Saturday, February 1, 2014

Pretty close to an obsession


My thoughts are consumed with my garden this year.  I haven't planted one in two years and this has weighed heavily on my heart. 
 
One of the two main garden plots that I have lovingly tended over the years currently appears forlorn and forgotten. It has ripped and sagging deer netting - destroyed by a persistent barrage of deer-bullies last year who devoured the entire strawberry patch. The ground itself is so overgrown with grass and weeds, it is almost impossible to recall a vegetable garden ever being here.
 
But this will change.  The deer netting will be restrung and the earth will be turned.  Seeds will be planted and my hands and heart will remember the healing this soil brings me. 
 
I've always considered gardening my own personal form of therapy, so to have gone for so long without touching the earth, well, it doesn't speak highly of my current mental state. Heh. 
All joking aside, though, every morning I look for signs that the ground beneath my feet is warming.
 
I'm skimming less and less ice off the stock tank in the mornings.
 
Though the persistent frost still coats everything through late morning, the beautiful red rhubarb tips pushing through the earth are more visible each day.
 
I have garden thoughts saved on my phone, pieces of paper, scrawled with seed and plant names, scattered on surfaces throughout the house, and piles of gardening catalogs with corners of pages turned down.  I have seed orders planned (Wintersown.org, Territorial Seed) and am investigating new raspberry canes and blueberry bushes. I want to plant asparagus.

I am ready. I am anxious to try again.

A couple days ago, a sweet friend bought me a few seed packets from a local market, knowing how happy this would make me. With the exception of the Titan sunflower, the seeds are all early season plants that should go into the ground in the next four to six weeks.  I'd plant them tomorrow, if I could.

Beau says he doesn't care which variety of garden pea I plant this year, he's just excited that I'm going to be spending time outside again.  Me, too, Beau.

20 comments:

  1. I couldn't agree more! I have seed packets all over the place, waiting waiting. Soon!!!

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  2. Good for you! I am anxious to get my hands in the dirt too. Not quite as ambitious as you, but I have some plans..Just getting more daylight in the day is a blessing.

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  3. Im so happy you're back!

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  4. Will be great to see you gardening again, and remember...

    "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."
    Marcus Tullius Cicero


    Libbie :@

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  5. I love that you're blogging again! Yay! I've missed you!

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  6. Danni...you need a bigger skimmer!

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  7. I want to have a couple of raised beds this year, which I've never done. The drought here in California is so seriously bad that I hope it doesn't drive our farmers market folks out of business. What shall I plant? I have no idea.

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  8. Can't wait to see your beautiful garden progress. Glad you are back at it again. :-)

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  9. We're all excited that you'll be spending time outside again, too. Vegetables + blog fodder = more posts!

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  10. I've gathered from Facebook that you have an ailing loved one. Welcome back to the blog world and I'm with you on the pain.
    A fan...

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  11. Happy to hear you will get back to your love of gardening soon. Digging in the soil and planting has always been great therapy for me as well. Come on Spring!

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  12. It must be catching. We will be putting in a "real" garden for the first time in many years. I completely understand needing to touch the earth.
    Congrats on being back to your blog. Oma Linda

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  13. Danni,
    Gardening and yard work are my therapy too. I look forward to seeing the progress in both of our gardens this year!
    Thanks for sharing.
    /Barb

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  14. Oh I would also love to start new gardening season, but still nothing. We are still covered in snow and ice.
    Beau poses like a movie star ♥♥♥

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  15. So glad you are back! What was the name of those tomatoes you grew a few years ago. You sent me some seeds and they grew beautifully. One variety had a Germanic type name.

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  16. Hi Martina!!
    I shared 3 varieties: EggYolk cherry, Starpit Imperial, and the lovely German cherry tomato, Riesentraube. Was that the one that grew so well for you? Did you save seeds? If not, I can send you more for this season if you'd like to grow it again.... :-)

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  17. Ah, the overgrown garden plot--I've been there--good for you for not being intimidated! Gardening is the best excuse to enjoy the perfect weather of early spring. I hope those chiogga beets grow well for you, they look dazzling on a plate.

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  18. Too bad you can't take down the deer fence and short tie the goatie boys on your garden plot. They'd have those weeds down in no time.
    Gardening is so cathartic. I hope you enjoy every minute of it this spring!

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  19. It was the Starpit Imperial (I remembered it as armpit-argh!) and Reisentraube. I would love some seeds! Do you want (pretty/not edible) Japanese lantern starts or crocosmia corms to grow? There are oodles around here. Please send email, I lost your addy.

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  20. Glad to read you are planning to get your hands dirty again this year. The photo of your rhubarb is excellent. I had no idea you could see the tips in Februray.

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