Clouds tumbled across the sky so quickly, a kaleidoscope of color ebbed over the land. I was deep charcoal and shadowless and then brightly lit and squinting and then wet with fat rain drops, all in a matter of the few minutes it took for me to trot out to collect eggs and return. On my way back I stepped over my garden gloves, the same ones I’d stepped over every day for a few weeks now.
I keep seeing them there, lying like deflated, once-lively balloons. Drenched with rain and then dried by sun, several times over. A reminder that I’m not in the garden as much as I’m accustomed.
Our home projects have kept me in, our life kept me busy elsewhere. I’m ok with it as that’s all great stuff but, oh I miss full days turning soil, sunned shoulders. I miss intimately knowing every tuck and fold of my plot, being aware of every change. Today I walked barefoot on the straw paths, my tomatoes strangers.
Our seeds were planted later than ever before and yet they faithfully oblige. They feel that same tumult of cloud-sun-rain and magically leap out of the dirt. Until I am part of that soil, I will remain awestruck at the miraculous process: a palmful of seeds becomes a forest of nourishment.
ps No mama digs today. New column up next Monday.
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19 Comments
Um, YEAH! I looked at our raised beds today (teencey compared to the Capital-G-Gardening you do!) and said, Oh, holy crap, when did everything get so big? We need to eat more damn salad!
Rainy June = no watering required = really easy for me to kinda forget we have a garden.
I consider that a gift. 🙂
i ADORE that last photo! the sticks, the clouds, the sky, your hair :)!!!
you will be in the garden soon enough, years of soil ahead of you. good relationships take time, my friend.
ps. regarding last post: cant believe you can hear the creak from blocks away! how awesome! and yes, cant wait for pics this summer as i do love a good swimming hole!
@missoulagrace, I’ll buy lettuce from you! Or trade for eggs? Ours isn’t quite ready yet and I feel strange every time my aching-for-salad body buys a head at the market.
oh, and dont judge me by my spelling. he he
I second the love of that last photo. I can relate to missing your garden. We spent the last two summers in a rental where I scratched-in a little garden which was immediately devoured by chizzlers every time we left for a camping trip. This year, we have our own home and I am *so* looking forward to years of mega-gardening!
Oh, Lord, I wish I’d know how you are craving lettuce from your garden. I would have sent a crate to you with Joan. We are loaded this year, it’s growing everywhere in the craziest of places. Arugula, too.
It’s truly wonderful how seeds oblige us regardless of our neglect. I guess there is a lesson of sorts in that somewhere.
Are your walls glowing? 🙂
I am working in my garden, yet I am jealous of your painted walls and the work going on in your new place.
Enjoy!
We’re in a suspended garden time warp at the moment. We’ve nearly filled all our beds, and now it’s winter there’s not much to be done. Although there is some more rearranging to be done, as plants that were quickly thrown somewhere temporarily finally move to their real homes.
Grape vines need to move (as they sit right in the middle of a path and inside 2 garden beds that we can’t finish!
Asparagus crowns need to be planted in one of those beds.
Raspberry patch needs preparation.
I guess I should enjoy it while we can, come spring the planting will be full steam ahead and we won’t have a moment to think.
We have been enjoying our first harvest of rocket (arugula) from our patch, even though it’s in the middle of winter we’ve been eating salads whenever we can. Maybe we could make a pesto.
You’ll get back to it. In the mean time I’m so enjoying the transformation of your new home!
Beautiful. I wish I had your confidence in what in doing!
Always gorgeous in your garden 🙂
One day that all new place will be permanently engraved on your soul.
So fabulous to learn new soil. Enjoy it all up – it looks great.
Isn’t it great how the garden just accomodates to what we do? I, too, was a bit late with seed-starting some things this year, but things are coming along. We do more flowers than vegetables, and just now the breadseed poppies are beginning to do their thing, along with yarrow and some lilies. Now it just needs to stop raining so I can sit outside to take it all in…
I loved your tomatillos–I meant to grow soem this year, but forgot to buy seeds. Next year, as we love salsa verde!
love your blog x
The Thing That Should Not Be
An excellent resource of information I will certainly return to check on the latest posts
Beast of Burden
Plenty of time to garden….there is only one of you after all!
I actually have a thriving tomato plant this year!….I have not been able to grow a good one since we moved here, we’ll see?
Not long now & I will be with you all…I am counting the days, literally!
xoxo, Mom
I’m a new gardener and didn’t know how awesome it feels to spend your day with dirt covered hands! I loved planting abd weeding and watching it all sprout, but no it all really getting big and a little crowded. Plus I’ve got bugs eating my squash! I’m a little frustrated and wishing I knew more. I guess it’s a process. Next year I can try to fix this years errors.
@Judybusy, So great! Gardens are faithful friends, always there for us.
Love you !
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