Handz N Dyrt Chronicles: Musings of a Suburban Gardener || The Perfect Getaway - My Own Garden

 I had a difficult day at work. The type of day that compels me to let out a primal scream in the main hallway after all of the students have been dismissed. I chose to holler at the top of my lungs in my car instead, as though I had been set on fire. Then I drove away from campus to the local garden store. I needed to spend the remainder of the day in the garden. 

I knew I needed to decompress in a big way. Retail therapy does not always have the favorable turnout you'd think; buying shoes and clothing that I do not really need can sometimes bring on more stress later. But visiting the garden store with a small, intentional budget, I was able to choose 4 pots of purple daisies that were on sale. Driving home from the shop, the jazz playing quietly through the car stereo speakers, my anxiety slowly began to diminish and my excitement for spending time in my happy place exponentiated as I got closer to home. 

Ranunculus add joyful bursts of color to the garden. 

I didn't bother to go inside; I carried my plants and other belongings to the yard and immediately got to work. I took a look around the cutting garden and noticed that my ranunculus had all began to die. What happened?! Did they they get too much water, or not enough water? Did they need plant food? Did they need more sunshine? I had so many questions, because my ranunculus added so much color to my garden, and now the beautiful, bright hues were now dull and dried blossoms like thin shreds of tissue paper. It seemed their time had come, their season run as quickly as they arrived, the opulent bursts gone too soon. There had to be a reason. 

My ranunculus in the nascent spring was full of beautiful blooms, 
perfect for cutting. 

As I had researched, I was relieved to know it was not an aberrant thumb that caused my ranunculus to shrivel up and whither away, but the change of the seasons that told them, like Persephone's brief return, that their visit had come to an end. Their time is for the cooler season, around late winter into the earliest of spring. I am in Zone 8ish or 9ish, so they bloom brilliantly for a fast stint and then go back into hibernation, waiting for the next blooming season the following year. 
I noticed this from a ranunculus corm that reappeared from last year's planting in a garden near the side of the house. This flower pushed its way out of the mud and grew strong and tall this year, producing five very full flowers in pink and orange. I did not think it would ever grow again, but here it was, showing off among the rose bushes that had just began to bud. Seeing this made me hopeful, and it kicked me into high gear to decide what to do with the ranunculus corms that would be left from these flowers I now witnessed undergoing their own transformation.

Ranunculus are only around for a short part of mid to early spring. 

For now, I left most of the plants alone, giving them time to fully run their seasonal course until it is time for them to rest through the year. A few fresh buds were found on a couple of my plants, so I will get a few flowers soon. It is best just to wait until the ranunculus cease flowering, and then, either dig up the corms and store them, or trim the flowers down and let them stay dormant in the ground until next season. 

Pots of purple daisies ready to plant. 

I picked up a few pots of purple daisies to add the pop of color that was lost from the fading ranunculus. Although the color does not stand out as much, the deep, rich purple is an elegant addition to the landscape. Most of my flowers are purple, anyway. 
After I planted and worked on the flowers, I tended to seedlings in the raised beds and in the greenhouse. They sure are growing fast, and I hope to have flowers emerging soon on the zucchini, watermelon and other cucurbits. To my surprise, the carrots I transplanted are growing new, healthy green stems with leaves, and onions are beginning to show their slender shoots. 

Last year was quite a struggle with all of these crops, but because I began early in February, it is my hope that my growing season will be significantly extended, and that I will have a bumper crop of healthy fruits and vegetables. 

As the sun set, I enjoyed a quiet time in the greenhouse with a cup of tea, and let my thoughts melt into the peace and quiet while candles and fairy lights flickered, transforming the tiny shed into a beautiful lantern from outside. The wind began to bellow up, slightly rattling the panes, but no chill seeped through. It is a cozy respite in the cold and a cool shelter in the heat. All it takes is preparation and creativity to turn this simple dwelling into not only a safe harbor for growing and protecting plants, but a tranquil hangout to sit with a book and listen to your favorite tunes. 

A cup and a teapot are always at the ready in the greenhouse. 

Twinkle lights add nighttime magic.

