Days 4 and 5

    Yesterday it rained most of the day.  I was able, still, to put in a couple plants, and I took the opportunity to learn about propogating roses, verbena and corral bells since, again, this is becoming expensive. I've tried with a couple roses, and we will have to see how that plays out. 

    Towards a different part of the sabbatical, I also worked with a physical therapist a bit yesterday on how to tape my knee and toe so that I'm able to walk the camino with my son. We will see... I'm doing everything I know how to do so that our walk can actually happen with the least amount of pain.  

    The rest of the day I ran a bunch of errands, trying to work through the long list of needs that have been postponed because of a busy work schedule. And at the end of the day, I tried to honor David's desire for a "May the 4th be with you" Star Wars marathon. Not my favorite activity... I become very restless when sitting for a period of time. We focused on episodes IV-VI which are still fun to me. Actually, I don't have the same issues with episode I that others do, but I can't stand to watch II and III, for numerous reasons I don't need to expand on here. And I've never gotten into VII-IX. I know some of you (including David) would see that as heretical, but there it is.  

    This morning I was back at it. I'm still waiting for my huge order of mulch so I can do some sheet mulching in areas where crab grass has taken over. In the meantime, it's all hand pulling of weeds, which I do enjoy, though it's labor intensive and I won't be able to keep that up when we begin our travelling. That will happen as soon as Aislynn is home, which is in another 5 days (not that I'm counting).

    Here are some pictures of the new plants in the garden today as well as the roses I'm trying to propogate.  

Lessons from today:

       First, I loved learning about propogating plants. But I'm also aware that we pay for our gardens in one way or another. We either pay with money or we pay with time. It will take time for these plants that I'm trying to propogate to actually grow enough to plant and then more time for them to become full plants once they are in the garden. I'm happy to take the time for now, but I don't always have it to spare. Decisions, then, will need to be made. Which do I value more?  The time or the money? Usually it's the time. This is also true when it comes to mulch. I've heard several people suggest that when I see a tree person chopping down or shredding the remains of a tree, that I could ask them for the mulch they create.  "It's free" they tell me, as opposed to purchasing mass quantities of mulch.  Yes, but that means having the time and being out when a tree trimmer is around. It means taking the time to approach them and ask for their mulch. It means knowing what I'm asking for, and planning for it.  So far, I have never been outside when a tree trimmer is in the area.  I haven't seen any to ask for their mulch. Again, a matter of time versus money.    

    Second, I seem to regularly do things in the wrong order in terms of my garden. I painstakingly put in the pathway several years ago.  It took a great deal of time, intentionality and effort.  But after two years I then decided I needed a sprinkler system in the garden areas. In having that put in, the pathway was ruined, and had to be redone.  The recommended order for sheet mulching is that you plant your trees, then do the sheet mulching, and then add in smaller plants.  But since I don't have the mulch yet, I've planted many of my smaller plants and will attempt to sheet-mulch around them, which may end up being very problematic.  At the same time, many of the smaller plants I've put into that larger section, including verbena and myoporum are supposed to be trailing plants which will put down roots as they expand, and I don't want to get in their way with the sheet mulching. There are several lessons here for me.  One is patience. I need to have the patience to gain clarity about what I want so that I can think through what should happen in what order.  I also need the patience to wait for things like mulch to arrive before picking out plants. But another lesson for me in this is self-forgiveness. I am still, in so many ways, a novice to gardening. That means I will make mistakes. I go to the garden store to purchase one thing, and then see a plant I love, or talk to one of the workers who recommends a different plant.  I end up buying those almost as experiments with the hope that they will work in my garden, and will fill in under the trees or in different areas. Also, I'm trying to translate my own "mistakes" into "opportunities for growing and learning." 

    And God? God is present in the calming gifts of being in my garden, playing in the dirt.  I have a swing in the yard that I would like to be able to sit in to enjoy what is being created.  At this point sitting in the swing means looking out and noticing where there are still weeds that need pulling.  As I said, I don't sit well, so usually that means bopping up sooner rather than later to pull said weeds.  That's okay, but I look forward to the time of actual rest. So far I have just traded the busyness of my job for the busyness of trying to fix up my garden. Soon I will trade all of that for the busyness of travel.  I need to be intentional, then, about finding those times of rest, of sitting, of reflecting. 

Soon...