Have you tested out your green thumb lately?  Do you have a humble and lovely patio garden?  Do you grow culinary  herbs in your sunny kitchen window?

Does your yard have roses, or shrubs? Fruit trees?

“Flowers will always try, and look their best, no matter what the season or reason.” 
― Anthony T. Hincks

Chances are if you have a little patio space, either in the front or back of your home, you might have a little garden.

Do you?

I hope you nodded yes!

Or we can take this the other direction.  Do you have an acre or more of land where you live? jealous.

Well, whether you have acres of dirt or a little plastic pot on your patio, you too can be a gardener!

As Audrey Hepburn once said “To plant a garden, is to believe in tomorrow”

Late Winter is upon us, depending on your climate zone, maybe.  I live in sunny, crazy, confused California.  We think its spring and summer all year long; we don’t know what to do when it rains.

(well I do, I get to jump in the puddles because I don’t have to water the garden)

Late winter is a great time to get preparing and planning for the new garden season and imagine all that is possible.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. –Cicero

You can get your seeds started if you enjoy that, its time to do some pruning, early weeding, soil amending, vegetable and herb planning and more.

It might be that time to make repairs to any fencing to keep out the rabbits (in my case dogs).  You might have waited for winter to wrap up to do that yard improvement project too.  The possibilities are endless.

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. -Henry David Thoreau

Last weekend we did get a break from one rain storm before the next one rolls in (like yesterday).  It was GLORIOUS.  Sunny and warm.  Blue skies and light breezes lent the perfect opportunity to open up all the windows and let the fresh air move the stale winter air out of the house.  The birds filled the house with the songs of spring and cheer.  Be sure to clean the windows and wash the blinds.  Inspect the garden, Salute the army of weeds that invaded, harvest some unexpected Nettle

I realized its high time to treat myself to a new pair of garden gloves and clean out my prized garden box, the black widow needs to find her family a new home though.  I did ask her nicely.

Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better. –Albert Einstein

I feel very excited at all the possibilities this time of year.  What new vegetable might I try and grow this year (definitely beets) what new herb do I want to grow for medicinal purposes…. hmmm I have Calendula seeds and maybe soapwort.  I already transplanted the Nettle already and its recovering nicely. (woo hoo ahead of the game)

I want to add more roses and rosemary.  Basil needs to do a better job this year, we had a chat.

 We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. -Abraham Lincoln

The garden bed has been freshly amended.  I am considering purchasing a portable composter.  Less waste and less plastic use, is on this year’s list of goals.

The weeds have gotten their first boiling water bath because we do not use sprays.  A new book was also purchased on identifying common weeds, because I want to know WHAT is growing and if anything could be harvested.  I already re-planted some plantain from the back yard to a pot in the front.  A fun little project for my little gardener.

Weeds are curious creatures.  Some are super pretty, some are mean and prickly.  Some TAKE OVER, and some would make great tea.  But NONE of them are where I want them to be so we need to have a meeting.

What is a weed? A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Garden prep is also a great time to stretch out those tired old winter bones (and throw out your back)  Move out stale old air from your lungs and inhale the possibilities of tomorrow.

“Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it… Yet.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Thinning out over-grown shrubs before they start to blossom is a great idea too (nothing worse than mangling your flowering shrubs in the middle of summer).

Now is a good time to feed your plants, potted or planted, inside or out.  Find what plants liked or didn’t like their spaces. (ask them, they’ll tell you)

Make some fresh changes, let your plant cliches meet new friends.

Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts. Sigmund Freud

But my most favorite thing to do, once the weeds are pulled, and the soil is all raked neat, and the fencing is mended, when the new starter packs are planted and the herbs are neatly arranged in the pots, when the shrubs are pruned and the path is swept, my favorite part, is running to the garden shop to find new decorations to welcome all my new friends to the garden.

also a massage.

maybe a manicure

It’s a lovely ole life.  Be sure to suck some marrow out of it and spend some lazy ole Sunday afternoon in a garden.  (Ann of Wild Moon Holistic)

“Dear old world’, she murmured, ‘you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables