10 Things You Will Never Hear a Gardener Say

Mr. Fix-it and I were talking recently. We were talking about new recruits. Mr. Fix-it is an Army Recruiter and knows a lot about new recruits. I do too. Mainly because they always call him on his government issued cell phone. Doesn't matter if it is 2:00 AM on a day we are on vacation in Maine, or 2:00 PM on New Year's Day. This was the case on this New Year's Day. I got to laughing and said the one thing you will never hear a new recruit say is, "Gee, it is a holiday, I better wait until my recruiter goes back to work tomorrow morning to call him and tell him I have a cold." Or something silly like that. I am positive the recruit thought he had something very important to say right there and then, but what are they thinking? I am sure there are many other things you will never hear a recruit say, but this one thing is a joke between Mr. Fix-it and I because he gets so many calls without regard to family time or off time (Do recruiters get such a thing?).

This conversation got me to thinking about what ten things you would never hear a gardener say. I need help with this one guys. I really do. I have some ideas but not enough. I will start with some things you will never hear me say:

1) Gee, we have had enough rain this month, I wish it would stop raining!

2) I just love watching the deer.

3) Those pesky worms are so gross.

4) That compost pile stinks.

5) Euuwww! Manure!

6) There are too many birds in the garden.

7) It is so great those moles and voles aerate the garden for me.

8) Oh no! Not MORE flowers!

9) That tree is growing too fast.

10) I'm scared of bees and spiders.

What are some things you all would never say as a gardener? I have to confine this list to what I would never say, simply because I know some gardeners actually do like watching deer (me too but I remember they like to eat gardens then I don't like watching them-ever). Let me know if you disagree or agree and please add to my list. I need help! I know there are so many more things you would never catch a gardener saying.

in the garden....thinking about lists.

Community Garden of the Month

My choice for January's Community Garden of the Month is Blanchfield Army Community Hospital's very own Memorial Garden. Anyone who has ever visited Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH), and entered through the front door has to pass by this garden. It is a garden hard to miss and is a bright spot in an otherwise big building with lots of hallways, doors, walls, people, no natural light, and clinics.

The garden is enclosed by four walls and is visible through windows. I have loved this little garden ever since I came back here in 2001. It was so simple and serene, though not often used. Initially the garden was nothing more than a few evergreen shrubs, a couple of crepe myrtles, and Liriope muscari, aka Lilyturf or Monkey Grass. The garden was mulched with ornamental rocks and that was all there was to it. I loved it as it was very low maintenance and looked great all through the year. I don't think it required any maintenance, and brought so much light and life to the hospital.

Then, the previous BACH Commander, Colonel Gallagher, had a vision. He wanted it to become more of a memorial garden honoring both soldier and civilian employees of the hospital. His vision was translated by a several people who spent some long hours reworking this garden last fall. The list of people who worked on the garden includes: SFC Robert Freeman, SFC Milan Puente, Dr. Dorothy Thompson, SGT Marc Deist, SPC Heath Heist, SPC Amanda Jacson, SPC Lois Lautenschlager, SPC Ahmad Maumne, SPC Angela Pitts, and PV2 Beth Kaufman. I hope I have everyone's names correct, and if I don't or I forgot someone, I apologize.

I want to thank Mrs. Laura Boyd, the Public Affairs Representative for BACH for tracking down some points of contact for information regarding the garden. I also want to thank SFC Milan Puente for finding out the names of all people involved in remaking the garden. The names are difficult and I know it can't have been too easy finding them all in an organization as big as BACH. Thanks to you both!

The team added a beautiful mural, some stepping stones and a seating bench. Dr. Thompson painted the mural. It really is a beautiful mural that would look good in any garden. They didn't change the garden too awfully much and I think what they did is actually an improvement. Now the garden doesn't look as forlorn as it did before. Anyone visiting Blanchfield can enjoy a peek at this lovely garden and it adds so much to the hospital. That is why it is my choice for January's Garden of the Month.

in the garden....