Spring is Springing
Most of my friends and family already know that I love fall, winter and spring better than summer. And sometimes I have to make myself be excited about spring because I know it will all too quickly be replaced by a summer that never wants to take its leave-a little like an uninvited house guest. Our quieter winter days have been replaced by busier spring days with a long list of chores to do outside. At first, I know I’m just not ready but start trying to get interested in outside work because it has to be done whether I want to or not. But gradually, as we see daily changes in the activities of the animals, the woods, and every living thing that is beginning to pop up, I, too, get excited about spring. Who wouldn’t?
Every day, the leaves on the grape vines are larger and more numerous. In fact, yesterday I saw the beginnings of tiny, tiny blooms that were a total surprise at this stage. The olive trees have flowering buds that are plumping up and the roadways are beginning to come alive with wild purple spiderwort and some sort of sweet yellow daisy like flowers. They have afforded me my first bouquet of spring flowers and they could not be prettier if they had been purchased at a florist.
The seeds we planted in the gardens are sprouting and we have perennials we planted last year that are starting to bloom. I am so excited about the ten or so blooming stalks that have come up on the foxglove. They are gorgeous. Recently, I attended a plant sale at our local Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern and was able to purchase a number of perennials that are now planted. One goal I have had on my gardening list since last year is to plant some lavender. That tiny project was finished after Mike prepared the spot for me and I put the plants in. It is supposed to be a variety that works well in this area but we will have to wait and see if the advice I received is reliable.
Some of the perennials we have planted are perfectly positioned outside my favorite window where I sit to stitch so I look forward to days of enjoying those from the inside when it is too hot to stay out very much.
The animal world is also on the move. The birds are nesting and actively hunting for food to feed their babies. Occasionally we see unusual species who are just passing through our area on their annual migration. The hummingbird feeders are clean and filled and feeding the earliest of the season’s hummingbirds. In the evenings, we are mostly seeing the bucks with their small velvety new racks eating our corn. I can only guess that the does are in the process of delivering this year’s new fawns. It’s always exciting when we see the little ones staggering up to the corn with their very hungry mamas.
So, finally I will begin to fully embrace the new season and willingly plan some time as soon as possible to do some weeding around the creeping jenny and perennial beds. They are doing their part and now I need to do mine. I always wanted to be a real gardener but knew that I have often been a reluctant one. I know to drink in all the beauty and excitement of this time of fresh new growth. Each part of the season will bring its own gifts at the appointed time. I am currently reading a book entitled The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson. It is mostly a memoir of his finding a home in the beauty of his surroundings near Nashville. Now I will try to remember the following, along with many other wise thoughts, when I am frustrated with dirty broken fingernails and a sore back. Hopefully, it will encourage you to also find a spot even if it is just a window box to enjoy the pleasure of watching something beautiful grow.
“A teaspoon of garden soil contains hundreds of millions of microbes, which means that gardeners tend to have a wider variety of gut bacteria. One of those is called mycobacterium vaccae which, when it gets under your fingernails, releases serotonin in your system. Serotonin is a natural anti-depressant that also happens to strengthen our immune systems. According to Sue Stuart-Smith, in her book The Well-Gardened Mind, our bodies experience healing merely being near the color green, and “nature’s restorative effects on the cardiovascular system are demonstrable in the body within a few minutes.” It’s crazy, but it’s almost like God knew what he was doing when he made humans to be gardeners in the first place.”
Happy Gardening!