A few years back, a close friend of mine volunteered with a group to landscape his church. He talked on and on about the improvement it made. His knowledge and enthusiasm were contagious. I saw my own house in a totally new light... it was devoid of all shrubs, plants and flowers. Thank goodness, there already were some huge beautiful walnut trees at the front property line.Deciding to remedy the bareness is easier said than done. I planted my first tree, an oriental dogwood, in peat moss. Not only would it not stand up straight, just kept tipping over, but watering a whole pile of that stuff is sorta waste of effort. Frequenting greenhouses and nurseries, I bought everythang that looked different or interesting, and spent bunches of money. Boy! Did I learn a lot about what will survive our winters that first year. I discovered that I do not like bushes with thorns, pointed holly leaves are rough on bare feet, playing with the hose is still fun at any age, and plants should not be rearranged like furniture (grin).
I love being outside now, sitting on the porch basking in the sun just admiring the beauty of cultivated nature. My favorite flowers are big colorful gerber daisies, which are growing along my sidewalk. Also have day lillies, hollyhocks, azaleas, chrysanthemums and goblin daisies.
Wintertime usually brings a few short-lived snows to Nashville. When the weather forecasters falsely predict freezing rain, sleet or snow, we suspect the news channels to be in the pay of the grocery stores, because at the mention of the "S" word, everybody stampedes to the grocery store for "bread and milk". Schools in counties all across the state close in a panic. Kids of all ages get excited to throw snowballs, build snowmen and sled if there is time and any accumulation . The white stuff generally melts rather quickly, but it is quite a novelty or hindrance depending on the individual viewer. Personally I like the idea of being all snug, warm and cozy in my house with a cup of hot chocolate looking at the snow blanket across my yard from the window.