Words From A Gardener

Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown

Spring arrived in the Shenandoah Valley with balmy mildness in mid March and carried into early April. Glory days. Roses and other beloved perennials responded to the unseasonable warmth by leafing out--too soon. Raw wind blasted the vulnerable plants as I battled to cover them with blankets. Tender leaves suffered from hard frost. Sigh. On the brighter side, early vegetables escaped and the roses, delphinium, foxglove...are growing out.

Image of the hills and mountains behind our farm taken from the kitchen window on April 27th.



Virginia is headed into the third month of the quarantine, so heaven knows I've had ample time for garden projects. I've expanded my memorial garden and enclosed the addition with a low stone wall and wiggly Piggly fence, laboring over them for days. The whimsical fence is made from lengths of wood, including the special sticks Dad had saved to carve into canes, far more than he completed. I incorporated a few he'd worked on.

Other wood I gleaned from our farm, my folk's place, and daughter Alison's field above the creek, plus I repurposed objects and old metal. Everything is carefully chosen. Dad would heartily approve as he believed in recycling and making things yourself from materials at hand. I've also gathered worms and composted manure from the farm and added wheel barrow loads to my garden and beds.



(Wiggly Piggly garden fence with water feature made from an old metal tub. I added the solar fountain. Bunny statue below by my stone wall. Only the bunny wasn't repurposed, and is from Wayfair.com  And yes, I own stock in the company. :)



Garden savvy folk probably know this, but seeds from online catalogues are selling out like mad. I'm a seed addict and have a large box filled with packs. Even so, I need to restock a few varieties and was challenged this morning in my efforts. Like many others, it seems, I'm choosing heirloom kinds that produce savable seed. These are especially sought after. I'm also avoiding local nurseries this year and starting many vegetables, herbs, and flowers on my sunspace.  So far, they're sprouting well.

Image below of my spinach patch we've harvested from for weeks. I sowed the seed last fall and covered the patch over the winter, added compost when I uncovered it. 

The spinach has thrived, as has the asparagus pictured below. It's been here decades. And seedlings on the sunporch below that.





In these uncertain times, people are putting in gardens more than ever. If you have any interest, best hop to it and get your seeds while there are any left. The garden world, like many others, has run mad. Seed and plant companies are sending out emails saying they've never seen anything like the deluge they've come under. Some have had to shut down, others are sold out and or experiencing shipping delays. Oddly enough, you're more likely to find a rose bush for sale online than beet seeds. 

Who the heck knew this was coming?
Not me.

The last of my tulips. These beauties are in a sheltered spot and have bloomed for weeks. My new favorites.



Onward ho and good luck with all your gardening endeavors. I'm in hustle mode before the heat settles in, planting and mulching like crazy.

Oh, and baby chicks are sold out. Backyard chickens have taken off.  I'm toying with getting an incubator and eggs, or ducklings...