Monday, February 10, 2014

Gathering Seed and Garden Dreams

 This morning the phone rang happy with my oldest friend
on the other end.  She lives in NW Arkansas now and together
we shared our garden dreams ... again. 

For almost 30 years now we've planted with eachother 
--by sharing seed,
cuttings, ideas, problem solving,
and so many pots of coffee. 
We have history...
and today we  shared wishlists of
raised beds, to ...daydreams of when it will be
warm enough to run out to the garden still in nightgowns
to see what shoots came up over night.
Hopes and plans for the future.  
It was so much fun and I always love 
dreaming with her.  She understands 
the craving of a real red and juicy vine ripened tomato 
and she knows the joy that the salt shaker brings to a just picked n peeled
cucumber.  Such delight she understands having enjoyed  an apron pocketful of  raw  garden peas for breakfast. 
--After saying our goodbye, and hanging up the phone;
I went to the bookshelf and pulled out my shabby garden  journal.
I want to linger in a warm garden... longer.

My sister had given me this  bare naked binder once upon a time
and snippet after snippet vintage fabrics and 
embroidered linens were decoupaged to the covers.
This simple, olde garden book warms my heart 
especially
on a Winter's day.
Thumbing through it....
helped me remember what has been...
and is possible.
 It's also become a keeping place 
of other friendships snippets.
One page is a full spread photo of a bunch of lavender sent to me 
from  my friend Jeanie in Scotland.
They're several  beautiful pages that she pulled
from one of her own  garden magazines.
 I love to look through them!
They inspire me
to grow
more.
 Gardening can take some  planning.
Or not... I suppose that's all up to the gardener isn't it?
There have been years I've tilled the soil and just winged it.
Often forgetting what I planted.... where? 
It was like a new mystery every other day...
Some things I planted twice,
or over top of eachother when I didn't mark well.
Reminds me of Momma telling me how she once 
planted her garden when I was little girl and 
 to surprise her... 
I raked it all 
later. 
:)
"We grew  mixed vegetables that year,"
she said. 

 This year I'm trying to plan and hope to record more.
Some things just work... and others don't.  
And it's always, always fun to try to grow something brand new.
 This is the basket of seed I've gathered so far.
Just looking through it all... made my thumbs start to green up a little.

 5 of these - I've never tried before.
Last year our corn did pretty terrible compared to the year before-
So this year, we're going with Kandycorn.
I've never seen a red morning glory... so it too will be a new thing.
When I saw the HEARTS cantaloupe... - I was so excited.  Especially since 
it's my one word. 
Can't wait to give them a try!  
Turnips ... because my Dad said Gramma Wolff always planted them.
And never have I grown an eggplant.  Never!  
The moon n stars melon... grows soooo well here but they're  very hard to find locally.
Walking through Home Depot.... there it was right on the rack!  
I see much  hope.... in these little packets of seed!
 I remember after tilling the garden long ago-
bending down and carving this emblem in the soil.  
I remember those red rubber clogs and remember how dirty these feet would get
wearing them barefoot. 
Growing then...
and I hope still today.....
 Some of these pages are muslin with photo transfers.  
I'm so glad I've kept a journal and record 
miracles, memories ... 
and even dragonflykisses. 


 .... this page of labels,
and many others like it-
reminded me how much is waiting under the soil to return again.
Day lilies, tulips, buttercups, oxallis, glads, iris, dahlias, fennel seed,
cannas, chocolate mint, peonies, mums,  roses, dianthus, 
calla lilies, tiger lilies, naked lady lilies, .... angel trumpets,

 This one says I was thinking of my Momma alot.   
I always look forward to her birth flower: lily of the valley, the bleeding hearts,
mums, snow queen hydrangea, roses,  and especially her peonies return! 
 Alot has changed,
Alot has stayed the same-
Always changing with the seasons.
 It won't be long and the birds will begin nesting.
There is so much LIFE found  in even a sleeping garden.
Reading this page; ...I don't remember adding the PLAY like a child again...
But today.... Let's  play. 
 My garden has  changed so much since this little sketch.
The greenhouse was added, and so  many bulbs and raised beds too.
Looking into it .... I have to turn the page.  
Start fresh because...
there are decisions to make.

