Embrace the Journey: Gardening Renewal, A Curated Blog

Front porch pot

Gardening renews the spirit and recharges the mind. Springtime and  gardening go together. Both make me happy. Other spring chores like cleaning and switching winter to summer clothes makes me happy in a different way, a productive way. 

I garden in pots, big pots on the front porch and small pots on the back porch and patio. I am one who would like to rush spring along and start planting during the first warm spell. 

Last year’s pictures give me inspiration and remind me of what worked and what didn’t. Could I see color from the road at the bottom of the hill? Up close, was there enough variety in shapes and textures? Did the combination of plants work together in the pots? There’s a lot to consider.

Raised bed - herbs and flowers

I’m always antsy to go plant shopping early in the season while selection is good. Donnie counters with foot dragging. He makes me wait until at least the last frost date. Waiting is tough on those early beautiful days. When we finally go, we shop efficiently. We know  how many plants we need and the look we want to achieve. Still, we usually ask for help with choosing the best plants. We shop for the front porch first, then later we do back porch and patio shopping.

Patio pot with flowers and hot peppers 

I love shopping for plants but working the soil and planting is the most satisfying. It’s also the most physically demanding. Donnie prepares the raised beds and the pots with fresh nutrient rich soil. He  has my tools ready with the plants close to the pots so I don’t have to move much. (He worries I might fall off the porch.) That makes planting much easier for me but I still have to do a lot of squatting down, standing up, and bending over.

Peppers and herbs, I can grow

There’s more fun in the back. This is my kitchen garden with herbs for cooking and flowers for the table. I have to work around furniture, plants and tools. This spring I notice improvement in moving. I work on this at the gym. Thankfully, no mishaps. 

The back porch and patio face due south exacerbating the warm air temperatures. On a beautiful, otherwise cool day, it gets blazing hot. I keep my water bottle close and drink frequently. Also, most of the work is low down, at ground level. I’m on my hands and knees, up and down repeatedly. My I-watch, calorie burn indicator confirms that I’m working hard. 

Brother Bob coached me

Gardening is one of my favorite therapies. It works my core  physically. The fresh smells and sunlight are intoxicating and refresh me. Overall, it’s satisfying and makes me happy. 

The cool thing is that the pots and garden keep on giving all summer. I deadhead the flowers and pick and use the herbs throughout the summer. In the fall, we clean up and plant fall flowers. Looking pretty and being edible are bonuses. Best of all, it’s somethingI can still do. I may get tired but I don’t get sore. It’s great!