Gardening and Such

Gardening is therapy. I love the smell of fresh dark earth, after a rain, as I inspect seedlings for any sign of growth. When I am in the garden, time does not exist. Fortunate to live in a quiet neighborhood, conscious only of my connection with nature, gardening is like a form of meditation. As an artist, I find being in touch with the natural rhythms of nature crucial to my creativity.

In the paper towel, I am soaking morning glory seeds, which shall go into the ground tomorrow. I have planted many things already, and some are sprouting. Sometimes I dry flowers with my microwave dryer from Lee Valley Tools, which is a wonderful place for all sorts of unique items for home and garden. I like to follow the Farmer’s Almanac, as a guideline for planting.

Gardening in the foothills presents it’s own special challenges. Sometimes the length of time between frosts can be as few as ninety days, or we may see as many as 150 frost free days. Our altitude is approximately 1050 meters or 3500 feet above sea level. Combine that with dry Chinook winds, semi arid climate, and our proximity to the mountains, you have a shorter growing season. Yet with our long days of light, rapid growth is seen. Twilight lasts until well after 10pm.

My herb garden, and pots will be next, just as soon as I get some bedding plants. I have some herbs up already, which were planted last year. Then in the warm heat of summer, I shall sit on my patio, with a good book, and a huge glass of homemade lemonade, to enjoy the fruits of my efforts. Now that’s heaven!