Hello, all!
Beautiful May rushed by in a green haze of gardening. It was a wet month, but as long as there wasn’t a downpour, I was outside working. I was worried about how I would be able to garden with such creaky knees, but as the old saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Clif did all the heavy lifting as well carting away leaves in the wheelbarrow. I set a chair wherever I was working so that I could sit down when the knees got too achy. And by gum, I got quite a bit done. Not as much as I would have liked, but enough to have a thriving garden. There certainly is a lesson here, isn’t there?
Although I still hobble a bit and use my cane when I am out and about, my knees are slowly improving. (I was on medication that made my bad knees even worse. I am no longer on that medication.) When the intensive gardening is done, I plan to go back on the exercise bike, and I’m guessing my knees will improve even more. Biking has always been a big help.
I still have one more week of extra busyness in the garden, and after that it will be just maintenance. This is why I added “Sort of” in the title of this piece. I will try to keep up with blog reading as best I can, but I think it’s going to catch-as-catch-can until the last push is done.
Also, I am taking time for a little fun. On Wednesday, I will be meeting Judy of New England Garden and Thread for our annual lunch out. What a treat it is to get together regularly with a blogging friend. I wish more of you lived close enough so that we could do this.
I’ll end with pictures of the beauty that can be found in our little one-acre yard. Some of the flowers are there courtesy of Mother Nature, and others are from garden.
First, from my gardens.
And courtesy of Mother Nature.
See you next week.
Notes From the Hinterland 
The photos are beautiful, Laurie! It is good to see you back, even “sort of”. 🙂
Thanks, Lavinia!
Welcome back, Laurie! Your garden shots are beautiful. Have a great meetup with Judy – and please send photos!
Will do!
So glad you are back my friend! Have fun with Judy; sometime, you’ll both have to venture a little closer to me!
Would love to get together with you! What would be a good halfway point? I am willing to drive two hours or so.
Let’s get out our maps!
Yes! I will be in touch via email, and will include Judy in the conversation. I think we can make it work.
💕
Laurie, I’m glad you were able to accomplish so much during your blog break. And I do agree with you: too many times, these doctors think throwing a medicine at something is going to cure it. Sometimes, Mother Nature knows best, and if we’ll just get back to moving, we might heal our own ills. (Not true for all, sadly, but I’m eager to hear how your biking lubricates your knees and frees you from pain!)
Biking strengthens the muscles around the knee, which in turn takes some of the pressure off the knees. A big, big help!
Your garden looks beautiful. Enjoy summer.
Many thanks!
Nice to see you back Laurie!
Welcome back, Laurie! I’m so glad you’ve found ways to do the gardening that you love so much, knees be damned. It was a wet May, all right, but hopefully all that dampness will help get the plants off to a solid start. Your pics are beautiful.
Thanks, Jane! The gardens are green and growing. Every year, it seems like such a miracle.
Hello there. Your garden plants look great. And I hope your knees improve a lot. Take care.
Thank you, thank you!
Glad you are managing to garden despite your knees bothering you. I find myself with the same challenge and tough as it is, I just have to let go the idea of garden ‘perfection’, close enough will have to do!
Enjoy your lunch with Judy!
Yes, good enough is good enough. And still so lovely and green.
We lucky that Nature helps us along. 🙂
Very lucky indeed.
Your garden looks beautiful! Rainy May sure brought the weeds in. Looking forward to Wednesday. 🙂
I’m glad your knees do better without the medication, Laurie. It must be rewarding working your way through the garden, planting, clearing, and assorted tasks. I’m glad you’ve had work-around rain, restorative and refreshing, but not enough to send you running indoors. I love that healthy shade of green.
The garden looks lovely and well done for doing gardening when you have creaky knees!
Have a good time with Judy, the best of blogging is friendships..
Congratulations to both Mother Nature and you! What a perfect photo you took of her Jack-in-the-pulpit!
Such a treat coming upon it unexpectedly in my backyard.
beautiful garden! I hope your knees get better soon. Take Care. John
Thanks John!
Welcome back, Laurie. Spending one’s May in “a haze of gardening” isn’t a bad thing and you definitely have a lot to show for it. It’s wonderful how quickly plants develop with longer hours of daylight and water–not to forget the gardener’s loving care, of course!
