The Garden Year Perspective

The whole point of making plans is to gain perspective, isn’t it? To figure out what we are going to do, in what order we will do it, and what we hope to accomplish with all that effort.

Garden planning is no different.

Since I’ve gotten older and many of my priorities have shifted, the way I plant my garden has also changed. I used to carefully plot out the garden pictures in borders and order my plants and seeds in January, then start seeds in late February, and begin a mad gluttony of planting, plant buying, and long workdays in spring. The gardens would be beautiful. Now, I have many trips outside the state to visit family, and to take the vacations that make up for the complete lack during my childraising years. Those were lean years, and a direct cause of why I spent so much time in the garden: gardening was inexpensive (I slow gardened and divided and seeded my way to gaining garden plants), home-centered, relatively permanent accomplishment (compared to the time my floors remained clean). I had strength and energy resources that I do not have now.

Now I have restrained my borders to much smaller spaces around the house and use containers for desired color.

I am not starting seeds this year, once again.

I refuse to feel guilty about letting my local businesses let their greenhouses do the work.

I also tend to stick to the plan that I cannot buy more plants until I have completely planted those I purchased. It restricts my gardening, but then it reduces my guilt over wastefulness.

I have decided that I’m going to give the vegetable garden a go again, with improvements. This year I think I will lime the beds. I don’t usually, but I think it will improve the veggies.

I also want to cover crop some parts with nemotode repelling marigolds. It will be pretty and might make the ground good for brassicas again.

After traveling so much last year, the plan is to be home more this year, which will be good for my garden. A garden needs tending, consistently and diligently. But such chores offer an opportunity to think, to find the restorative comforts of natures, and to get in touch with the soil, plants, and listen to bird song. I find that this is more of what I want in my life this year.

My plans have become more vague and less of something that you put to paper. They are made of dreams and of past memories that urge me to participate in the garden work not so much for the outcome, but more for the moment.

And that is my plan.

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© 2013 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal by Ilona E. An excellent blog.