My Garden

I love my garden. It's happy and green, and it makes me feel happy and green. Because it thrives I believe my thumb must be green. More likely I grow plants that are hard to kill - though if any porch could kill them, it would be mine. During the summer months, it can reach a sweltering 100+ degrees on a hot day. All the heat from the surrounding rooftops seems to gather on my porch. It sure is hot. Each day I have to give all my little friends long drinks. I give them water, I give them food. I clip their dead flowers and branches. I cut back wild shoots of green that grow longer than they should. I pick their flowers. I smell my roses and then prick my fingers on their thorns. I prune them and talk to them. Many a happy hour is spent bent over working for their growth. Their progress brings me great joy when they flourish and a feeling of sadness if they die. These plants are my friends. They rustle and sing in the wind. They invite hummingbirds and butterflies to visit my porch. They provide cheer on dreary days. They give me the opportunity to keep them alive - to be disciplined to care for them. They are beautiful green reminders that life is not all concrete and metal. Sometimes I need that reminder. Oh how I love my garden.