Even with creaky knees, I love to garden. There’s just something about watching plants grow. I don’t even mind mind having dirt under my nails.
It’s delightful to have you back with us as much as you are able, and of course your garden is beautiful. I especially enjoyed seeing the Jack-in-the-pulpit. I was too late to see the blooms in east Texas this year, but last weekend I did find several setting their fruits already. We may creak along a bit, but nature seems to keep moving along just fine!
Many thanks! Yes, nature moves along. Lots of spring wild flowers on our acre by the woods. It’s wonderful!
An autumnal hello from Down Under fully agreeing that judicious movement is the best medicine both physically and mentally. The garden photos give an indication of how much there is to do. Love the drama of the Jack in the Pulpit – hope it is not one of the Queens of the garden which only lasts for a day . . .
Happy autumn! Fun to think of how the seasons are different for you. Fortunately, the Jack-in-the-pulpit lasts a long time.
Glad the creaky knees are not creating too much havoc. Your gardens look wonderful!
Thanks so much. I do love having my hands in the dirt.
it was rainy here too – and love the blooms
I’m glad you’re still able to enjoy a bit of gardening despite your dodgy knees. We’ve had a lovely May, weather wise, so my ‘Head Gardener’ has been fully occupied, when not at his desk, to the detriment of my sewing room decoration plans. First real rain for ages today so there might be a glimmer of hope, in the form of plastering, sanding, filling and painting, on the horizon.
Phew, lots of work for the head gardener. No rest on rainy days.
Your garden looks lovely – and it is lovely to hear how greenly busy you have been.
Welcome back, Laurie. I’m sure all that hard work is paying off as your garden is looking beautiful!
Many thanks! Grateful to be able to do as much as I did.
Your garden is lovely! I’m so glad you take the intentional time to help Nature out 🙂 Cheers to an abundant 2025 garden year and continued knee improvements!
Many thanks! Despite the creaky knees, I am so happy to be gardening.
So good to see that you can still manage
Yes, yes! Grateful to have accomplished what I did.
Wow! You were lucky to discover the meds had such a negative impact on your knees.
Good idea using a chair … it’s surprising how creative we can be to overcome disabilty issues. Thinking outside the box …as they say.
The jack in the pulpit flower is most unusual.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I love gardening and will do it for as long as I can.
Exactly, Laurie.
I add my good wishes and look forward to seeing you again next week.
Thanks so much!
You are much more ambitious than I am any more. I do love your Jack in the Pulpit though..and of course the violets.
I am a woman who enjoys having her hands in the dirt. I will do it for as long as I can.
I bet those lunches are marvellous! May those knees continue to heal and walking become more an activity of ease. Oh, and I love your acre paradise.
Many thanks! It’s amazing how much life ther can be in one small acre.
Well done, Laurie, for keeping up with the gardening. I know it’s tough going, especially when health issues are a concern, but the benefits of seeing a garden grow are so worth the effort. Love the pictures, too!
Absolutely! Plus, I just love having my hands in the dirt. I think I might be part terrier. 😉
I’m glad to be back pretty much in time to welcome you back! The Jack-in-the-pulpit is a wonderful gift. I liked the idea of ‘Not as much as I would have liked, but enough to have a thriving garden.’ We do enough to help Nature take care of the rest, but more in the direction we prefer.
Thanks, Susan! An important lesson to learn, especially as the body ages.
Well done for gardening despite the creaky knees Laurie – it looks lovely. And welcome back – you know how much I enjoy your posts.
Thanks so much! I enjoy your posts, too. A mutual admiration society. 😉
All of your hard work has paid off, your yard looks fantastic and I love the Jack-in-the-pulpit!! Wonderful to hear that your knees keep improving and that you were able to get so much done in May. Hope you had a wonderful lunch and visit and I wish we were neighbors!!🙂
Many thanks! How lovely it would be if we were neighbors.
Welcome back, Laurie. It’s good to know that your knees are improving, and I’m impressed that you’re able to continue with the gardening despite the pain…if only I were so dedicated (I clutch at any excuse to defer gardening!).
Many thanks! I’m just one of those gardening fools who loves to have her hands in the dirt.