December 15, 2018
I just read about square foot gardening. It's a technique to increase crop yields. It involves making a ten foot square raised bed, dividing it into one foot squares, and then planting everything close together. They said that eliminating pathways allows for more produce production. That made me realize how much I enjoy my pathways. I wouldn't give them up even if all I could grow was flowers. They are where I belong..
Strolling along them is more important than crop yields. They take me through nature on a route to discovery, and make me a part of the beauty that I see. Cramming veggies so close together that they can't unfold to their maximum potential is not allowing their beauty to manifest. A huge part of gardening for me is creating beauty. My art is who I am, and I get to emulate The Creator..
December 16, 2018
I was sitting in the greenhouse yesterday, listening to the rain hammering on the roof, when a strong gust of wind peeled a plastic panel back. I threw a board up on it when it flapped back down and was really glad I was there to catch the beginning of what could have been a disaster. Sitting and listening to the rain has always been rewarding to me, but not as rewarding as this time. Shortly thereafter the sunlight burst through the clouds and lit up the garden like a Kincaid painting. Richard Kincaid was an artist with an incredible knack for making a canvas look as if it was lit from behind..
His use of light in is works was absolutely astounding. That kind of talent is thought of as a gift, so I was surprised to learn that he had a cocaine and alcohol problem. To be able to create such works of beauty should fill you with great joy, yet so many talented people succumb to the ravages of drugs..
December 17, 2018
I'm working less in the garden this winter, but enjoying the way it looks more. It's beginning to look more like where I walk the dogs every day. For me, this year, not having a manicured landscape is more comforting and real than the tidiness I used to strive for. I clean up small areas at a time and thoroughly enjoy them as planting zones, but I'm leaving all the area between them alone. The small tasks, completed on a daily basis, add up over time to present a large picture..
As in life, taking a small step every day, can yield huge results in a short amount of time. Getting only one wheelbarrow full of hay every few days reminded me of this. All the mounds and planting patches are now surrounded by it and the garden looks lit..
