Day 16 - Plant something today!As I stated earlier in the week, today was a freebie for some of you... so many of my friends and family are "real" gardeners. I am not one of them but I have learned to enjoy "small" amounts of growing things. I actually have a "little" herb garden that I very much enjoy.
My plan today was to buy some flowers to put in a little spot in the back yard that we had a very small garden in during the spring but when I went to Target to get some impatients - they didn't have any so I was looking around and saw some strawberry plants. As soon as I saw them I knew they were going home with me. Strawberry plants again invoke memories of Pennsylvania, where I am from - My mom ( a real gardener) always had a few strawberry plants in her garden (remember Bettsy?) and when we would drive out into the country to pick black berries there were always some wild strawberries growing. So I scooped a few up along with a cilantro plant and a couple lettuces that were pretty and the above picture tells the rest of the story.
Did planting something make me feel happy? Yes, it did. I felt good about my little endeavor and had a feeling of satisfaction and anticipation. But mostly I can't wait to eat a couple strawberries.
Some Facts about the Benefits of Gardening:
(this is for you Cindy, Juliette, Bettsy and anyone else that is following that loves to garden)
1. Gardening Exposes you to Sunlight - This gives you healthy amounts of Vitamin D which creates healthy bones and slows progression of osteoporosis.
2. Gardening Keeps you Mentally Alert - When you garden you are on a journey of discovery, your are constantly learning and trying new things. It also exercises your mind and hands.
3. Gardening Benefits you Physically - 30 minutes of digging or shoveling burns 200 - 300 calories.
4. Gardening Reduces Stress - USF has researched how a garden reduces stress and has found that walking in a beautiful garden lowers stress levels. The more colors and smells there are the more peace and tranquility you will feel.
She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard. Proverbs 31:16
Tomorrow - call someone you haven't talked to for awhile (not e-mail or facebook!)
14 comments:
Paul's grandmother always says that there is something therapeutic about having your hands in dirt. Just a far off thought but maybe since we were formed out of the dirt there is something comforting for us (who knows?) ...I think there is also a little bit of a creator in all of us...we are made in the image of God and he is the master creator! So to plant something and watch it flower is not only rewarding but it allows us to bring life to something! HOw cool!! I like this one best...Oh and the dancing to Mamma Mia...Liked that one too! by the way...they are impatiens...Impatience is a little different (hehe) :)
yikes...sorry that comment above was "Chayil" not Chick-fil-A Waters...used wrong address LOL..although I'm sure that Chick-fil-A Waters would agree with you!
Okay... today's assignment was the most fun so far!!! Easy-peasy because it happened to be a day that I spent in the garden all day... Planted a few things, made some cuttings of a few things, watered, laid some mulch, weeded, pruned... ahhhh... THE.Most.Wonderful.Day. The weather was perfect, too. Being in the garden is my happy place! I say a big amen to all the benefits of gardening. Each is true and I'm grateful every single moment I can spend gardening.
Can't wait to see your strawberries... I'm so glad you are excited about taking care of your plants.
Today I waited especially late to see what others might write. I, again, spent from 8am to 4pm in the garden and am exhausted. I like being tired from the physical labor of it and want to have nothing in my brain to ponder. Hence I’m not sure I have any spiritual wisdom for the day to offer. I did have our grandson for the afternoon with me and Bill in the gardens and he loves playing in the dirt too. I was analyzing what I enjoyed doing and what I was glad that Bill was taking care of. I did get to plant some impatiens (Lowe’s has trays of them to the gazillions). But what I have enjoyed the most out of the weeks that we have been doing this is tilling the soil. I really like dirt and worms. It is laborious because of the all the roots and removing them one by one. And it is back breaking shoveling and carrying buckets of dirt to the ‘mountain’ we have created as we recondition the soil. I like the work of reconstruction and recreation not just the planting. I like to do the design, the choosing of the plants and flowers as well as their placement in the curves. I leave the actually planting mostly to Bill. The division of duties is working out well. He loves to plant the flowers.