Having a garden is the perfect way to care for your peace of mind; when I am tending to my plants, making plans, digging with my hands in the dirt and finding the wonders of growing things, I think of nothing else, for there is no time to do so: All that matters in the garden is the present. From watering thirsty seedlings to finding ways to prevent pests, everything is immediate, yet everything requires patience and waiting. One simply has no time to concern themselves with whatever troubles existed before entering this wonderful place where the clock stands still. People say, they go into the garden to lose their mind and find their soul. I like to say, my garden is the quickest getaway I can ever have. Just by walking through the gate, I am in a new place that seems far away from all of my cares and concerns. The garden is the place where hope lives. 

Do you have a garden? What is happening there as spring changes begin?

How is your garden your private getaway? Share in the comments below!

Handz in Dirt Chronicles: Musings of a Suburban Gardener || March 2022

 I have been avidly gardening for four years now...

...and keeping a journal about everything that grows, develops and dies in my garden. As the garden moves and transforms, so does life, and the ebbs and flows of time have become intricately blended in all that is sown and gathered in the soil. 

There was definitely the COVD-19 experience, along with social unrest, political upheaval and now a world in which democracy is once again in danger. But the garden remains constant; delivering lessons of hope, change and optimism. The magical and spiritual intertwine among the beauty and mystery of this heavenly place where flowers bloom and things, once thought lost to death, suddenly reappear with strength and brilliance. All beauty lives in the garden. 

It is Spring as I begin this entry. Spring is 4 days old in 2022, and my garden has grown from two small raised beds and few pots to a sprawling plot that now covers the entire south side of the backyard, with spots of raised beds in various areas near the patio and terrace (terrace-to-be). The grandest feature is now the greenhouse, where my son and I enjoy starting seedlings and plants and an occasional cup of tea. In the winter, it is a cozy refuge from the craziness in the world, a place to sit among the greenery, keep warm and listen to music flowing from our bluetooth speaker, sometimes well into the night. In summer once all of the seedlings are planted, the shade cloth, fan and cold mist keeps us cool as we sip rosè or lemonade to beat the heat.

March 23, 2022

We are ready to introduce our tomato seedlings into the newly turned raised beds. Because the soil had been so depleted from previous crops, these beds had to be completely pulled of old plants, the dirt sterilized with hot water, and new, fertile soil added. Vermicomposting is also a handy method for creating your own nutrient-rich soil by providing worms in a controlled location a variety of appropriate kitchen scraps and biodegradable materials. I have grown many of my worms this way; their casings are filled with plenty of nitrogen, making excellent food for plants. For the first time, I am using a worm composter to create worm tea. 

My husband built extensions to place on top of the short beds to make them taller; this way, the new seedlings will have more room to grow downward, making the root systems stronger and the tomato vines more able to climb and produce more fruit. 

As companions, tomatoes grow well with carrots, and since my bucket of carrots was turning into a crowded mess of twisted roots, I thinned them out, gently pulling them from the ground to transplant them in the new bed next to the tomatoes. I was surprised to find a red one and a few white ones growing. With the newly dug dirt, I hope they can find enough room to grow larger and deeper so that we can have a few delicious heirloom carrots. 

Seed: We all need room to grow, whether it is physical, spiritual or mental. Crowding only stunts development. If you want to root deep where you are planted, you must demand that space in a nurturing environment. It is a birthright. 

March 24, 2022

I told myself I would not spend too much time out in the garden this morning, but it can never be helped. When I returned from getting additional soil, I started on creating space for the pollinators to grow. Although I do enjoy picking up flowers from the store to plant, this time I spread quite a few seeds in the pollinator bed: Wildflowers, sunflowers and zinnias. This way, they can start growing in the ground. The other potted plants on the other side of the garden are beginning to bloom and attract a few friends. Bees love sipping a bit of water from the bee baths set up among the flower containers as they fly from bloom to bloom, and return each day to bury themselves into the sunflowers, purple sage and mint blooms. 

There was also quite a bit of watering to do, since spring temperatures are warmer and the sun now is higher overhead. With all of the colorful beauty and the warm spring weather, moving on to other responsibilities can be hard. I can easily find other ideas and motives that will keep me in the garden all day!

Seed: When something brings you pleasure, it is very hard to stay away. Run toward what brings you joy.

Being in the garden is always the best part of spring for me. Do you have plans to grow things this season? Share some of your ideas!