Apr

24

Hillside, Hillside. Quite contrary. How does our garden grow?

Filed Under From Where I sit, Happenings, Home | Leave a Comment

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Every once in a while I may take a diversion from politics and talk about a new favorite pastime that strangely enough I really didn’t get involved with until after I began campaigning last year.  As I walked from door to door meeting my neighbors, I saw that a number of Hillsiders have fantastic gardens.  I’m not talking a rose bush here, an azalea there, a tomato plant tucked in the corner.  I’m talking master class type showplace gardens; Martha Stewartesque vegetable plots and flower beds.  I got inspired.   

That inspiration drove me to plant more than 100 daffodil bulbs in the front yard last fall.  I admit I had a little help digging the trenches to plant those sunny little harbingers of spring.  And, you will have to take my word for it that for three weeks I had a beautiful wave of sunshiny yellow large-cupped daffodils swaying in the wind.  It was wonderful `welcome home’ greeting after work.  

But now that the blooms are spent, the yard looks a bit tired and drab.  However, I am determined to work my personal little corner of Hillside and make it shine!  So in a couple of weeks, I’m going to seek the advice of experts at Rutgers Gardens annual Flower Fair on May 9th - 10th and pick a few more plants to spruce the place up.   

In the meantime, I am going to continue to weed, fertilize, water, beat back invasive plants and take care of the yard so that it will be ready for a new crop of beautiful flowers.

Who would have thought that gardening and politics would have so much in common!