Gardening Isn't Always Joyful

I have to chuckle at a bit of an inside joke about that title. Our garden club, affiliated with the Northwest Perennial Alliance, chose the name Joyful Gardeners when we formed some years ago. I never liked it, thought it was far too unclever. I am passionate about gardening, but it is not always joyful.

Like yesterday. I was doing a job that I don't like, but like the results of, cleaning up the flower stalks and yellowing foliage of scilla, or wood hyacinths, that spread like weeds, are lovely when they bloom along with the tulips, and then quickly go to ugly. 

I was working in the rose bed, at the base of the bird house post.

Last year we had chickadees in this bird house, which I loved. I hadn't seen them this year. 

 We decided that this was a good place to put our rented Mason bees this year. They are friendly, non-aggressive bees, so I was quite startled when I was suddenly under attack by a bee that was insistent on getting to my head or face.

I fought it off but it was persistent, and despite my flapping and screaming, it stung me on my left eyebrow. 

Well, I knew that wasn't going to turn out well. I swell up grandly from bee stings. That was yesterday morning. This is me today. 

Turns out Tom knew there were yellow jacket wasps in the bird house, and had mentioned it to me, but it hadn't registered. Now I know. 

I abandoned that job, applied some ice, and took a Benadryl, and then went back to work in another part of the garden for the rest of the morning. Of course the Benadryl made me groggy, so I didn't get much done the rest of the day. 

So now I get to go around looking like this. It hurt yesterday, and now today it itches. Such fun.

Gardening is not always joyful. 

Now, if you haven't already done so, be sure to scroll down to see the post about Heronswood, the result of other passionate gardeners.