Walking the yard. For me walking the yard is not unlike prisoners getting out of their cells for an hour a day. When I walk the yard I leave inside all the things that can frustrate and distract me. Phones, kids, doorbells, my addiction (admitting it is half the battle right?) to Facebook and Pinterest, the dust on the piano, the dirty floors that have given up hope of ever being clean and windows decorated with nose smudges and fingerprints. But let's not forget about the fun distractions too! The half finished baby blanket, a braided denim rug, a pile of books which NEED to be read and the Harry Potter piano music I've wanted to learn. There is so much to learn and do that even inside the four walls of my home the fun stuff can feel daunting, but then I go outside.
Breathe in. Breathe out. If it's not too cold I kick off my shoes so I can feel the grass. I start on the north side by my new little strawberry patch. I check to make sure my plants are all still there. I have to check because between the new crazy dog (she is an entire story herself) and the gophers and voles who inhabit the field on the other side of the fence, plants sometimes disappear. Oh good, all still here. Have they grown since yesterday? I think that one has a new leaf. That weed needs to GET OUT! While I am contemplating my strawberries I hear a sound. Bees! Oh blessed bees! My little Granny Smith apple tree (I'd like to meet Granny Smith. I think I'd like her!) is full of blossoms. I watch the bees zipping from blossom to blossom willing more of them into the yard to work their magic.
Through the branches I see something blue waving me over. The flax is beginning to flower. I don't grow flax for any other reason right now than the masses of blue flowers. Maybe someday I'll learn how to use the stems to make some rough handmade linen but for now it's the flowers. Next to the flax is a new lavender plant. It's trying but the spot I picked might not be ideal so I'll have to keep my eye on it.
Next I go into my fenced garden. My fence has proved no match for the aforementioned dog. I grab the shovel and clean up a present she left me. Then I take the clear storage bins, which have been doing double duty as makeshift greenhouses, off my squashes, peppers and Atlantic Giant pumpkins. My peas are trying to climb the fence and I worry that maybe they are afraid of heights thus the reason they have stayed so close to the ground. I tell them not to be afraid as I move on to my carrots and onions. Not to brag but I can grow onions like nobody's business. I had to buy an onion last week because I finally used up the last of the fall harvest. That was depressing.
Now the east side of the yard. The plot ready for the giant pumpkins has a stray raspberry trying to set up camp. Mental note to offer it up to which ever neighbor wants to dig it up. The blossoms on the peach tree have started to fade but I can already see the swollen blossom ends that will eventually be a fresh peach pie. Thank goodness for bees! The raspberries look bedraggled. They need some fish emulsion for lunch. Yes, it smells as bad as it sounds but the plants love it so I'll oblige.
More aromas but the good kind this time. Garlic! Garlic makes you remember in spring that plants really will grow and those empty garden beds won't be empty for long. I planted my garlic back in October. In February, when it feels like the White Witch in Narnia has cast a spell of Ever-lasting Winter, the garlic is there with it's counter curse. Green in the garden!!! Spring will come again! Now in May the plants are almost 2 feet high. As I weed around them, the smell of the garlic heads hidden in the dirt sneaks up and reminds me I haven't eaten breakfast yet. I'd better hurry!
I try to avoid looking what was once my lettuce patch. Why did I rescue that dog? I'll drown my sorrows admiring the Bartlett pear tree that made our yard it's home. My fabulous brothers and sisters gave this tree to my husband to plant in memory of his dad who passed away last month. My sweet father in law was a farmer at heart. I wouldn't be surprised if he were walking the yard with me giving me gardening hint and tips from beyond the veil. We'll think of him every time we eat pears. I quick glance at my cherry tree. I run my hands over the plants in the herb garden. Lemon thyme, sage, oregano, parsley, more lavender (it's my favorite). It makes my nose happy. The chamomile is starting to bloom, tea in the garden is on the horizon!
It's only been 10 or 15 minutes but I feel like I was in another world. It's back inside to make breakfast, pack lunches, find missing library books and sign off homework packets. Sometimes I am a prisoner I guess, a prisoner of the mundane and tasks of daily life. I look forward to walking the yard.
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