Spring

As the owner of a garden that is at least 60' in length and is full of perennials I can hardly contain myself when the weather starts to warm up. This obsession began back in 1996 at our first home. We have kept a gardening journals since the day we began and this is what we wrote on our first day;

"Marked off area beside house for garden.

Made plans to create bricked tiles for walk way and place to put bench next year."

Not too exciting, but this is where it all began. We have had a garden every years since and we still have the same bench. Our garden is our sanctuary, our place for respite and I am already craving to get on my knees, clean it up and get it ready for the first flowers of spring. I am also excited about moving the herbs I have been growing inside all winter, outside so they can wake up as well.

We did something very spring-like this past weekend. We took some money that I made on a part-time gig and spent it on our garden. It has been so long since we spent money that we wanted to be sure to spend it on something that we love to nurture and that of course is our garden. We bought one truck load of earth mix, purchased at Bates Nursery, and brought it home and spread it out on the garden. Then I went to Southern Nurseries and bought a truck load of pine bark mulch and spread that on the garden. And so it begins, the trips to Bates Nursery on the weekends, the watering, the weeding and the creating.

I will tell you a bit of what I am most excited about. I am a 48 year old woman and I spent hours in our garden throwing shovel after shovel full of dirt and mulch and I felt great! Like all of us, I have been trapped inside during this cold spell, trying to get out as much as possible to walk the dog when a warm day comes along. My body is more excited this year about spring than it ever has been. Not only does the warm weather mean gardening and getting outside, it means my mental and physical health will begin to thaw and the fresh air can start to creep in and wake up and fill my senses.

What wakes up your senses? Your children? Your partner? Your art? Reading? Cleaning? Whatever it is, remember you have five senses so make sure you please all of them. With our garden I am able to feel the earth, smell the fresh (and sometimes stinky) mulch and dirt. I can hear and see nature all around me as I work and I get to see the results of my creativity. But most importantly I can taste that which I have grown myself.

Happy Spring!