Well If I Can’t Have Bouganvillea…
Today I was going to write about late April gardening tasks. But I have decided that I’m not even going to think about that. Why? Because I just got back from Cuba! And as I find myself trying to re-enter my life here in Colorado after this amazing trip, I can’t help but…..not. Re-enter, that is. Today (in my mind) I am in Vinales, Cuba, where many colors of bougainvillea flourish, where the horses respite lazily in the shade while tethered along the side of the road, where the locals stop to talk leisurely and lengthy because there is really no place they need to be. Nope, I’m staying right here in dream land. What exactly does that mean and why would I think you might be interested? Because we are all dreamers.
I can’t have bougainvillea where I live. In southern California where my sister lives, yes. In Cuba, yes. In the many “thank god this warm and moist climate exists,” yes! Traveling gives new perspective. On life, on work, on relationships, on goals. I am an accomplished Landscape Designer. I hold several degrees, I have an excellent team to work with, and my partner in life and in work is my husband and we work very well together. My business is doing better than ever. But, I still have career goals and I dream about how to achieve them, just like you do. And although I love being a mom and living in a rural mountain town, it adds an element of, shall we say….trickery. Would I love to go back to school and pursue a degree in Landscape Architecture? Sure! Would I love to work in a design firm brainstorming ideas in a studio setting with colleagues and peers? Absolutely. I’d also love to apprentice on a farm and learn permaculture first hand. And what the hell, maybe I’d love to do that in Peru and learn Spanish, while I’m at it! I would love to build a house, learn to tile, propagate all of my own plantings and use them in my designs. I would love to immerse myself in watercolor rendering classes, maybe even learn woodworking, too. But, the reality is, I just can’t grow bougainvillea where I live.
But I can grow Virginia Creeper which is gorgeous with it’s bright blue berries and fall foliage, or Clematis vine with it’s huge variety of flower sizes and colors. Peonies! I await the fragrant lilac blooms with great anticipation knowing their show will be amazing, yet brief. With the arsenal I currently have, I can create amazing livable outdoor spaces. I can give that gift. And for all the rest? All I need to do is clear the unnecessary debris from my life in order to make room for my dreams to become reality. Make room and take a chance. Believe. Manifest. You can do it, too.
