Spring Gardening and Blooms

Spring continues and my yard is starting to take on a different look. It was rainy and overcast today so not the best day for a long walk. During a respite from the drizzle I walked around my yard. I enjoy watching the awakening of my herb and flower beds and the bushes leafing out or blooming after being dormant through the winter. We have no trees to speak of. We tried planting some but the soil here is so poor nothing lives except right next to the house or in raised beds. I created my own landscaping plan and not being a professional landscaper the plants around our house are somewhat random. I tried choosing bushes for variety of color and texture and preferred those that were evergreen. I tucked in some perennial flowers and herbs where I could. Some of our bushes are looking rather poorly now thanks to my husbands aggressive pruning but I have to say they were overgrown and needed something. Now it may be replacement. 

I do have beautiful azaleas across the front of my porch. Thankfully they have grown very well where planted. I only had to replace two plants early on. I found a variety years ago of white azaleas that are evergreen. They bloom a little later than other azaleas in this area but they are absolutely beautiful when fully bloomed out. They aren't quite there yet but not much longer. The azaleas are off limits to any pruning. 

Azaleas peeking through my front porch rail

I have two types of clematis currently blooming. The pink blooms once a year and the purple will repeat blooming different times during the summer. I do nothing to them so it's a fantastic reward for only a little effort.

Some of my herbs bloom also. Comfrey bloomed early and still has some residual blooms right now. It will continue to bloom throughout the summer. I collect the comfrey leaves and dry them to make comfrey salve which is very good for the skin. Occasionally I lose my plant markers and can't recall what I planted so I have to do a little research to figure it out. 

Comfrey

Besides flowering plants I've been working at setting up some additional raised beds for more herbs and a few vegetables. Several years ago I had some raised beds in the yard where I found a level spot. My husband hated mowing around them so last year I pulled them up and purchased two galvanized fire rings from Rural King. They are 3 foot diameter and 12 inches tall so fairly ideal. They worked well for cherry tomatoes, squash and leeks last year so this year I've added 3 more. I tried finding a good location to keep my husband happy and finally found a good solution plus there's room to add more if needed.

I had a load of topsoil delivered to our yard for filling them along with a few other uses. I was really feeling my age last night after loading multiple wheelbarrow loads of soil and transferring to these new beds. Ouch, I hurt everywhere! But the satisfaction of finishing a job is worth it and I'm over the soreness today. I'm also thankful my daughter showed up as I was finishing filling the second and assisted with the third. Bless you Amy!

So far I've only planted some basil, oregano, rosemary and mint. Parsley, sage, chives, savory and thyme survived the winter and are doing well. I can't wait to make more herb salt when they are all growing well. I'll have to share how to do this later. Until then I'll pick what's available and dry for winter use. I have only planted some lettuce, onions and cayenne peppers in the vegetable category so far. I've got other seeds waiting now for my beds to dry out after this rain. I still have leeks that overwintered and I tried salsify last year. Salsify is an heirloom vegetable that is supposed to taste like oysters. There's a few unknown plants in the bed where they were planted. I'll know soon if that's what they are. I also have sorrel that is perennial. Another little known plant it is an early spring green. Sometimes I can pick it in the winter but now it is lovely. I used this for an omelette with the leeks and a red pepper the other day. Yummy goodness!

I have other herbs I grow for drying and making oils, tinctures, etc. Along with the comfrey I have feverfew, yarrow, lemon balm, calendula, lemon verbena, horehound and a variety of mints. I picked plantain which grows everywhere as a weed a few weeks ago for drying and making salve also - good for bug bites. I don't know how women managed to do so much years ago. Thank goodness I'm only part time and semi-retired because the gardening looks like it will require a big time commitment. 

 Leeks leftover after the winter

Salsify?

Last year's Azaleas in full bloom

Dogwood Winter

Spring and my semi-retirement have arrived. Poor timing on my part but who could have predicted our current situation.  All those plans I made and now I wait ...

Well, I did have a goal to increase my activity and get in better shape. So I've been getting out and walking more. I need to increase my activity and endurance so when the restrictions are lifted I'll be in good shape to tackle some of those planned adventures. Several weeks ago I went on a hike with my daughter and her family and realized just how out of shape I had become. I also remembered how much I loved hiking years ago and got to thinking once more about hiking and backpacking. So for now I try several times a week at least to walk further than I normally would. 