Decisions like: 
Where to build a new bed for the strawberry plants arriving next month?
...And how about fencing the whole garden in?
It's been an idea that doesn't go away.... 
Picket or split rail?
Myguy worries about how much I already have  to weed eat.  
It IS alot to consider.... -- because we're sure not getting any younger.  
The whole outside of a new fence  would have to be weedeated.  
-- Another change is... I want the rabbits at the garden so it would be less trips pushing
wheelbarrow loads of bunny- berry manure from the barn.  
But- because of the  wildlife they'd need extra protection.  
So where could they go and have enough shade, yet 
be coyote, fox, and raccoon proof? 
-- an aviary.... it's still on the dream list.
You know an aviary ... for a white dove or two or seven.
Garden dreams are so much fun....
It's like planting in  paper... first-

 Today I grew a new row 
choosing a few things I've never seen before 
in these garden catalogs.
 

 Several years ago my friend Deena shared her hollyhock seed with me.
It grew like crazy and I saved bagfuls  of seed to keep planting 
and share.
Last year, for some reason they got rust spots  all over the leaves.  
It spread even into the mallow. 
I cut it all back and tried to discard  the leaves... 
This year.... I wonder how it will be?  
I've never dealt with it before.
When you have special plants you cherish...
it's such a tragedy when they get sick. 
Blooms like friends,
are gifts. 


This verse in Ezekiel has been repeating.
So today it too is getting planted.

Sweet Garden dreams....

8 comments:

Rebecca said...

Oh, my goodness, Lea! What a whimsical collection of garden dreams. It's just like YOU. Hopeful, playful, BEAUTIful. I can't wait to see your garden this summer. Keep dreaming, Beautiful Dreamer...

Cora from Hidden Riches said...

Lea, you had me right from the start! I seemed to enter right into your dreams and I wanted to pick up a shovel and start right in with you!!!!! I wanted to just say, "Hey, how 'bout this. .. or this. . .or that???" I'm not a gardener, and Florida gardening is an exacting science, so I leave it to those who know what they are doing. But I'll take a home grown, vine ripened juicy tomato any day. Pass the salt, please!!!! Nothing better than a peanut butter, tomato, and mayo sandwich. Just seeing your journal today made my heart ache for flowers, birds, flowering treees, wisteria and honeysuckle. You cheered my heart, gave me hope for the future, visions of what is to be, memories of what was -- all from a friend I love and cherish! Thank you, Lea!

Cora from Hidden Riches said...

PS: I absolutely LOVE your garden journal!!!!! It gave me ideas of what to do with some embroidered linens I have here!!!!!

Janet Martin said...

really enjoyed this...it perked my own garden dreams. can't wait! what a beautiful book/heirloom in the making you have. makes me want to start a journal.

Denise said...

Such a nice post.

sweetvintageofmine said...

Evening Lea, My gardening hasn't been much these last few years but i remember those times anxiously waiting to turn that soil. Give me a tomato off the vine with a salt shaker in hand. What a beautiful garden journal keepsake. So lovely..it's so exciting to try new flowers/plants! Blessings~~~Roxie

Patty Sumner said...

I loved reading through your garden journies...God has so much to teach us through gardening.. so much of our Spiritual walk can be learned from lessons in the garden...where to grow the seed that it reaps the best harvest.. preparing the soil so it can take the seed.... planting new things in the garden.. new experiences and new tastes that can be good for us.. determining the things that do not need to be there.. that can waste our time and energy.. and most of all..the memories, dreams and passions that bring joy from your notebook.. What God does he does good.. and God makes all things beautiful in his time...Great post.. I love gardening too! Bring me such joy! Looking forward to digging in the dirt.. Blessings!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing these pics Lea....the colour of the seed packets and your journals too are such lifts on the stormy days. It is a balm to the soul just reading your blog. Blessings dear friend, Jx