• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • The Gardenangelists Podcast
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

The Old Woman At The Door: Part 2

April 3, 2011 By Carol Michel 16 Comments

(See Part 1 before reading Part 2)

The old woman paused before speaking. During that brief pause, I looked past her sitting across from me at the table in the sun room and out to my own garden.

It was very early in spring and I could see off in the distance a few yellow daffodils blooming in small clumps scattered here and there. The first hints of green looked like fuzzy halos around some of the trees. Further out in the garden, the vegetable garden was a newly created blank slate, and I was anxious to get out there and mark off where the new beds would be.

With a soft clearing of her throat, the old woman once again captured my gaze and began to tell me her secret.

“Carol, the secret I want you to know now, that many gardeners never figure out, is that no weed or insect or plant disease or weather calamity can do as much to prevent us from having the garden we want to have as procrastination can.

If you rid your garden of procrastination, you’ll have no regrets, and you’ll have a garden that you can share with others because it won’t be just in your mind, it will be a reality that you can sit in, stroll through, harvest from, and garden in.”

She stopped speaking momentarily, giving me a few minutes to reflect on what she had said. I hastily made some notes so I could remember this secret exactly as she told it to me.

Then she summed it up in just a few words, “Banish procrastination from your garden”.

With those final words, she rose out of her chair and headed toward the door. As she crossed the threshold, she turned and said, “If it is okay with you, I’d like to come back occasionally to see how you are doing with your garden, and perhaps share other secrets with you.”

I nodded yes and encouraged the old woman at the door to return whenever she wanted to. With that assurance, she headed down the driveway and disappeared around the corner. Before I could wonder how she got to my house, she was gone.

I suddenly could not wait to get out to the garden. I went back to my bedroom and changed into a comfortable pair of loose khaki pants with mud stained knees and my favorite old green sweatshirt. On my way out, I grabbed the hat I’d won in Austin and slipped on a pair of gardening clogs.

As I rounded up a hoe and a rake and headed back to the vegetable garden, I wondered if I would ever see the old woman at the door again.

Somehow, I knew I would.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: gardening, old woman, Secrets

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ProfessorRoush says

    April 3, 2011 at 12:34 pm

    Nice post, but I've just got to say it…."I'll think about that tomorrow." (in my best Scarlet O'Hara) voice.

    Reply
  2. Lisa at Greenbow says

    April 3, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    Ah yes. Mr Procrastinator wrestles with me often. This time of year I usually win. It is when he has the heat of summer or droughty time on his side that I don't win out. Great advice from that muddy-kneed lady.

    Reply
  3. Gail says

    April 3, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    Wise words from the Old Woman in hat and clogs at your door! gail

    Reply
  4. Melissa says

    April 3, 2011 at 4:37 pm

    That is so true for many things in life. I hope she comes back I think she has a lot to teach.

    Reply
  5. Mr. McGregor's Daughter says

    April 3, 2011 at 4:44 pm

    Can you send her over here to say it to me in person? I really need to have this one penetrate my thick skull.
    (BTW, the word verification is the incredibly apt "write." Your storytelling here is excellent.)

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    April 3, 2011 at 5:25 pm

    Great post! I need to stop reading your blog and get out there and garden. Ha ha

    MountainGirlVIntage.blogspot.com

    Reply
  7. Unknown says

    April 3, 2011 at 5:27 pm

    I have a little help in the procrastination area. If I don't do it before May here in Texas it is simply too hot for the baby plants to make it and me to get any work done after 10am without worrying about heat stroke

    Reply
  8. HolleyGarden says

    April 3, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    Very wise words, indeed. I need to put that on a sign somewhere. I hope the old woman tells us all her secrets. Maybe she knows how to reduce the weeds in my garden? Oh, right – that would be to get them out in a timely manner, and stop procrastinating until they have gone to seed!

    Reply
  9. SuzOH says

    April 3, 2011 at 8:59 pm

    Oooohh, I think she needs to have a talk with me. I procrastinate over everything until it's either a rush job to get things done, or it's too late. That's what happened last fall regarding putting out newspaper and mulch in the back garden. Now I have weeds to root out before I can plant.

    Reply
  10. Christopher C. NC says

    April 3, 2011 at 11:10 pm

    If you only get one or two things done in the garden, even having a long unfinished list that could extend out over several years and multiple seasons, you have triumphed over procrastination.

    Reply
  11. Kathy says

    April 4, 2011 at 12:37 am

    Thank you for those reassuring words, Christopher. Sometimes it truly is not procrastination, but either parents or children who need us more (for just one example).

    Reply
  12. Rose says

    April 4, 2011 at 2:36 am

    Ah yes, procrastination has affected my garden more than anything else. Very wise words from your visitor, Carol.

    Reply
  13. Gardening in a Sandbox says

    April 4, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    What a wise old woman she is. V

    Reply
  14. greggo says

    April 4, 2011 at 12:46 pm

    Procrastination comes from perfectionism. If we can't get it perfect we often don't do it at all. Sigh…

    Reply
  15. The Sage Butterfly says

    April 5, 2011 at 1:49 am

    That was a great way to get us all going! Sometimes when it is very cold outside, I don't really feel like going out there…even tho I must!

    Reply
  16. Alaina says

    June 5, 2011 at 1:30 am

    Funny as I read through the story I am agreeing with the old lady. Yep I procrastinate and I guess I am going to have to fix that. The other thing I was thinking, is this true or is this a story. If true, interesting old lady. If a story, you have me hooked, but can I ask, is the old lady you? I happened upon your blog in the list of top 50 gardening blogs, nice to have met you. I can't wait to read more about the old lady and see your gardens.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,053)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT