Kukka by Sally Kilgore: Retreat

Fate, TX (May 15, 2025) – A pleasant May morning and I am out in the dayspring, listening to birdsong. The feathered kids are cheerfully feisty this morning. Mama Cardinal has been sipping at the hollowed-out watering stone near the Kitty Memorial Garden, and Papa chipped his clipped lingo at the end of the wall for a bit, then landed on the larger bird bath for a little splashing.

I heartedly reap the rewards of my labor in this sanctuary. In this serene and pleasant retreat, we enjoy myriad species of birds. I hope to again spot a beguiling Painted Bunting this year. Such a sighting is a thrill. Water birds out in the ponded fields beyond our perimeter add their ruckus to the morning chorus, and the peacocks down the lane are moaning in a catlike howl.

I was mortified at dusk last evening to realize one hummingbird feeder had gone dry and the other was yucky. Sorry hummers! Pretty sure I missed attending to that. Washed and waiting, they were filled and hung back out this morning before I had my coffee (but after Bob Kilgore had his kitty treats!)

The garden is a bit quieter in brilliance this week. Drift roses were fully deadheaded and given a haircut last week, so there is but a small smattering of roses on them. The Drifts will begin again in earnest soon. A trouper, the Peggy Martin rose is still blooming, but she is nearly played out, as she is a heavy overachiever in first bloom. Now she has a sweet sprinkling of pink blooms crowning her arch. Soon she will show only rich green on her arching canes.

The clump of early Summer Phlox is taking center stage with fuchsia pink poufs topping sturdy, lavish green stems. “Lookie here” they seem to say, and my eye is certainly drawn in their direction.

Catmints are still large poufy rounds with purple spears and a delightfully herbal scent. Four have been trimmed around the base, so they use a bit less footprint, this will also keep them bushy. Three more will need trimming soon.

Here and there, the Society Garlic wave perky purple heads in the early breeze. Lemon Balm mounds up near the Kitty Memorial Garden. Rub a leaf or two in your fingers and a fresh lemon scent tickles the nose. I am convinced that The Mildscape, planted with several herblike perennials (Catmint, Garlic Chive and Society Garlic, Lemon Balm, Lemon Thyme) is armed to keep mosquitos at bay. When others are voicing their mosquito woes, we will have only an occasional pest.

Bees buzz in warning as I step to breathe in the enchanting fragrance of the Easy Does It Roses. There is a rift in my quietude as I glance at the plants beneath Buddy – an East Palatka Holly. I’ve spotted a broken bird egg nestled near yet another Catmint. Did it fall from the nest or was it snagged by a predator bird? It’s all within the same cycle that takes me round and round. The cold, gray ground of winter, the green sprouting forth in early signs of the spring to come, small, rounded plants and stems springing up in the early weeks, the absolute glory of the luscious first blooming.

Today the garden is quieter, not as riotous as two weeks before. With its curving borders and studded with round green bushes trimmed low, so that the bloomers are surrounded by guards as they continue on to summer show. She shared her vibrant youth, and I beheld it in awe. A few weeks later, I step out and am embraced with a strong, steadier beauty to carry me through as the days move towards summer heat. Here remains a rich elegance, a calm beauty.

Alas, the most peaceful of retreats require a bit of maintenance attention. Time to rise from my musings and use a hose sprayer to apply a burst of energy on all the bloomers, so that the garden will continue to grace us with her charm. And to wash windows with a Windex hose sprayer that I purchased approximately eleven months ago. I’m more creative these days than efficient.

After those two jobs were completed, power washing the patio seemed the logical thing to do. We have a cheap power washer, because we need one so rarely. There is nothing intuitive about getting the thing running. It ticks me off – every single time I must ask the B.O.B. to help me get it going. The power cord is stiff, as is the hose attached to the sprayer. It is awkward and a pain to use. Finishing the chore, my attempts at winding the cords and finding places to secure them to the unit was a hot mess. It was the last straw. I lost my Zen. The B.O.B. will wrap up those stinkin’ stiff cords and stow that piece of…stuff away.

I shall sit here to regain my tranquility and then retreat to a cleansing shower. I’ll return outside to enjoy this cool, breezy day. A day too delicious to waste on anything but to be outdoors. I see a patio snooze in my future.

Sally Kilgore is a resident of Fate. She is married to her long-time flame, Judge Chris Kilgore. Sally’s work has been published in the Dallas Morning News, Blue Ribbon News, Persimmon Tree, and Orchards Poetry. She writes a blog on her website, SallyAKilgore.com. You can contact her by email via her website. 

Provided photo.

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