In the Garden

I've heard it said that a clean desk is the sign of a messy career. 

Well, I think that a perfect garden is the sign of a frazzled mind. You constantly go outside to tend to something you do have control over, you pick and toss weeds like you wish you could pick and throw problems, and you arrange things in perfect order the way you would if life were so easily disciplined. 

And it pays off. And gives you problem-solving practice. And offers you the solace of quiet to fume, sing, or pray. 

"I come to the garden alone..."

Praise God, my garden is prospering. Yesterday was another rainy day, and this morning when I went out to inspect, weeds were not the only tiny newcomers popping out of the soil. Now I can say that absolutely everything I have planted has sprouted and is growing. 

Even the phlox I transplanted from the side of the corn field have hit their prime. The mullein is growing taller as I pick off the under-leaves that have grown brown and shriveled, and the self-seeding dill continues to outgrow its box.

Today Mama and I went to Pine View Greenhouse in Richfield, an extension of an Amish farm, and bought flowers. I love snapdragons. So much. Phlox are my favorite Spring flower. I'll say snapdragons are my favorite Summer-Fall flowers. This is the third year that the ones we planted one year in the barn flower garden have re-seeded themselves to come back in copious amounts. I'm always picking grass sprouts out of their midst, and there will be a bounty of them again this Summer. But I got some that were already flowered for my backyard garden. The softest pink, pretty peach, and bright yellow. Also, alyssum. In honor of my little goat (whom I will be seeing in less than a week!) I've chosen Alyssum as her name, after the soft white color of her coat and her green-yellow eyes. 

Already, this "giant lily-of-the-valley," as Laurel and I refer to is as, is going to seed. But it has been so pretty! Especially after being rained upon or watered, with all the tiny droplets glittering on the leaves and dripping from the little globes.  (I just discovered that it's really called Solomon's Seal.)

I've marked every row with a titled tongue depressor. :P

And my Pablo and Mantilia lettuces are sewn in alternating rows, striping their whole pallet in green and red.

I have Scarlet Nantes and Danvers carrots planted in the main soil of my garden. They're the carrots I've always had success with in the past. Carrots, I must say, are my favorite thing to grow. Harvesting them is loads of fun: discovering the ones that have decided to twist around their neighbors, or finding the biggest and fattest of all. 

Along with them, I have my New Zealand spinach. I grew this last year, and loved it. While it is sporadic in how it sprouts- what with having many seeds that seem to not plan on coming up, but then appearing a week or two later- it tasted much better than any lettuce I've ever tried. Last year I would go out to the garden each morning to pick some for my sandwich to take to lunch at work. 

The lettuces I mentioned I am trying for the first time, having carefully read their descriptions in the Seed Savers catalog. Usually, lettuce turns out bitter and/or gritty around here... hopefully that changes this time. These are supposed to be "sweet", with one crisp and the other soft. 

Also among the rows in the pallets are my herbs:

Chives, cinnamon basil, globe basil, oregano, parsley, catnip, lemon balm, thyme, and culinary sage. I'm excited! I'll be doing a lot of research on drying herbs and saving seeds this time around.  

The marigolds guard the garden faithfully, placed all around the circumference of the stone border. I've noticed something has been turning a few of their leaves dark and nibbling them away. Either it's bugs, or a rabbit. But nothing has entered the garden and bothered its contents. I'm looking into protecting the marigolds, but at least they are doing their job in keeping pests out of the greens. 

The bee balm is coming back from last year, much bigger. It will have pretty dark red blossoms come mid-Summer. Here you can see it accompanied by pink morning glories Mama planted. The stone path is a project of Emma's we've both been working on: turning up the dirt between and around the playhouse and the apple tree, mulching, and planting flowers along the path. 

Emma's been extremely creative with her apple tree garden. The signs she's painted are so colorful, and she even painted rocks different colors with the titles of vegetables written on them for Mama to mark her own garden rows. 

Yes, the gardening is abundant... and very fulfilling. 

It feels wonderful to have the dirt under my feet and staining my hands. Seeing life erupt from the soil and grow with an eager will of its own. Let it continue to prosper!!

And I couldn't resist the other day: buying seeds for rosemary and broccoli... so those have to get plated tomorrow, too. :3