This year I was later than ever in planting my container garden. Maybe it was because of the weather; it feels like spring just skipped over us completely. The lingering cold and the persistent rain kept me at a standstill. But it was more than that. A string of personal issues had left me feeling unmotivated. My garden had always been a source of genuine pleasure but this season it felt forced, like I was going through the motions - a fake it until I make it type of game.
Nevertheless, my herbs, vegetables, flowers, and plants have been given their seasonal home around my deck. I deliberately kept my choices limited to low maintenance species. Cherry tomato and shishito pepper plants once again are installed in their trellised pots. String beans are a new addition this year. Mainly because I have had little luck growing vegetables besides the mini varieties and, after waiting so long to start, slim pickings were available at Home Depot. Some of my herbs from last year have returned: German Thyme, Mint, Rosemary, and Italian Oregano. I also purchased my usual Basil and Sage. This year I moved the Sage to a different area of the deck since it did not fair well last year. I have also given up on trying to grow Parsley for the caterpillars to eat.
I rounded things out with some Marigolds. First, because they are hardy and prolific, and second, because their golden yellow hue is one of my favorite colors. On a whim, I bought a Jacob's Ladder and a Sedun Blue Moon plant. I knew literally nothing about them except that their names intrigued me. After doing some research, I discovered that Jacob's Ladder is a spring wildflower that grows low to the ground. Its leaves are pinnately compound, resembling a ladder, like the one seen in a dream by the biblical Jacob, hence the name. Its flowers are an unusual shade of blue, and comprised of five petals that are bell shaped. Since I purchased my plant so late in the growing season, I missed seeing them as they are very short lived. Native Americans used an infusion of the roots with wine to treat colds, coughs, and ailments of the lungs. I can easily feel the connection that I have with this plant with its five petaled flowers representing the five points of the pentacle and the elements, and its importance in Native American plant medicine.
I didn't find that much on the Sedun Blue Moon plant. It is a creeping stonecrop with narrow, blue-green foliage and lemon-yellow flowers that should appear in early summer. It tends to have a trailing habit like the Jacob's Ladder plant and is a favorite among butterflies. I had no idea that this plant produced flowers, especially ones in my favorite color. I am looking forward to seeing these beauties make an appearance and the butterflies that come to visit them. I had already placed this plant at eye level from the table where I sit for my coffee and writing which turns out to be the perfect spot.
I was not born with a green thumb, but I am trying to cultivate one. Each year I expand my garden a little bit more, adding another container here and there along different parts of my deck. I am learning as a go, taking notes on what worked and what didn't - what plant flourished here and what one grew better over there. My garden is an ever-changing work in progress much like me. It might not be prefect or as expansive as I would like but nothing beats sitting outside watching the honeybees and butterflies going about their business. My dream garden with rows of vegetables and Wisteria and Rose adorned arches is still dream, for now or maybe ever. But I am determined to use what I have to the best of my abilities and take a step forward every spring even if only a fraction of an inch.
You sure can paint a picture with your words. 🌱