It feels like I am infinitely returning to my old garden. I have poured my soul into my garden for seven or so years, but with recent changes in my life, I have found happiness beyond the garden. This means I am constantly travelling, leaving behind the garden, and placing it either in the hands of the gardening gods or my family. This has been playing out well for the most part except for the more difficult things that need a constant watch, like replanting seeds and making compost.
I have returned, again, to my garden and I have been here for almost two weeks. Shockingly, I only had a chance today to plant some seeds. If I planted them when I arrived, I might have been harvesting them by now, but for obvious reasons, this would not have happened!
This stopped today, as my hands itched to get into the garden...
I had some leftover seeds from all of the years collecting seeds. I had three flower pots which my mother did not have plants for, and she wanted some fresh herbs. So I told her we can plant some basil and marog/amaranth there. In a couple of weeks, if everything goes according to plan, we might have some plants to harvest!
I also have a couple of old buckets of compost. In trying to get the content out of the buckets, I realised that earthworms took over! I think that they are mainly worm poop compost now, if such a thing exists! I will see if the seeds will like this mix. It is incredible how well the compost/soil/worm poop looks. It is a dark rich colour.
For now, I can only pray to the gardening gods that these plants will come up in about a week or two, with daily watering, and loving words spoken over them.
Elsewhere in the garden, my farther kept the swiss chard/silver beets alive! It also decided to bolt and go to seed. Three or four of the plants went to seed. The picture below of the old plant just shows how big its base got. I am not sure why this one has not bolted, as I think it is also in its second year. They are bi-annuals if I am correct, only seeding in its second year.
Next to these Swiss chard or silver beet plants, I have a couple of herbs growing. Various winter savoury plants, rosemary, lavender, thyme... But the summer now is so hot, even if we water the ground becomes extremely dry. My dad has been trying his best, and for the most part, most of the plants have survived. But as you can see from the photographs below, the ground is extremely dry.
But luckily, some flowers are brightening up the sad situation of the extreme heat we are getting. It seems like the summers are getting hotter and hotter, while the winters (our rainy season) are getting wetter and wetter. An interesting combination to say the least. Luckily, the plants are surviving, and those that are not, should not be growing in this area - or so goes my reasoning.
Seeing a plant die, especially if I grew it from cutting or seed, is always sad and hard for me, as they become my "children". But plants cannot live forever, and they should make space for new ones.
In the end, I will infinitely return to my garden, whether it is here, or a 1200 km away, or in a totally different place in the world. I will always garden, no matter where I go.
For now, happy gardening and stay well! I hope that the festive season gave you and your plants some time to rest.
All of the photographs are my own, taken with my iPhone. The musings and writings are also my own, albeit inspired by my garden.