PLAYING CATCHUP: A Hot Mess

UM, yeah this was from late April...it reminds me of my best friend's mother who would have these dreams of reruns of the 70s TV show MacMillan and Wife. I hope I never get to that level, but I'm pretty sure I'm getting there sooner than later with old posts and my fetish for gold shoes.

PS- Do you think one can get MacMillan and Wife on Netflix? Hmmm.





This is the state of the little garden bed that I'm wanting to plant tomatoes in this summer...wild swiss chard in hot pink climbing for the sky, abandoned Grafitti cauliflower, that despite my relative neglect, still wants to grow and be noticed, and practically begs to be devoured, endive that has long been shooting up and now flowers in the most beautiful pale lavender blue of flowers that recall the cooler hues of winter, and heirloom garlics that compete for space in the middle of all this drunken jumble. This area is, as my friend would say, a hot mess.

But you, know, sometimes there is something I really like about watching winter's crops that have gone unharvested go to flower and eventually seed. There's something to be gained by simple observation of this process, an intimacy with plants in all their stages of life. Sometimes I feel I learn more about nature and it's rhythms by just relaxing and watching it unfold before me, and not getting too caught up in having everything so tidy and orderly, manicured and correct at all times. When I look more closely at this little ecosystem I notice ladybugs and their larvae, spiders who have made a home, or perhaps are just renting a space for the week, and bees that appreciate my recent lax gardening attitude. Aphids are even welcome here (okay just a few), and I know they will provide a short little feast for any hungry bird that may stop by for a visit. And I'm happy to provide whatever nectar, pollen or sustenance I can for any little creature that we have displaced with our so called civilization.

Uh, well, except nematodes. They can kiss my grits!!!