Rainy Day Gardening

I am rededicating Thursdays to my garden: I will re-envision, and plan next steps for creating a sanctuary here for nature and my family. This is also a day when I have both my grandsons, and I want to be sure to get them into the garden and into nature. 

The September garden is cooler and calmer. We've had some rainy days to refresh the green, and I can relax with the watering. This is the time to begin a little garden clean-up, and prepare for winter.

We are in the Waxing Gibbous moon phase, when I can settle again into the yin of Beingness. I will contemplate the big picture of my life as I practice mindfulness, self-care and trust. Now is a time to reconsider my intentions and make adjustments. It's a time to review and refine, a time to practice Being, and trust in the ebb and flow of the universe. 

 

Today:

1. September garden tasks

2. This week's garden plan

3. Nature-culture flow and kid projects

4. Refine my intentions

1. September garden tasks:

The consistency of the 15-minute daily visit keeps me connected to my garden even when I don't accomplish much. In September it's all about looking for veggies to harvest, and then a little garden clean up.

1. Harvest beans, tomatoes, beets, carrots, raspberries, rhubarb
2. Mulch raspberries
3. Seed Collecting and Saving: Pack the peas; look for native seeds.
4. Prepare space for the winter garden: For bok choy, broccoli, lettuce, leeks, onions, and garlic.
5. Sow Cover Crops: Chop plants to the soil line then broadcast red clover and fava bean seed to enrich and protect soil through the winter.
6. Harden off and plant any winter seedlings that are ready. My seedlings are not ready - they need to be planted into bigger pots, and they need some careful time outdoors

2. This week's garden plan:

The next two days will be west and cold - I'll need perseverance to complete garden tasks! 

• Th: Plant beets; harden seedlings; freeze tomatoes
• F: Duck care; clear bind weed in west corner; pack the peas  
• Sat: Weed and mulch raspberries
• Sun: Prune the roses, weed and mulch neighbor bed; 
• M: Duck care; prune hedge
• T: Water fairy garden; weed street bed; collect mulch for backyard 
• W: Duck care; loosen and mulch beds -plant clover; harvest sunflowers (save seeds) and feed the birds

3. Nature-Culture flow and kid projects:

My garden chores and practices are deeply connected to my teaching, writing, artwork, and activism.

• Th: Write about butterfly gardening; 
• F: Creativity plans for EC retreat; Write a Free native Plants article; Go to City Club?
• Sat: Read Habitat Haven report, make a plant wish list; start new plant info cards; Glowing costume for Bright Parade?
• Sun: Start watercolor bird/ flower studies
• M: Plant info signs; Make an EC sample leaf 
• T: New bird cards, bird watching walk; collect acorns...
• W: Finish plant info signs and send to Liz; ECEF call
  
• Th: Both boys day - feed the birds and squirrels