It started this spring as a way to slow myself down. If you have ever met me, you would guess right away that I am a real “spark plug”. “Slowing down” and me have never been friends. I am slowed down by excessive heat and major snowstorms. Well, no, not by the snowstorms because I make quilts all winter to avoid being “slow and unproductive.”

Last autumn, my husband scored 10 days off from work unexpectedly. I was behind in my garden chores. “Perfect!” I quickly scratched down a “honey-do” list the size of Texas. I smiled my best smile as I presented it to him. My glee was not met with the same energy.   

“Just because you can’t sit on the couch doesn’t mean other people don’t choose to.”

Yikes. So began a 24 hour Grrrrrrrrr. “Well how can that be???” I thought. “How can people not want to do stuff all the time, get stuff done, make things happen???” “Whadayamean, some people LIKE to just sit???”

Wow. As his words swirled around me, I came to a new understanding. I had spent so much time overachieving, I hadn’t stopped to consider EVERYONE didn’t want to be an overachiever. As it swirled faster and tighter, I realized that maybe I occasionally wanted, needed and might even enjoy some time doing…..gulp….nothing.

So onto how this is a garden blog. (I have mentioned before and will again….rambling manure. It is what I do…….)

This spring I scoped out an area for a “Meditation Garden”. I envisioned a spot where I would sit and contemplate. Relax and do nothing. It began on the morning of spring equinox. I marked the spot where that morning’s first sunbeam landed on the ground in my garden. As a gardener, it made sense to start by following the season’s best “Welcome Spring!” day. It was pretty early in the morning. The birds were singing in the otherwise quiet dawn. Perfectly, that sunbeam lit up a spot under my large pine trees.

From that spot, I marked out a 10 foot across circle, the ESWN directions with bricks I had sitting around. I put a bench in the back SW spot, which would then look out over my garden. I sat. Hmmm.

Over the next weeks and months of spring/early summer, every time I dug up a rock, I added it to my circle. I had a few small piles of rocks here and there from digging thru the years. I collected them and added them to the circle. Finally I circumvented. I tried to add a few Coleus to the edge, but only a few of them decided they wanted to be part of my circle. Life is tough under big white pines. There is nothing to DO.

I decided that once in my circle, I had to sit. No sitting and then spying a weed and getting up to pull it. Cuz once I am up, I am out of the circle. I also am not allowed to think any critical thoughts about what I haven’t gotten done in my garden. (The overachiever isn’t ALLOWED in my circle!!)

The back of the Meditation Garden looks on to my Utility Area. Stacked pots, bags of potting soil, tools. Usually a complex mess. That had to be hidden, it spoke of work to be done. After discussing my needs with an architectural salvage guy (thanks Steve!), we came up with the idea to use old tall shutters and a skinny door or two to create a ½ circle around the back for screening. Presto! The view was changed and it was cool.

A fellow gardener told me I created an adult “time out” area.

Now if I could just find time to sit in it.

Happy Dreaming of new gardens, new adventures and new growth.

~Erica

In keeping with my personal goal of being more positive, instead of “chores”, I will be referring to the following tasks as “love”. Chores sound awfully close to work, and the word is already making me drag my feet. Love, on the other hand….ahhh…love. J

If the heat has kept you from wandering outside with a close eye, it is time to go love on your garden. I am not only an underwaterer by nature, I am also a lazy deadheader. I cut bouquets of flowers for my kitchen, or to give away, to prevent having to deadhead. I love being in my garden, but regular primping in not regularly done. I am still spending the time in the garden, but I am here, I am there, I am everywhere.

Yes, like a kid in a candy store, I am easily “task distracted”. I often head in to the garden thinking about doing one thing, then get totally off course and spend 2 hours doing something else. Necessary love, of course, but not always organized love. I walk out as a butterfly floats by, (glaze over….pretty butterfly……) smile and follow its path as it heads out of sight….right over the Japanese Maple that should be pruned and just like that I am over there instead of following the original plan.

An early morning walk gave me my “love list”. This list is comprised of names of plants who need to see me and my Felcos or garden scissors. (btw, if you don’t have garden scissors, you need a pair! They are wonderful for cutting finer stems that are too delicate for Felcos.) I like lists and checking things off. Makes me feel accomplished, keeps me somewhat focused.

My ‘Coronation Gold’ Yarrow is now prominently displaying “Coronation Brown-Gold” blooms. I used a lot of those for vases, but that plant is a flower factory. Upon further inspection, I see smaller flowers lower on each stem. Hmmm. Cut the whole stem or delicately wade thru and remove only the brownish flowers? Either achieves, but after cutting a nice handful of small flowers for a new vase display, I will gather them all up and whack them to about 4”, foliage and all. Bam! Re-flower, please….Done, next please…..

Wandflowers (Gaura) are also starting to get in-between flower displays. Gather up the top 2/3 like you are making a ponytail and whack! They will send up fresh blooming stems and flower thru most of autumn.

Poppy foliage is all browned out. They go dormant for summer…they are not dead, they are simply sleeping. Trim the foliage away. I put a circle of small stones around them so I don’t forget they are there and plant something on top of them. (always looking for that empty space to fill…)

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is reaching the end of its first bloom. Cut ½ way back for a second bloom. Be careful! Watch for chomping Monarch caterpillars as you chop.

All varieties of Coreopsis are getting to a slow spot, cut ½ way back.

Earlier Daylilies have already finished and now have yellowing stems and leaves. Cut the whole plant down to 2 inches. It won’t cause a rebloom, but the plant will look loads better thru the rest of summer/autumn. New fresh green leaves will be sent up nearly right away. All daylilies can be treated this way as they finish blooming.

Remove faded flowering stems from Hosta.

Autumn blooming taller Sedums and Asters can be cut ½ way back right now to cause branching like you do for mums so they don’t flop. (Providing you aren’t force feeding them MiracleGro. P.S. Don’t feed your perennials chemicals!!!)

Sounds like I have a lot of love to give……