Gathering from the garden
Nature is the perfect place to seek sanctuary. A walk in the woods, sitting by a stream, enjoying the sound of the ocean..... during this crazy time, none of that may be possible for many of us. But you can go out in your yard or your garden and bring nature's gifts inside to enjoy as you pass by during your day.
Just being outside and getting some sun has helped me tremendously with this quarantine. When I first started staying home, I took it very literally in my brain, and stayed inside, basically in a curled up ball all day. After a week of that, I had to snap out of it and thankfully it was gardening time so I have been spending more time outside and I can tell a big difference in my mood and my energy. Good medicine!
Last year my sanctuary was my flower garden. I loved being out in the rows of flowers while the bees buzzed around me and the only sounds were the birds singing, the horses across the street trying to get me to notice them and the geese in the pond honking. It was the calmest place on the planet for me.
I have loved flowers since I was a little girl. As soon as the first daffodils and Iris bloomed, I was out in the yard on Saturday mornings cutting flowers and bringing them in, finding the perfect vase from under the sink and putting them out all over the house. Always a vase by my bed, one on my mom's dresser, some for the living room, and some on the dining table. When the camellias bloomed, I took them to my teachers, floated some in bowls. My mom dd not have a green thumb and didn't really spend any more time outside than she had to, unless it was on the beach tanning. We did have those few bulbs that came from my grandmother (Who did have a green thumb) and we had the typical beach landscaping, cactus, azaleas and ornamental grasses. I made the most of what we had, because when spring came, I wanted flowers!
Now we grow our own vegetables and flowers and my happy place is digging in the dirt.
My roses are blooming right now, and they have never been so big or so fragrant. I fed them well last year, and it has paid off. I also cut all of that nasty landscape fabric away from them, and I think that helped. I read somewhere that it wasn't good for plants, and after seeing the packed gummy clay beneath, I can believe it! I will bring them in the house as long as they continue to bloom. When the Japanese beetles arrive, I'll cut them way back and have a second bloom after the beetles leave. What an irritating garden pest!
If you don't have a yard or garden with blooms, you can always pick up a fresh cut bouquet at a local farmers market or a grocery store. Its worth it to treat to yourself and have bright beautiful flowers in at least one room of your house!
If flowers aren't your jam, just set out a beautiful bowl of fruit or vegetables. Lemons, apples, limes are all really pretty sitting on a counter, even a bowl of peppers can brighten a space. In the winter, you can bring in branches and evergreens. There is always something out there. We grew theses figs last year, and I almost hated to eat them, they were so pretty on the table!
I picked up this garden journal last year titled The Mindful Gardener. It offers prompts for journaling and blank pages for drawing garden spaces and really helps to inspire me when planting. I want a garden space that also feels like a sanctuary. Gerry wants 100 foot rows of tomatoes, so this year we compromised. We have a small kitchen garden behind the house that I am now calling the beans and greens garden, and then we planted six 100 ft rows of vegetables where my flowers were last year for food, now that we have this pandemic it seems to make more sense to grow vegetables rather than filling those rows with flowers. Today I ordered more beans and peas. Cannot wait to sit on the porch shelling peas in the evening!
How is your sanctuary coming along? I am feeling better just writing this blog, moving away from Facebook has been the healthiest thing I have done for my brain in a long while...... tell me how you are finding your sanity in these times..... lets share ideas!!
3 comments:
After 10 weeks at home I am venturing out to the nursery tomorrow or the next day. I'll be masked and gloved and figure I can stay far away from people there. I just HAVE to get some plants for the yard and a new pump for one of the fountains for the birds to drink from. My other fountain is too close to the house for most of them.Oh How I wish I could have 100 foot rows of flowers or vegs. Growing up I always had gardens with my dad. He ran a water line down to the closest bed and built a little wooden house with a door atop a pole in the ground. That way you could pick anything, wash it off right there, and inside the little house was a salt shaker. Every tomato since has tasted like cardboard to me.
I really need some nursery therapy too. I cannot find a tomato anywhere to match the flavors of my childhood, even the ones we grow. They just aren't the same! We are growing six different varieties this year, I love me some tomatoes!
Though expensive - qvc has some great varieties from very reliable companies..
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