Pages

11/04/2023

Why do I garden?

I've just stumbled back in from the garden - it is a bit cold out there now and I am pretty sure I heard the kettle call my name several times. Being on hands and knees and not moving very much whilst weeding (I love weeding, it clears the head and gives me permission to think or not to think, but to just be) however, I found I was clenching my teeth to stop them chattering.

First thing this morning - just after 7am, I pottered out in to the garden to take Moss for her first morning leg stretch and piddle and in the early sunlight I was taken how much my garden has gently moved on. We've been away for a couple of nights (wild camping up in the North Pennines) and in that short space of time - so much and yet so little has happened.

It said on the radio this morning that March had been the wettest on record for 40 years and although I did think it was a 'tad damp' (good northern understated term), I didn't think it had been that wet. I suppose, living in the lea of the Pennines we were bound to get our generous share of rain.

After a morning session in a private garden where I disembowelled a 14 year old compost heap on to very hungry and grateful flowerbeds. When I started here, the compost was an enormous unruly pile which dominated the corner it was residing in. It's taken three years to beat it back into submission and now after today's marathon digging and mulching, I just may have tamed the beast - I still have one more bay to empty but I can see that it is far less of a mountain in comparison - more of a molehill!

Just getting my hands back into the soil and feeling the weak sunlight on my face is such a boost. That combined with the scent of the awakening earth and newly emerging shoots is wonderful. However by mid afternoon the sun has slipped behind thin grey cloud and the temperature has plummeted - brrrrr. Definitely time for a brew. Happy - most definitely.

16 comments:

  1. Are these all collages from your own Spring garden Kate? If so, wow, it's looking good. Weather here has been dour for weeks on end, though we did have a long spell of sunshine yesterday, did some trimming, some log splitting & mowed the back lawn (both of us), then it was the horrible chore of grocery shopping (yuk). Doesn't look promising here today, weatherwise. Thanks for sharing, take care & hugs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, all are from my garden - once I started taking pictures I realised how many there actually were in flower and I was pleasantly surprised. I also hate shopping!

      Delete
  2. The joys of compost! At present pirate is building a new two bay bin.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope you have warmed up by now. It must feel very satisfying to nurture a garden and see the results of all your hard work. Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did thank you - but today at work in the walled garden - both Moss and I wrapped up in bright orange water proofs and we were still cold and wet!

      Delete
  4. Loving the colours of all the flowers. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gorgeous plant collages! Like you, I love weeding, in fact I prefer it to planting, you're spot on with its meditative powers. xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Vix 😊 I love the meditative power of weeding - it also has the amazing properties of being able to slow down time and make it vanish with equal measure!

      Delete
  6. Back when I was able to get down and back up under my own power, I use to love weeding. My husband mowed some yards for a while and I went along and weeded the mulched areas. I could go into myself and forget the world. So peaceful. Hugs, Sharon

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree - 'forget the world' - it shrinks right down to the space around your hands and the weeds in front of you.

      Delete
  7. Love your photo collages; I had fun trying to identify them all. Things are beginning to move too fast in the garden; almost half way through April. Fingers crossed the warmer/drier weather for next week does arrive! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you x Your garden is always ahead of mine, mine is still cold and mostly green so to see these little gems really brightened by day. I am so ready for warm/dry weather, enough of this cold wet grey stuff grrrr

      Delete
  8. Ah, yes, weeding is so calming and meditative. I used to crawl my way around the garden, slowly digging out the weeds. Now my knee is too arthritic to tolerate that, but I still manage some. Your flowers collages are lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I agree weeding is good for the soul. Oooh I bet the compost from the 14 year old heap was lovely! Gorgeous flower montages :) xXx

    ReplyDelete

Hi there...

Thank you ever so much for stopping by today - I'm really glad that you did. If you would like to leave me a comment then I would be delighted to hear from you, any one signing as anonymous or writing anything unkind, political, any form of hate or computer generated will be acknowledged as spam and deleted.

Hawthorn x

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.