Fabulous February

This month has been kind to the Spirit Garden. We had a little freeze that killed off our hangers-on from summer--namely the dahlias--but for the most part, the plants have loved this cool, wet, breezy weather. It was especially good for transplanting. It's always so risky, moving a plant to a new home. I've lost more than one that way, and wished I had just left well enough alone. But our transplants are so much more than well enough. They're doing spectacularly, and we're so glad that they are helping to expand the garden.

We've planted the last of our winter crops, except maybe we'll try to get another batch of carrots in the ground--I've never eaten a fresh-from-the-garden carrot. And just this afternoon I started the summer veg and flowers. I chose a new approach this year and planted ALL of the seeds in the seed packs. It's just such a waste to end up with 1/3 a pack two years after prime viability. Here come the SUNFLOWERS and STRAWFLOWERS and MOONFLOWERS and COSMOS and ZINNIAS and DAHLIAS and CLOCKVINE and so many others that the garden will simply burst forth in color and delight. It will be a season for photographs. Seeds are something else, huh? Each little moonflower seed looks like a tooth, like a big incisor, so substantial and smooth. But then there's the basil seeds, tinier than some pieces of sand, so insignificant looking. It's a different feeling, planting each one, but the same test of patience and gratitude.

The shed is coming along, board by nail by board. We have a pretty lavender roof now, and even a front window (even though there are no walls yet!).

Oh! And we've got a new bed. The ground behind the hoop has finally been broken up, and we'll finish the job next week. That's a good place for the "where to put them?" big plants such as cardinal guard and poinsetta. We're hoping that some big, dramatic plants back there will make it that much easier for drivers to swing in for a peek. Now that just made up my mind. That will be the perfect place for the 6-foot sunflowers.

Queen Compost has Moved

Today was one of those rare and wonderful days when I convinced my husband to come to the garden with me. This allowed me to 1) move about the property freely and quickly, without having to carry the baby in the clunky carrier, and 2) act like I was talking to an actual person, even though we both knew I was talking to myself. (The imporant thing is to fool the passers-by, not the spouse.) So I managed to accomplish a whole heck of a lot.

First, I moved most of the compost pile from next to the site of the new shed to the area next to the arches and behind where we keep the terra cotta pots. It's more visible there, but since compost is the queen of the organic garden, I thought our modest little pile deserved to be noticed.

Next, I put up pot poles. I stuck pieces of ribar into the ground, then slid three to five one-hole-on-the-bottom pots onto these poles, angled so that they rested on the lip of the one below and an oppostie angle. This is so hard to describe; maybe I'll get a picture next week to be able and show you. What these are good for are herbs that don't like much moisture. The pots, being clay, breathe and dry out faster than the ground. So thymes, oregano, marjoram, and other Mediterranean natives that we struggle to grow often do well in these little get ups. They're not planted up yet. All in due time.

Last, I planned. I walked around. I sat down. I pondered. I moved plants around mentally. I thought about WeMoon as a whole, and what changes could be made in the garden to improve her.

No wildlife sightings to report. Except for the colony (colony!!) of roaches and the ant egg beds that I found in two of the pots that I disturbed.

P.S. Special thanks to Paty and Bonnie for spreading the big mulch on the main path, and for showing us how and when to harvest collards and mustard greens! And a big hug and thank you to Lydia, who has been our Wednesday gardener for almost a month now, and who we hope to be seeing much more of at WeMoon.

Whoops

I don't know why I didn't consult The Old Farmer's Almanac before planting today. I just got all excited that so many of the sprouts had gotten their true leaves. And some of the lettuces were busting out of the bottom of their trays! So I rushed to the garden to get them in the ground. And it's going to freeze tonight. And it's a waxing moon, and I can't remember if that's the best or the worst time to plant. But anyway, carrots, beets, kale, lettuce, and a few more collards got planted. We'll see if they're there in the morning.

Oh, and I bought a few plant tags, little cheapy ones, to mark the different beds with. Only I needed something to hang them on. (Like I said, the cheapy ones, not the pretty brass stick-in-the-ground kind.) So I went to the thrift store and bought some tchotchkies -- a tall silver fork, a little brass tree, an imitation Lladro girl with outstretched arms -- and placed them among the new plantings. They look a little silly now, since there are no plants around them, but they'll look cute soon enough. And while I was buying them, I also bought tickets for the Women Rock! festival at Spanish Moss Farm on March 18. WeMoon is a sponsor!