor Alison and her little girl, “Maddie and I left you a little gift at your cabin door today; we all hope you like it!”
Hollyhock Seeds, Photo by slc
The next day, when I opened the cabin’s sagging and squeaky front screen door there was a cute little plastic bag hanging from the door knob on the front door. Inside the bag was a small package with a colorful bow along with a bright yellow envelope. The card inside read,
Preparation is never lost time. The seeds you plant today will bring a harvest tomorrow.
“Once you’re done ‘preparing’ your cabin, you can also enjoy the beauty of these hollyhocks! We can’t wait for your ‘harvest’ and for your family to make many incredible memories here in Glen Haven! 🙂 XOXO The Gdovicak’s”
I was taken aback. What a thoughtful gift. So simple, yet so grand.
Thank you Alison and Maddie for the little gift and being a part of the “incredible memories.”
Spring has sprung and so have seeds and memories. My daughter wanted to start some seeds inside with her five-year-old daughter this spring. She asked if I would help. Being an avid gardener since my 4-H days on the farm and loving to spend time with my family, I was delighted to assist.
I bought a 36-count box of the refill Jiffy Peat Pellets, found one of the trays my daughter and I used to start seeds in when she was a girl and I headed over to their house. My three grandkids, my daughter and I piled into her vehicle (it had the three car seats) and headed to Lowe’s for some seeds. We carefully selected marigolds, cosmos, cucumbers, sweet peas, cilantro, and sweet peppers.
slc
Once the boys were down for their afternoon naps, we got busy planting seeds. First, my granddaughter, Jovie, and I placed all the peat pellets in the tray. Next, my daughter added warm water and we all watched as the peat pellets expanded as they absorbed the water. Then we made little indentations in the top of each pellet. Jovie’s slender little fingers were just the right size to gently place two or three seeds in each one. She carefully pinched the peat over the top of the precious seeds and now the tray of peat pellets was ready to be covered and placed in a sunny window. Lastly, we placed a heating pad under the tray and turned it on for an hour or so.
March 24, 2017 (slc)
Driving away from their home that day I felt very blessed to have such a loving family and to be able to share my passion for gardening with them. Planting seeds and memories.
Two days later, I received a phone call from Jovie who excitedly told me some of the marigold seeds had sprouted. It was supposed to take at least 7-14 days for most of the seeds to come up but the heating pad accelerated that timing. I told Jovie that she had a “green thumb.” She did not know what that meant so I had the pleasure of explaining it to her. A new generation of gardeners has sprung. Planting memories.
