November 2016

Ten hanging baskets of fuchsias and ten fat clay pots of geraniums adorn our south porch.  They have been there every year from spring until mid-fall since 1972.  That’s when my folks retired here to mom’s family home and dad began working his magic with the garden – which extended, of course to the pots and baskets on the porches and the climbing Dorothy Perkins roses on the fences.

Fuchsia – March 2019

Since 1998 when we moved in, Nyel, in his turn, has been the garden steward.  My job is to clap and cheer.  And to weed.  But I don’t touch those porch plants except for occasional watering.  (If reminded.)   Usually, in October, Nyel cuts back the fuchsias and gives them a good soaking and hangs them in the garage for the winter.  This year, though, he broke his leg, and was ordered off his feet for three months so… the baskets remain as they have been for over a year.  Ditto the pots of geraniums, though we usually don’t take them inside.  Sometimes the plants winter over; sometimes not.

Geranium – August 2015

We thought about having me bring one basket at a time inside, having Nyel trim and water, and then me carting them to the garage and hanging them on the ceiling rack made for the purpose.  Great idea but… I’m just too wimpy.  I can carry one basket at a time… barely.  But lifting that same basket dripping with water… forget it!  So, the fuchsias join the geraniums in the wait-and-see mode.

Geranium – March 2019

Even if some of them make it, I’m afraid they will not be things of beauty.  Nyel is a great trimmer; Mother Nature, not so much.  Not with porch plants, anyway.  We have decided to consider it all a test.  If things turn out well, no telling how slothful we may become.  But, if the results are bad, we may have to rethink the porch plant thing – especially if Nyel continues breaking all the parts of that pesky leg!

With apologies to Dad, of course, and to Hank Batten who was his right-hand garden helper.