Every year in the spring, almost like clockwork, as soon as it feels the least bit warm my kids begin to ask me when we can get our annual planting underway. Don’t get the wrong ideas- we’re not shlepping out the hoes and tractors , rather we are replenishing the flower boxes that adorn three window sills of our house.
My children are now 15 and 12 and since they were wee ones took an interest in the process of repopulating the boxes with fresh annuals as soon as they realized they could dig their little fingers into the soil and get as messy as possible with little reproach. Of course as they’ve gotten older, and have been able to comprehend the process of planting, the idea that they’ve created a bud that will blossom via watering and caring for it; our annual planting has taken on a whole new dimension of importance for them. They feel this real responsibility to these living, growing things and see the flowers they’ve helped to bloom as a badge of honor.
This year we are getting ready to plant mostly petunias and marigolds with a smattering of coleus and geraniums. Of course as we were planting I had one of those dejavu- kleenex moments as the memory of her three year old little self popped into my head of her coining the phrase “worky” when it came to the job of planting. And then a flood of memories of her and my son both learning how to pump their legs on our swings rushed over me, as well as those years where all they both did was throw soil at each other- GOOD TIMES!
Fortunately this year they both took an interest in the cleaning out of the planters and in planting the delicate seedlings. It is a process that is a little worky but so rewarding when the boxes have flourishing new flowers of varied colors. My daughter takes pride in the boxes that are outside her window. It’s definitely an annual ritual I enjoy teaching and carrying out with my children and gosh darn it’s heartwarming to see them take an interest and pleasure in one of my interests and reveal their growing personalities in how they assist me in this glorious chore.
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