Flowers and Gardening
@BettyB (4117)
Summerville, South Carolina
April 8, 2016 5:55pm CST
My husband and I downsized last spring. I was ready to move into a smaller home with less yard to maintain. Unfortunately there were sacrifices. I had to leave my flower beds behind.
I love to garden, but when we moved we decided to go with a small raised bed vegetable garden and a single flower bed. I dug up a few of my irises and amaryllis, and left the rest to my son and his girlfriend. (My son bought our old house.)
The irises I transplanted haven’t started blooming but one of the amaryllis has. Rather than give in to the temptation to dig another bed, I purchased several large flowerpots and filled them with annuals. Hopefully they will be enough to satisfy my need to dig in the dirt.
Time will tell.
The picture features with this post is the single amaryllis that started blooming a few days ago.
26 people like this
26 responses
@Tampa_girl7 (50580)
• United States
9 Apr 16
That is awesome that your house stayed in the family.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112959)
• El Paso, Texas
25 Aug 19
No, mom didn't take good care of her house and no one had the money to renovate it to get it up to code and livable again @Tampa_girl7
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50580)
• United States
25 Aug 19
@rebelann does it belongs to a family member still ?
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
9 Apr 16
My husband takes care of the yard, but doesn't touch the flowers or the vegetable garden. He's afraid he'll pull the wrong thing. At least that's what he claims.
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
9 Apr 16
I love flowers. That's so pretty. I guess you just have to settle with the pots.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
9 Apr 16
bless yer heart, i'd the need fer down-sizin' myself a few years back. didn't need to find smaller dwellin's, but sure disliked sellin' off all that land...
that amaryllis's a beautiful color! so glad they came'p fer ya, hon. i do most'f my gardenin''n pots these days myself - partially due to the years'f drought. the other bein' health hiccups. it aint quite the same, but 't does work :)
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
9 Apr 16
@BettyB the hubs here's a hoarder, bless his heart. i shudder't the thought'f needin' to move from here. i found out 'bout 2 years 'fter we wed that he'd 4 barns elsewhere that he'd piled schtuff 'p in. yepperz, he brought't all here :(
i'd love to downsize indoors myself. we did that once 'n i'll be danged if'n he didn't bring'n more'n what was taken out. i swear to ya, takes me'n entire day jest to thoroughly clean one room coz'f all the knick-knacks 'n wall to wall pic's.
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
8 Apr 16
It is beautiful! I´m glad that your son bought your old house. You did not lose it entirely.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16784)
• China
9 Apr 16
I haven't planted the amaryllis and irises myself,but many of my neighbours have them .
Anyway you still have a yard-that's something.I just have some potted flowers.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
9 Apr 16
We had a big house and a big yard. We downsized both.
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
9 Apr 16
It might be a good idea to start small and then if you find that you can take on more... you can do so. We downsized too and all I have to take care of is the previous owners roses... which I know nothing about lol! We shall see!!
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
11 Apr 16
@BettyB All we ever had was shrub roses... and I'm pretty sure that they took care of themselves. I don't think that these are shrub roses, but I could be wrong. It's been about 20 years since that house.
@rina110383 (24492)
•
9 Apr 16
That is a beautiful amaryllis! It has big petals considering it only started blooming days ago. Will they (petals) even get bigger?
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
8 Apr 16
I often yearn to move from where we are. We rent our place. My worry is that we would have to leave behind my treasured perennials. Many I have had nearly 10 years. I tell myself that I will dig them up and bring them wherever I go.
Keeping plants in containers will fill the need to get your hands in dirt for a while. Maybe you should see if you can find a local nursing home or assisted living facility that would like a volunteer to put in and maintain a garden for their residents.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14931)
• Malaysia
11 Apr 16
Sorry to know that you will not be able to enjoy the bigger flower beds, but glad that your son is still staying there. So, perhaps he will help you to take care of them, or you can also visit them once in a while.
The amaryllis looks great! At first I thought it's hibiscus. I don't know much about flowers or gardening, I am glad to learn this from you.
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
9 Apr 16
Over the years we have moved many times. Leaving behind trees we planted, gardens we've cultivated, even a house we built ourselves.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
9 Apr 16
This was only the second time we've moved in thirty-four years. I was excited about the new house, but left a lot of gardens and memories behind. It helps that my son lives there now.
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
9 Apr 16
Thank you. The amaryllis is one of my favorite flowers.
