I feel like gardening has been my obsession lately.
Aside from even my own efforts on the home front, I've been having weekly dates with my sister-in-law to work on her yard (involving a LOT of dirt, sweat, and the removing of nasty stinky tropical plants) and helping out other friends with some email advice and the passing on of useful websites. Everywhere I go I find myself looking at plants, whispering their names under my breath, wondering if anyone would notice if I dug just one of those baby plants over there to add to my yard or garden...I've just got greenery on the brain, I guess.
I admit that over the winter I really missed my routine of waking up, reading my Bible, and then going out at dawn to check my plants and hand-pollinate my squashes and pumpkins. I've found myself falling back into the routine quite easily. I love walking between rows of dew-wet plants, seeing the babies growing or new flowers opening. I love the peace and quiet and cool humidity before the sun is fully up, waving aside new spider webs, listening to the birds...and then coming back into the house with the hems of my pajamas wet.
I have a few empty spaces in my beds that represent failed experiments, but my tomatoes, dakota squash, beans and peppers are all thriving. So are my cucumbers but I'm afraid to get too excited because I've never grown those before and I don't want to be too sad if they die.
Does anyone know what this shrub/tree is called? I can't figure it out. Whatever it is, it smells amazing and is a bee magnet, which will be nice when we get our bees...today! My husband has spent the last few weeks building his bee boxes, frames, and stands and today he actually gets to go pick up the fellas. And her royal majesty. I know it's weird, but I don't really like honey. But I'm excited about other things, like making beeswax candles and whatnot. Plus I could use the pollinators, because hand-pollinating squashes makes your hands smell DISGUSTING afterward.
Some prettiness. My first snow peas, and my first sunflower. *sigh*
The above is my idea of organic pest control/character building. Of course, I did tell them I'd pay them 10 cents per armyworm or grasshopper they caught. Bad idea--I think I owe them something like 15 bucks altogether now. Of course, it's better than pesticides or worse--having to pick off the worms myself.
Between gardening and birthdays (more on that later) I haven't had any time for sewing. But it's sort of nice to emerge from the fabric cave and feel the sun on my face again.
5 comments:
I'm so envious of your imminent beekeeper status! That is ubercool! And I so approve of your non-pesticide tactic - keeps 'em busy, too!
yes, indeedy, and i do thank you for all your help! i have enjoyed our weekly dates :)
your garden looks like something out of a book. so pretty.
....and do my eyes deceive me or are xander's pants ripped from his ankle all the way to his thigh?!
your eyes do not deceive you--the funniest thing is he refuses to throw them away! I guess they're like ventilated pants now. my little white-trash children...
Jenn, I wish I knew what that shrub was called--I am familiar with it in that it smells like my childhood summers--it lined the path to the pool where I had swimteam practice as a kid. If you find out, let me know? BTW, I am envious as all get out of your garden--I have such a black thumb!
The Shrub is called a wax leaf ligustrum or wax leaf privet tree.
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