Done is Better Than Perfect

One of my “23 for 2023” goals was to plant hummingbird-friendly flowers in my garden. When I say “my garden”, that’s a bit of a stretch. I’m not a natural gardener, and this garden of which I speak is a patch of soil toward a back corner of the house that up until this year mainly consisted of hostas (that would be eaten to a ragged nub by the middle of June), and weeds. 

I’m always very enthusiastic every spring. I pull weeds. I mulch. I’ve been known to plant a perennial or two. My greatest success has been with some daisies that have actually seemed to thrive with neglect, because they have grown so dense that the weeds don’t really stand a chance. But my gardening downfall has been my lack of staying power. By mid-summer I’ve mostly been a no-show. 

This year will be different! Why? Because this year I have visions of myself taking photos of hummingbirds drinking nectar from the flowers I have planted, and photos of hummingbirds bathing in the little solar-powered bubbling fountain I’ve bought. I am so motivated to create a beautiful hummingbird garden that will provide tasty blooms all summer long for “my” hummingbirds. I can’t let them down.

About four weeks ago I started by digging up and tossing everything that had been growing in the intended hummingbird garden. I amended the soil and turned it over several times, mixing all the good stuff with the tired, dense, clay soil. Then the weather got cold and we woke up several mornings to frost, so I bided my time. I consulted with my buddy Beth (who is a Master Gardener) on the hows/whens/wheres/whats of this project during several of our FaceTime calls. On Mother’s Day I spent an enjoyable morning in an enormous nursery about a half hour from here, carefully choosing some perennials that a) do well in full sun, b) attract hummingbirds, and c) are deer resistant. This weekend I found a couple different types of annuals that fit the bill as well. Everything is planted, the mulch has been spread. Now the magic (and the maintenance) begins. 

All this time spent in the garden, and the bad weather up until recently, means that I haven’t gone very far afield photography-wise. Mainly I’ve stayed in the neighborhood and my backyard. I’ve spent a lot of time with camera in hand waiting for hummingbirds to show up at the feeders, and have been inconsistently rewarded for my efforts. It can be difficult to wait so patiently, staring at the feeder, not knowing when one will show up, but this week I figured out that I can listen to audio books while I wait. That has been a game changer. 

Speaking of books, I’m on schedule to exceed my goal of reading 23 novels in 2023. Lately I’ve been reading the works of Ann Patchett – I just finished Bel Canto, which I enjoyed so much. Before that I read Commonwealth and The Dutch House. I love the characters she creates – I care so much about them that I’m sorry to leave them at the end of the book. On the audiobook side of things, I am listening to David Sedaris, who makes me laugh until I’m breathless. 

As it’s past my bedtime, I will end this post here and catch up with you soon. Have a great week!

Love,

Michelle xoxo