Part of spring’s magic is its fleeting nature. Magical, fleeting spring. Every day, I walk out in the garden and see something fading along with something else emerging anew. Springtime is almost dizzying in its busyness, but I am here for the ride and the weeding.
Spring may be fleeting, but weeding is eternal, or until I’m gone from this Earth, anyway.
Spring is ephemeral and mercurial.
It’s not just the plants. It’s also springtime’s changeable weather. In March, we had hot and dry weather, and wildfires.
Visiting the garden nursery, I watched as people bought tropical foliage plants for their pots along with tomatoes for their vegetable gardens. I wanted to carry a stop sign in my hand and beg them not to buy. I left them alone. Failure is how we learn in both life and gardening.
I have a funny story about the ruffled pink echeveria, below. My granddaughter was out with me in the garden, and she said, “Gigi, is this plant real?” I had my back to her, and when I turned around. I said, “Every plant in this garden is real.” She was looking at this ruffled pink echeveria. You can understand her confusion. I told her to go ahead and touch it, and as she did, her face was full of wonder. Echeverias feel so smooth they are almost velvety. It’s these garden moments that I hope she remembers me by.
Spring brought a rainy April.
April arrived with loads of wind, yet again, and then it rained and rained and rained. We’re ending April, and it will probably be the wettest on record. Our pond in back of the house is full for the first time in years. I am overjoyed by this. I’m also afraid the resulting weeds will overwhelm me.
I’ll just attack them weed by weed. It is the way.
Garden Coaching is available.
Before the rain, I met with two garden coaching clients last week. Yes, I’m garden coaching again, online or in person. Before you choose, let’s chat via my email, nashgarden@gmail.com.
Although I know you love for me to visit your beautiful landscape, you get more bang for your buck with a Zoom meeting. Why? Because I draft a detailed email and send it to you with links to find your plants and how to plant them. When we meet in person, you take notes and get a drawing, but if you want an email, it is extra because I must go back and draft one to go with your drawings.
Either way, I’m open to helping you achieve the garden of your dreams.
While we wait for it to stop raining, let’s enjoy the joyous sounds of the birds and be grateful for wet weather and magical, fleeting spring.
I know I don’t write on here as often as I once did. However, I post almost-daily reels on Instagram. Perhaps you can also find me there, too.
I’m chuckling as well as nodding vigorously at yer weedin’ comments! Here, too!! We (Cherokee County) haven’t been as wet lately as y’all in the central part of the state, but I seem to remember y’all were hurtin’ more for it than us. Glad yer catchin’ up!! We’re on an olde, overgrazed horse farm, and have discovered that while the ground is fertile sho ’nuff, that ‘fertility” feeds not just our planted treasures, but also the absolutely incredible diverse and biblical numbers of hitchhikers which came in with all those years of bales for the equines. I do believe we have every single weed in the textbook of OSU, plus a few more waiting for the second edition. Weeding is a two season job here; Warm season and Cool season.. and sometimes nocturnal with a flashlight in my more “manic moods!!” I reckon one of these days, they’ll find my body “out there” deep in a bed or between rows with dirt and that last pernicious weed between my cold fingers, and not a peaceful smile but an ingrained look of determination on my face for eternity!! And, if’n they’ll just till me in instead of inter me, I’ll probably remain on the job, forever more!!
Oh Jesse, I can only imagine the amount of weeds you are dealing with at a horse farm. Horse manure is notorious for being weedy. Good luck with all your weeding. It’s raining here again. I know I’ll be weeding a lot next week. ~~Dee
That ruffled Echeveria is fun! You’re ahead of us with the growing season, of course, but I’m starting to feel that fading/emerging feeling…for example, as the Daffodils fade and the Trilliums emerge and bloom. It’s a life happens/life continues type of feeling, isn’t it? Beautiful blooms and comforting thoughts. Thanks, Dee. <3
Beth, I’m glad you’re starting to see some life in your state too. We’ve had almost nonstop rain this week and last so I’m out there every other day when I can. I will say it makes weeding easier. I love how spring unfolds. I’m now in rose season, and it’s a great one.~~Dee