I've been remiss in my early morning gardening of late. It seems that by the time I return from my morning walk with Tikka, the heat and humidity are rising and we are both ready to settle down for a rest, Tikka with a dental treat and me with a second cup of coffee. I do however often take that coffee on the back porch where I can admire the garden.
Yesterday morning the fog was heavy in the valleys of my neighborhood, and the weeds were thick as well, so I decided to forgo the walk and spend the early morning hours communing with the dirt and greenery. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience as I was in no rush, really, and there is a certain meditative quality to mindful repetition. During that first hour, when even in the close space of the backyard, occasional wisps of fog lingered the morning air seemed magical, even mystical and I would lose myself in whatever small piece of earth and greenery was in front of me, occasionally pulled out of my reverie by the soft snuffling of Tikka sniffing in the grass, her soft ears brushing against my face or hands.
The two foxglove plants that had been crushed under large rocks by absent-minded workers are recovering nicely, and even blooming. The Echinacea are blooming nicely, and even a few bits of new green leaves are coming up from the former stands of Siberian and Louisiana Iris that were scalped by an over-eager member of the maintenance crew for the neighborhood association. He was not supposed to cut anything in marked beds, but I am sure he meant well, and couldn't tell the difference between the long fine iris leaves and grass. It is too late now anyway, and I am thrilled to see a few tiny new shoots of growth in the otherwise bare ground. Those two beds have been a bit of a failure from the get-go, plants left too long before planting, repeatedly trampled, and generally never really getting a good start, so perhaps the weed-whacking was just the final straw before I committed to re-digging and starting over. In retrospect I think this bed is a good reminder of the bad habits I did not want to repeat in this new garden: buying plants before I had ground ready so that they could be planted and buying more plants than I could reasonably plant in a couple of days.
Anyway, there are other successes and surprises. The daylilies are thriving and blooming and the lily bulbs I planted have buds so I should have flowers before long. The blueberries have fruit, and every evening Tikka and I romp in the grass and I finish of the day with a small handful of berries. And the beautiful hydrangea in the front yard, the one that started out icy cool and refreshing, is fading into the most interesting soft soothing shades of pink.
As for the pots, they seem to thrive in the heat and humidity and have suddenly become full and lush and vibrant. The ferns that languished when it was cool and damp, and again when it was hot and dry, are now thriving. The front planters too, seem to be bursting with exuberant color. Mid summer is here and I can sit back and just enjoy the verdant lushness of it all.
