Creating a “Crayola” Garden

 

Dear Reader:

Isn’t it strange how some things just pop our of our mouths and it is only later that we realize what we said was right on target?

I returned one last time, Saturday morning, to Ace Hardware Store, to pick up one more tall red pinta flower because, for whatever reason, they LOVE my soil, they can withstand the 90 plus temperatures, humidity, and bright sunshine, plus butterflies are drawn to them. The addition of the tall red pintas has changed the way my garden looks…adding much needed color.

So when I was told they only had one white tall pinta left…I must have looked visibly disappointed. “I will take it” I said hesitantly. but the garden worker could tell I wasn’t too enthused. “I do need more height in the garden so this will help.”

“You must like red, he said, I have seen you in and out of here the past two weeks.”

 

Suddenly I heard myself reply, “If they had them in yellows or oranges or purples…I would buy them too….I think I just want to create a “crayola” garden.

As soon as it popped out I felt my face turning red …”A crayola garden…where in the heck did that come from” but instead of shaking his head negatively…the young man nodded…“I know what you mean…my favorite color (when I had to draw my front yard in elementary school) was coloring all the flowers red too.” I like primary colors.”

The first thing I ever remember drawing was flowers…a long stick with two sticks coming off the stem for leaves, a round flower with sticks all around it for petals. And like the Ace worker…it didn’t matter that my house never had any colored flowers out front…I drew them like everyone else in the room. All the pictures of houses we saw in picture/reading books had them in front of homes.

I read somewhere that most people begin preferring primary colors as they get older due to dimming eyesight…perhaps there is some truth to that ….but in my case I have always preferred bright colored flowers to pastels.

And come to think of it…I have created a “Crayola” garden…see for yourself!

Yes…I can proudly proclaim…”I do have a ‘crayola’ garden!

*Speaking of…I didn’t have any idea that Crayola makes garden seed packages for children…will have to look into this.

 

So until tomorrow…

….And so should we!

……………………………………………………

Last evening we experienced another rather scary storm…lots of wind…not too much rain (at least so far) but right before it blew in…a little miracle happened…my first moon flower bloomed. While I was taking its picture…some black flying insect smacked right into it…it was fluttering so much I at first thought it was a hummingbird until I saw the photo I snapped as the ‘what-ever’ flew in.

I texted Anne and sent her a photo of my first moon flower bloom and expressed regret that it bloomed minutes before such a terrific storm…but Anne’s take on it was that it “represents the calm in the storm”…great thought!

Lori took Eva Cate, Lily, and Hannah to the Holiday Inn Express and got a nice suite to spread out…and let the girls just have fun, fun, fun. Lori…I have told you once and I will tell you again…You are ‘Grandmother of the Year‘ in my book. You amaze me!!! Too Cute! What a way to end the summer!!!!!

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”
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6 Responses to Creating a “Crayola” Garden

  1. Patty Knight says:

    Love your Crayola flowers!!!

  2. bcparkison says:

    People who fret over color don’t realize God made color so they all work together.
    The girls are having good “clean” fun. LOL

  3. vicki says:

    CRAYOLA HAS FLOWER SEEDS??!!! that’s awesome! Gonna look into that too! Love your flower pictures and I love red flowers too.. I just dont have many.

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