How Does Your Garden Grow?
Pleasure for an hour, a bottle of wine; pleasure for a year, marriage; pleasure for a lifetime, a garden. ~ Chinese Proverb
It's official, Spring is here! The sun is shining, the March rain has stopped, and even if you are not having optimal weather, it's time to plan, dream, and ponder this year's garden. How does your garden grow? In pots? Window boxes? Along pathways? Will you plant vegetables, herbs, fruits, or flowers?
Do you start with bulbs, potted plants, roots, or begin at the beginning with seeds? At a recent writer's conference, author M. Kate Quinn, gave away seed packets to introduce the first book in her "Perennials" series, Summer Iris (available in July).
This lovely and thoughtful gesture made me stop and take notice. Seed packets, with their pretty pictures and simple packaging, always catch my eye. I am intrigued by the possibility and strength hidden inside each tiny seed.
While it might be too soon to plant, the root of the fun is what grows in your imagination before you pick up a shovel. Even if you have had bad luck in the past, start anew this season with a few herb plants. They are inexpensive, easy, and tasty. Try basil and mint; but be sure to plant the mint in a separate area or in its own container, it likes to spread. Put these no fuss kitchen helpers in a sunny spot (indoors or out) and water regularly.
No matter the selection, gardening is not only a fun and healthy hobby - fresh air and mild exercise - it is a chance for meditation and quiet time with nature. Plan today, dig tomorrow, and enjoy how your garden grows!
What will you plant this season? Share your gardening ideas, selection, tips, successes and failures with us.
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
The comments to this entry are closed.
@Ruth: Oh my, we'll have to get you some good fertilizer and a strong pair of gloves! I like to see them grow, too. It is so rewarding to plant something one day and then on another, there is a beautiful bloom sunning itself.
Roses are my gardening challenge...I love to look at them, but can't seem to grow one to full bloom stage. Let's ask Tom!
Posted by: Luci Weston | April 2010 at 10:01 AM
Hi Luci!
I have the proverbial 'Black Thumb.' Plants talk to me and ask me, no they beg me, not to touch them, they are too beautiful to die. It is not from neglect, although that has been known to happen. It is from over loving them. We even had an automatic sprinkler system installed. You should have seen how their little petals and leaves applauded.
This year, as in the past, Tom the gardener will take control. He leaves me to weed the rose bushes! At least the roses can protect themselves!
Enjoy the great spring weather,
... Ruth
Posted by: Ruth Seitelman | April 2010 at 09:37 PM
@Bose: I know! Funny...I hope it isn't true.
@Rosemary: Oh no! I like to think the plants I kill are part of the greater experiment!
Oh the squirrels...while I enjoy watching them scamper around, they can be quite the pests. I use ground cayenne pepper on the bulb areas. It works, is natural, and won't hurt them, they just move on to another garden.
Funny you mention the planters, I am currently researching the new "self-watering" type. I think these could go a long way to saving time, water, and plant life.
Posted by: Luci Weston | April 2010 at 03:22 PM
Hi Luci!
My gardening failures are far too many to list here. I love using bulbs, but the squirrels seem to have other ideas for them.
I have my best luck with big planters on the deck and shade flowers.
Posted by: Rosemary | April 2010 at 01:28 PM
Wow, the Chinese only have one year of marital pleasure?!? Bummer.
Posted by: Bose | April 2010 at 12:10 PM
@kingbyriverk: 18 beds?! No wonder you can hardly move. Two years ago I planted 10 flats of Impatiens in one afternoon...like you this season, it was hard to get out of bed the next day. Obviously, we are over zealous gardeners! You are right though, it is a good gauge to see where you are on the fitness scale.
Posted by: Luci Weston | April 2010 at 11:48 AM
If you want to know how out of shape you are....start gardening. I cleaned out 18 beds this weekend and now I can hardly move. I need to mulch... but can't seem to find the energy. (o;
Posted by: kingbyriverk | April 2010 at 09:02 AM