Easing back into my everyday life
It’s always a sad transition to leave a retreat, to go home. I don’t mind too much once I get home, but don’t like leaving. Today, I decided to stop off at a cool looking garden shop that looks like a giant green house. I mainly wanted to check it out, but was vaguely looking for a small container of Milky Spore, since Ace just sells huge bags of it. I was struck by the strong admonition some young sales clerk gave to a French(?) family, saying they should never pull out their sumacs, because they’ll just grow back, and advised them to kill them with Round Up. I couldn’t get out of the lot going left, so went right, and stopped at Farm & Fleet. It’s been decades since I’ve been to one. I ended up buying herb seeds and a huge bag of bush bean seeds at a bulk rate price (which I don’t really need since I still have some expensive organic seeds that I haven’t planted yet). So that’s how I transitioned.
The weather was perfect, and will be for the next couple of days. When I got home, I let my dog out. I planted him his own green bean garden in a pot, which maybe I’ll be able to bring inside, in the fall — 9 plants, if they all come up. I’ve decided that since we both eat them, it doesn’t hurt to grow a lot.
(This is a picture I took of Sheldon last year, waiting to catch a piece of a green bean treat.)
And in the area where one of my potato plants died away (and where I believe I dug up all the potatoes), I planted chamomile, dill, garlic chives, lemon balm, marjoram and oregano, along with quite a few more bush beans. Some of those things are not “friendly toward” potatoes. But since the potatoes should be ready to pick before any herbs have any adverse effect, it shouldn’t be a problem. I think this fall, I may start a “window sill” herb garden in the house.
The seeds were on sale since it’s late in the season (but not too late). But even at normal price, even one seed that grows would probably yield as much herbs as we pay the big bucks for a small jar at the grocery stores — even more expensive if we want organic. That’s another reason to promote community gardening, or sharing seeds. One packet could grow enough for a whole neighborhood — for only 88 cents, on sale. Of course, I’ve seen seeds for even less — like 5 packets for $1.00. But, the selection was limited.
While looking for the “bean picture”, I found this one of Sheldon & Emmanuel, “the brothers”, having a slumber party next to my bed last winter:
Tags: community gardening, herbs, seed sharing, veganic, veganic gardening