Walking this week was especially nice because the dogwoods are in full bloom. I love seeing them wild in the woods or manicured in somebody's landscape. With the dogwoods blooming we always have a "cold spell" as my Granny would have said. She called it Dogwood Winter and it was just one of the "winters" she would recognize during the spring and early summer. There was also blackberry winter and strawberry winter that I recall. So many times since I wish I had paid more attention. 

Several years ago I reflected on this very thing and I began watching the weather in the spring. Specifically I paid attention to the cold snaps that occurred. I developed my own theory based on my grandmother's teaching and what I observed and it seems to hold true year after year. At least in the region where I live I noticed that anytime something is blooming white in nature we experience colder than usual temperatures. Now I don't know if there is any scientific basis for this and I've never really checked to see if anybody else has made this association. But this had to have been observed by people years past or they wouldn't have named all these colder temperatures after whatever happened to be blooming at the time. I don't believe I've discovered anything new but just started paying more attention like my ancestors had to do before me when they couldn't turn on the local news and weather reports.  

I don't think it's true for just anything that blooms white but only for what is native to the region and blooms once a year. My region is the Ohio River valley where it divides Kentucky and Illinois. What about where you live? Pay attention to your surroundings this year as the Spring progresses into Summer and see if this same association holds true there. I'd love to know if that were so. And if nothing else maybe you'll find a way to enjoy the outdoors that much more by watching for the patterns and associations of nature. Think about things your Granny shared with you.

Honeysuckle

Crazy times call for crazy decisions

What a crazy time we are living in right now. Never could I have imagined in our age of modern medicine that our world could be shut down by a virus. This situation has caused many people to take a look around them at what is important, what is essential and what they can do without. Three months ago few people thought twice about where their food came from or worried about availability. America is the land of plenty after all. Now people are stockpiling food and essentials like the best doomsday prepper. What next? I pray for a quick resolution and lives to be spared. Until then America WAKE UP and follow recommendations. Please maintain safe distancing as directed (still don't like the term "social distancing"). 

It's hard to follow recommendations when the spring weather is calling all of us to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine and warmer temperatures. Nothing says we can't do these things but we have to be careful in order to stop the spread of the virus. A simple thing would be to just open your windows and let fresh air and sunshine in your home. Take a walk staying away from public areas and anyplace large numbers are likely to still congregate. Clean off your porch or patio and sit outside reading a book, writing letters, cooking out or starting a container garden. In the spring there are plenty of rainy days. Use that time to clear out the clutter in your house or try new recipes. Focus on a healthier lifestyle. 

I have changed all my short term plans for retirement because of this virus and the situation it has created. Number one of which is ... I'm not. Retiring that is. With the economy in a slump, stocks dropped, no travel possible, etc I decided to continue working but I will be cutting my hours in half. It was such a big decision to retire and now at the end I'm backing out. Today was to have been my last day of work and I have been ambivalent about whether I'm making the right decision. I believe it's the right choice for me now though. Plenty of people retire only to find another part time job to help with expenses or other reasons. To me it just made more sense to keep the job I already know but reduce the hours. So in actuality I'm not fully retiring but I'm also not fully working either. This is the bright side for me. 

I will now have more time at home than at work to enjoy the things I've been planning to do. Confined to our home I have been doing my usual online research and shopping. I'm planning my garden and researching hiking and backpacking. These seem to be safe activities that I could enjoy right now. I'm researching how to be more historically accurate in my living history passion and updating my kits and clothing for this. I will eventually be able to participate in this activity again and hopefully will be better informed and prepared. I've gotten out most days to walk the dogs or take a short hike. Travel plans? Well, that's still up in the air or better stated - I'm still grounded. But planning the adventure is part of having the best experience. The time will come when we can fly the friendly skies again and I'll be ready to go. 

The other positive about not fully retiring at the present is that I will ease into living on less income than I'm used to. With my salary cut in half I will have to make adjustments same as if I were living on my planned retirement income. By the time I take down my shingle for good I will hopefully have a more accurate idea of what my minimum monthly budget will be. I've already been thinking longer and harder before making even simple purchases. Planning meals and shopping lists is the new normal also and one that should allow some savings each month.  

I'm not sure at this time how much longer I will be working. My financial adviser asked me this very question. My only response - time will tell. First will be adapting to a new budget and work schedule. If it fits then this part time option may continue for awhile. But I don't plan on work holding me back from all that I want to enjoy with my family and friends. If it is then it will be time. For now I will be embracing the change and I continue to look forward to the future. None of us can ever know what is in store for us around the corner. 

Stay healthy, stay safe and make wise choices. 

Hiking with family in Shawnee National Forest