As I dig in the soil, I have a few very bold lizards that follow along with me hoping that I will dig up a grub. When I do they come out of nowhere so close to me that I can touch them and they will not flinch or run away. They seem to know I will find them a grub and they wait. I will drop them 10 inches away from me and they come immediately to grab them. It’s like having your own National Geographic footage.
I was also transplanting bunches and bunches of society garlic. I don’t know where they will go but knowing that they are costly I would have been remiss not to try to save every last nodule. That took forever. I used the trays from the impatiens – 114 plants in all, to fill with dirt and put in the gentle sprigs. Now I have to plan where they will go.
I want my garden to be visually appealing and now that I have honeysuckle bushes, to smell exotic. I am looking forward to everyday that I spend outside transforming things. Remodeling or redecorating inside just isn’t the same. I think Chayil had it down – we are closer to God in a garden. You can feel life in the soil as it works through your fingers.
When you said ‘plant something’ I also thought of actual thoughts, and how would I plant a thought in our grandson’s mind that he would ponder. Well we do have a cute tale to tell. Bill told him to stay out of the compost (bagged, commercial) that was in the wheel barrow and do you thing he listened? Well after he played in it, I asked him if he knew what he had touched. Then I told him it was cow pooh pooh. Catch got the biggest grin on his face and I knew that it had been a great pleasure for him to play in the poop as opposed to the yuk he might have expressed. He is my grandson after all.
Here are some famous garden quotes –
"Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God ." -- Thomas Jefferson
"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."-- Abraham Lincoln
"Kiss of the sun for pardon. Song of the birds for mirth. You're closer to God's heart in a garden than any place else on earth." -- Dorothy Frances Gurney
"What is a weed? A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." – Emerson
I loved this one, Kathy! Yes! of course I remember our Pennsylvania strawberries! Sweetest on earth. Well, they seemed like it when I was very little! Those little wild ones where even sweeter than the cultured ones. On my walk today, I collected two cactis pieces and some wandering jew that someone trimmed and put out to die. When I am done here i am going to go out and put them in pots. I love your little strawberry garden! :)
Hi Chick-fil-A Waters! I love CFA so I'm glad I got a comment from there. :)
I agree even though I'm not an all the time gardener that it is peaceful to work with dirt and plants.
I just had to laugh at the "impatience" mistake. It just shows how little I know about plants and flower. Just the fact that I was looking for flowers at Target was probably another clue.
Thanks Chayil for being sweet and kindly pointing out the difference. I'm sure it gave you mom a chuckle. :)
Cindy,
I knew this would be a no effort day for you! You should have written this blog post. :)
As you look at those benefits of gardening you can see why people who spend alot of time in their gardens and yard are contented and happy people.
I'll try to remember to take a picture of the strawberries when they turn red and post them.
Juliette,
Once again I was reminded that they are impatiens not impatience and "real" gardener go to Lowes for their plants. :
I absolutely love the grandson story. What a little boy!
I will attest to the fact that your garden is visually appealing and has a wonderful smell. Those honeysuckles are amazing - I can't wait til this weekend when I can get some.
I love the Abraham Lincoln quote.
How did you know, Kathy?! :)
Bettsy,
It's so great to have someone that I can have memories with! You are really the only person that can remember those things with me. :)
Yes, those wild strawberries were so sweet!
Just had a feeling! ;-)
If you are going to try something new in the garden, go to a genuine plant nursery. I got my honeysuckle bush at Manny's on Hillsborough. Lowe's prices on standard items are higher sometimes than nurseries but they always have great trays of flowers and bags of compost!
I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, but I'm working at a nursery now. Three days a week (9-5). It is very physical stuff... good thing I'm used to working in my own garden for 10 hour days. Will explain later but thought you'd get a kick out of that.
meems
Wow, Cindy what a shock, not that you would work in a nursery, because I'm sure you love it but that you could take that much time. How is you garden handling this, there must be some jealousy.. :)
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