I love flowers, but I am not a skilled gardener.  My neighbor, who majored in ornamental horticulture, has one of the most beautiful back yards in Urbana.  Just now in late May, the colors are starting to appear.  There is no grass, just colorful blooms and greenery everywhere.

When we moved in to our house eleven years ago, her four children were all still at home.  Her youngest was just about to go off to kindergarten and the backyard had no flowers at all, only a swing set.  After several years, the swing set disappeared and the flowers began to appear like a huge bouquet.

Our yard is full of weeds and plastic toys and mud puddles.  At times, I have felt apologetic about this.  She assures me, however, that having such a spectacle in the backyard is not a realistic goal for someone in my stage of life.  “You can’t grow kids and flowers at the same time”, she says. 

I appreciate her graciousness as a neighbor and also her philosophy on raising children.  It is gardening and requires patient, careful attention.  It also is a task that is dependent on the seasons and a wise gardener will note what is appropriate to grow in any given season.