Gardening and Grief

Gardening and Working through the Grieving Process

My father died May 1, 2015. He hadn't planned to do so, of course. Ever since then, I have been working through the five-stage grieving process--or seven-stage, depending on which model you choose to observe.

While I've been tending the container garden area, the main garden lies almost dormant this summer -- except for the asparagus plants and what I affectionately call "mystery squash": various squash seeds were started, and I failed to label them.

While I have been mourning my father, the main garden, sadly, has suffered from neglect: the weeds have taken over, the soil has not been enriched lately, and I've not planted anything new. Yes, El Niño has certainly played a role, with the torrential downpours that have occurred until recently, but still: grief has invaded the main garden.

By Angelsharum (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

As I move into the acceptance phase of grieving, it is time to reclaim the garden.

In the cool of the morning or in the evening, accompanied by the cool, reassuring presence of Spirit, it is time to pull weeds. Yes, Ralph Waldo Emerson did say the following about weeds: "What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." Be that as it may, as I cast away weeds, I cast away regrets, the "might-have-beens," to be left with the good, loving memories of my father.

It is time to feed the soil, to nourish it, for fulfilling the promise of a vibrant, vital autumn garden: a second harvest and a second chance.

It is time to begin today.

By tending the garden, I tend my soul as well as my father's legacy: the lessons of love I have learned from him and his contributions towards making the world a better place. In his memory, I till the ground and plant the seeds of a promising tomorrow. Namaste and Blessed Be.

Dreaming of a Spring Garden

Spring Vegetable Garden: Dream Big, but Start Small

Ahhh! Spring is here at last! It's time to shake ourselves out of hibernation mode and start digging in the dirt.

As with every year, I have a lofty aspiration of creating the vegetable garden that will surpass all others. This is a hopeful season, after all. In order to keep this goal realistic and manageable, I have created a path to get the garden to where I want it to be this year.

1. Test the garden soil: done. The garden soil's N-P-K ranges have graduated from depleted to deficient. We're making progress here!

2. Add soil amendments to the garden soil: in progress. Recent heavy rains are delaying this chore a bit, but we do need the rain so no complaints here. This year I'm adding blood meal (for nitrogen), bone meal (for phosphorus), and numerous, about a hundred or so,  Nori sushi roll wrappers, cut up (for potash), as well as good ol' reliable compost.

3. Plant snow peas, carrots, and Swiss chard (the rainbow variety) in the container garden area: mission accomplished.

4. Plan the main garden with an app: done. For a list of great gardening apps, you can't go wrong with Gardenista's "The Top Ten Gardening Apps You Need Now." 

5. Start tomato, cucumber, and squash seeds: partially complete. Some of the seedlings didn't make it, so I'll try again this weekend. I also want to start some pepper seeds--both hot and sweet varieties--at this time. One thing I really want to do is to start at least 90% of my plants from seed myself,  rather than rely on bought transplants.

6. Feed and mulch the blueberry planter box: done. I used pine bark mulch since the blueberry bushes are acid-loving plants.

7. Feed and mulch the strawberry plants: in progress.

8. Transplant the four citrus trees--Meyer lemon, key lime, grapefruit, and kumquat: mission accomplished. The trees are looking happy.

9. Transplant tomato, cucumber, squash, and pepper plants: in about a month to six weeks' time.

10. Keep the compost pile going: this is a continuous project.

11. Plant green beans, wax beans, collard greens, and basil: in a few weeks.

12. Mulch the main garden: in about six to eight weeks' time. This will cut down the weeding headaches tremendously.

13. Put a comfortable lawn chair near the garden area in order to relax and bask in the garden: soon, very soon.

Here's to making garden fantasies a reality! Happy Gardening!

By Spedona (Spedona) (Cliché personnel - own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

This is close to how I envision my garden in the making.

Basil: Herb of the Month

Basil, Take a Bow: Herb for July 2014

Each month, I'll be featuring a herb, chosen seasonally but otherwise randomly. This month, the herb of honor is basil, or Ocimum basilicum L. 

By Quadell (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Basil 

Basil is easy to grow and difficult to kill: an attractive feature for beginning gardeners and seasoned gardeners alike. Basil is easily sprouted from seed or transplanted from established plants.This herb prefers a sunny spot in the garden; water once or twice a week to keep the plants healthy without diluting the essential oils that give basil its characteristic aroma and taste. There is no need to fertilize the basil plants: less is definitely more here. Grow basil and tomatoes together: basil is an excellent partner in companion planting. 

By www.openfootage.net (http://www.openfootage.net/?p=386) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Of course, basil is an essential ingredient in pesto: this recipe is a great one to try. I also like to make a basil vinegar that can be used to make salad dressing or marinade. Here's the recipe: 

Basil Vinegar

2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed well and slightly bruised
4 cups white vinegar

Place basil leaves in a gallon-sized canning jar. Heat the vinegar until it is hot but not boiling. Pour the vinegar over the basil leaves. Close the canning jar and give the jar a good shake or two. Let the vinegar steep for one month; shake the contents every few days. 

Strain the vinegar; compost the spent basil leaves. 

Bon appetit! 

Friday the 13th Fears? Create Your Own Lucky Garden

Bring Luck to Your Garden with Lucky Plants

There's nothing like the appearance of Friday the 13th to jangle the superstitious nerves of folks and to cause a fear known as Triskaidekaphobia. Of course, luck--good or bad--tends to be what we make of it, and we can create our own luck, rather than be doomed to a self-fulfilling prophecy of ill fortune.

As gardeners, we can invite good luck into the sacred space of our gardens. Here are but a few ideas to help facilitate good luck and prosperity in the garden.

Edible Vegetables Associated with Luck and Prosperity

Beans
Cabbage
Eggplant
Lettuce
Peas
Pumpkin
Spinach and other greens
Sunflower (seeds)
Tomatoes (yes, I know that botanically, tomatoes are fruits: let's run with this)

By Sengai Podhuvan (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Edible Fruits and Nuts Associated with Luck and Prosperity

Almond
Bananas
Blackberries
Figs
Grapes
Hazelnuts
Kumquats
Lemons
Orange
Pears
Pineapple
Pomegranate

By Rosendahl [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Edible Herbs Associated with Luck and Prosperity

Basil
Chamomile
Dill
Garlic (more to ward off bad luck so that good luck can arrive)
Ginger
Oregano
Parsley

By H. Zell (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Non-Edible Plants Associated with Luck and Prosperity

Aloe vera
Bells of Ireland
Bluebell (not the ice cream, although eating some Blue Bell ice cream while hanging out in the garden couldn't hurt)
Clover, especially the four-leaf variety
Daffodil
Honeysuckle
Money plant (also can be and is often grown indoors)
Periwinkle
White heather

By Phyzome under the GFDL. (Phyzome) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Do you have any other plants in your garden that you would consider lucky? Please feel free to share in the comments section.