Quote of the Day: Susan Cain
Unhappy people tend to see setbacks as contaminates that ruined an otherwise good thing (“I was never the same after my wife left me”), while generative adults see them as blessings in disguise (“The divorce was the most painful things that ever happened to me, but I’m so much happier with my new wife”)? Those who live the most fully realized lives–giving back to their families, societies, and ultimately themselves–tend to find meaning in their obstacles. Where we stumble is where our treasure lies.
Susan Cain in Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
Mr Chiots and I have always said that mistakes and difficulties are often the most valuable things in our lives. Through them, we learn what to do and what not to do. We learn about ourselves and we become more of who we were meant to be. This only happens if we embrace the difficulties and look at them as a learning experience. We often cannot change some of the things that happen to us, but we can change our attitude towards them. It’s amazing how your attitude can make a world of difference.
Have you noticed how easily your attitude affects how you react to certain situations?
Share this:
Quote of the Day: Robert Brault,
Through the blackest night, morning gently tiptoes,
feeling its way to dawn.
~Robert Brault
I love being outside at night, especially in spring, when the air is crisp and there aren’t many insects around. More than the dark of night, I love being up early, right as night begins to fade to day.
One of the reasons I love camping so much is because we’re usually up as the first whispers of dawn break over the horizon.
I especially love getting up early, seeing the first whispers of dawn on the horizon.
What’s your favorite time of day?
Share this:
Quote of the Day: Linda Joan Smith
A garden’s formality, informality, sense of place, cultural leanings, and general atmosphere arise as much from it’s structural elements as from its plants or ornament. A picket fence sets a different mood than a palisade of heavy timbers or a 10-foot screen of bamboo. A pebbled path imparts a different ton form that of a straightaway of mortared slate. A trellis in an elaborate chinoiserie pattern says different things about the garden–and the gardener–than a simple plant ladder of branches pruned from the orchard and cobbled together with nails and twine. All communicate a message about who we are, what we like, where we come from, and in what realm our passions lie.
Linda Joan Smith (Smith & Hawken Garden Structures)
Back in Ohio I had figured out the level of formality that fit with our garden and space. I’m still trying to work it out here. While I’d love to have something a little more formal, this place seems to lend itself more towards a relaxed feel. While I’m out working in the garden I spent time imagining what different types of paths I’d like to use, what material I’d like my fencing to be made out of, and what I want my next chicken coop to look like. There certainly is a lot of thinking to do, it’s a good thing I don’t have to decide any time soon!
How would describe your garden: formal, informal, relaxed, etc?
Share this:
Quote of the Day: Spring had really come
“Spring had really come.
The south opened like a mouth. It blew one long breath, humid and warm, and flowers quivered inside the seeds, and the round earth began to ripen like fruit.”
Jean Giono (found in Provence: A Country Almanac)
It’s certainly starting to feel like spring outside. Yesterday was warm and sunny, I spent most of the day outside working in the potager. If you remember, I showed you what it looked like last fall.
This spring, it’s finally starting to take shape. Over the winter, I decided to divide the garden into four sections on the diagonal. Since our back door opens up to the corner of the garden, that seemed to make to most sense. When you come out the back door, you’ll be looking straight down the main path of the garden. Yesterday, I started making the pathways and the central feature.
Instead of having the pathways intersect in the middle, I figured a large circle with a garden in the middle would visual interest. Tomato stakes were put in the four corners of the garden with twine strung between them to mark my two main garden paths. To make the circular path and garden, I put a stake where the two main strings intersected, then I used the rope with a stick trick to make the circle.
It actually worked quite well, the circle is as good as it can get. Since there is an abundance of rocks here, I decided a rock border would be a nice way to hold back the soil in the slightly raised circular bed. I’m still on the fence about lining the main walkways with stones as well. The walkways will be covered with wood chips for now, perhaps I’ll use crushed limestone in the future.
I have a lovely trellis that will go in the middle of the circle, I didn’t install it as I’ll need a helping hand. Mr Chiots was busy putting up firewood all day. Instead, I started planting the beds with vegetables. After much deliberation, I settled on rows that followed the central curve.
While I have a hoop house of spinach, fall planted garlic bulbs, and a few overwintering perennials that are hindering the completion of the walkways, it is starting to look nice. The top of the garden dries out faster than the lower portion, so were also a few sections that were still too wet to work in, those will be finished up when things dry out. This view below is the view from the back door, as you can see, dividing the garden on the diagonal was a great idea!
I even had time to plant yesterday. The circle in the middle was planted in: ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Winter Density’ lettuce, along with ‘Scarlet Frill’ Mustard. In one of the triangles I planted two rows of ‘Windsor Broad’ fava beans with a cover crop of ‘Idagold’ mustard interplanted between them. In front of the beans by the walkway there is one row of ‘Green Fortune’ pak choi and ‘Bowles’ Black’ pansy. The small area in front of the low tunnel was planted in ‘French Breakfast’ radishes. (click on variety names for seed source). It certainly feels good to tuck a few more seeds in the ground.
Has spring officially arrived in your garden yet? Or are you lucky like Maybelline to not have any “off seasons” in the garden?
If you’re interested in making your kitchen garden a little more designed & formal, check out these books. They’re full of lovely images and layout plans to help you create a stunning potager:
Share this:
Quote of the Day: Laura Ingalls Wilder
All around the little house, in the Big Woods, there were little sounds of falling snow, and from the eaves there was the drip, drip of the melting icicles.
In just a little while the trees would be putting out their baby leaves, all the rosy and yellow pale green, and there would be wild flowers and birds in the woods.
Then there would be no more stories by the fire at night, but all day long Laura and Mary would run and play among the trees, for it would be spring.
Laura Ingalls Wilder from (Little House in the Big Woods).
It won’t be long my friends, until it’s time to spend every waking moment working in the garden. Until then, I’m trying to enjoy some relaxing. Every day I grow a little more excited, my gloves are itching to get dirty.
Have spring chores already taken over your days or is your garden still asleep?
