Dear Santa,
Hoe, hoe, hoe, and Merry Christmas to you, Santa. I’ve tried to be a good gardener this year, I really have, and I can explain any evidence to the contrary, or would at least like the opportunity to explain if, mistakenly, you have put me on the naughty list!
There are just a few items on my list.
I would like a little garden shed, but first you will have to have the elves sprinkle some magic dust on the homeowners’ association board to get them to change the covenants to allow for “outbuildings”. While I’m asking, please include running water and electricity with my new shed, and perhaps on the southern side, a glass lean-to where I can keep a few seedlings or over winter a plant or two. If you deliver it, I’ll do the landscaping around it.
I would also like a couple of areas dug up and ready for planting in the spring. Can the elves do this while you are delivering toys? You can drop them off and pick them up when they are done. I’ll leave the flood lights on for them and set out some refreshments. The ground isn’t frozen, so if it doesn’t rain too much the rest of this week, I think it would be okay to prepare these beds. I’d like them to focus on the east side of the back yard and don’t forget to have them add good compost to amend the soil.
I don’t want to get too greedy, but could you make sure Mother Nature provides just the right amount of rain for me in 2007? She did a pretty good job of that in 2006, but I have just a few suggestions to make 2007 even better. First, I am still planning a lot of gardening in May, so I’d prefer any rain during that month occur between midnight and 4:00 AM. Thereafter, there can be a few rainy days, but no washouts, please.
Please look around while you are here, and if there are some areas where you think I could use some more tulips or daffodils or anything spring-flowering, please go ahead and plant those for me, and surprise me this spring. I would love that!
And while we are talking about plants, I’d like some apple trees, some thornless raspberries and blackberries, and anything else you think I could use.
Finally, yes, I do think I need one more hoe. I’ve got my eye on one or two that aren’t like any I have already. I’ll have to get back with you on the specifics.
XOXO,
Carol
P.S. If my letter is too late for Christmas, remember my birthday is in January!
While you’re asking, why not request Santa to plant a peach tree. We had one when you were small, and one summer it really gave us some good peaches. I would pull one off and slice it up on my cereal. I don’t know why, but that happened just one summer. I don’t know what happened to it after that. Just don’t ask for a cherry tree unless you own a cherry picker and a cherry pitter. Otherwise just by the can.
If garden bloggers have any influence with St Nick, you’ll be getting all the above – we think you’ve been pretty wonderful all year!
On the subject of Santas – there are lots of those stuffed statues out there, with Santa wearing baseball hats, fishing gear, etc. Has anyone seen him in red overalls with a garden fork or spade or something like that? Just wondering…
Merry Christmas from Annie in Austin
One more hoe.
Can you hear me laughing?
LOL. I think the Elves would be excellent gardeners…