Usually, as I am finding is not uncommon, I decide one day that I am going to be responsible with my home and money and everything. I will look like the people in BHG sitting on my pristine furniture and smiling to myself because I know I am financially secure and everything is done. I make spreadsheets (just ask anyone who knows me, I use spreadsheets obsessively like they will solve all of my problems) and I budget money. This usually leads to depression and self-loathing because I can actually see how bad I am at managing my own finances.
But I press on and feel the need to self punish in small ways such as "you have to carry the groceries in one piece at a time because you are a terrible person" and "you are going to run an extra 30 minutes in the snow because you deserve pain and punishment."
Sick? Me?
Anyways these responsibility kicks usually involve me wanting to be more self sufficient, and the spring time compulsion is to grow a garden. After all, one of my favorite things to do is eat, and I LOVE canning and preserving food in the fall. It makes the Nester inside of me oh so happy to see gleaming jars of home canned goods lining my shelves. So I plant some seeds, and I water them--but not too much--and they start to grow. And I get so happy. I did it! I grew plants. And then the plants revolt. They grow taller and taller, but they never lose their cotyledons...or grow any new foliage.
So, I transplant them to pots and then they promptly die. And I feel depressed and spend the next few weeks getting the laundry out of the dryer one sock at a time, and scrubbing floors with my fingernails. But this year is different. It WILL be different... It has to be!
So, I am going to do it; I started my garden last night. All of my motivation to keep running and eating healthy and keep my house cleaned has made me want to take on one more challenge. I hope this isn't the challenge that breaks this camel's back, but we will have to wait and see. I bought a small "greenhouse" last night at wal~mart and two new seed packets to add to my collection. I also bought 4 Roma Tomato plants and 4 Early Girl Tomato plants (I am sharing with my mom) and a Lavendar plant. The little seed starting flat (ahem, "greenhouse") I got has six rows with six of those little dirt pucks that ploof when soaked in water.
When we got home last night, I soaked the flat in Water, and went about my chores while the magic happened. When the creatures were all fed, eggs collected and my three other "miracle" plants were watered the pucks were ready. I planted two rows of Ruby Red Sweet Corn (so pretty, I really hope these work) one row of pickling cucumbers (I will split these with mom) 4 Green beans, 4 rainbow bell peppers, 4 zucchini and 6 Strawberry popcorn plants. I put these in the large bay window in the rumpus room, and I am going to make these plants grow. I have spent all winter reading tutorials, books and articles on gardening, sowing seeds and the like.
Plus, randomly, I have an amaryllis and a Palm that I bought a year ago that somehow love me and the abuse I tend to give them. Both need badly to be replanted in bigger pots (if you have been paying attention you understand why I am holding back on that)and they get watered sporadically at best. And still they grow, taller and bushier, and flowery...er every day. This may be giving me false hopes, but it is all I have to go on at the moment.
I wrote on the outside of the flat which rows are what, and I intend on using my favorite bug (that is my Cricut) to make little labels for each plant...maybe if they feel special they will want to grow and give me foods.
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