A week of quiet

contemplation

It is one of my favourite times of year in the garden at the moment. I’ve been ignoring my gardening to do list, instead I am focused on growth that is occurring in the garden. Flower beds are filling with a green that is so fresh as perennials start to emerge. It feels like things are growing over night. Buds are forming on the roses. Delphinium spires are appearing and yes also a few obnoxious weeds. The thing that I like most about this time of year is that things are starting to grow into each other. Forming a mass of foliage and shortly a mass of flowers. Bees love mass plantings, it is makes foraging a one stop shop. I have plans to plant things in mass going forward to help make life easier for them. I notice that catnips of various sorts are flowering. They are a quiet warm up to what is coming. I loving watching a season unfolding.

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“Normalise going into a healing cocoon where you disappear for a period of time to be alone, read, listen to podcasts, learn to set boundaries and spend time in nature.

You’ll be a completely different human being when you emerge”

@the.holistic.psychologist

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I’ve spent the week cocooning. I’ve been in the house by myself. For the first time in a long time it has been just me and the dogs. We have a quiet rhythm the three of us and I embrace the cocooning tasks of reading, listening and spending time in nature. I want more of this. It feels like a much needed breath of fresh air.

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I look across the lawn under the washing line, in a space I hoped dogs, humans and birds would avoid. Thankfully it has worked. Seedlings are residing here, hardening off outside before I plant them in the garden hopefully this weekend. Actually if I am honest the number of seedlings I have it is very unlikely they will be all be planted this weekend. There are a lot and I don’t think I have the stamina. This year I’ve decided to adopt a remove a weed and plant approach. The more I read and learn about gardening the more I want to try and avoid having bare soil. I want my garden to be full and every inch of soil covered with goodness.

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“The best gardening, as I see it, achieves a tapestry of plants. All units touch or intermingle and no canvas shows through”

Christopher Lloyd