The Potting Shed - Part 2

[Bermuda]

Oh Dollyvee, those plants sound so lovely.

I will be moving soon, but not far. I have to find a way to transport my jungle. I posted on a forum saying that I have to cut back my largest plants and got several tiny cuttings in exchange.

In my new home I plan on creating a cascading waterfall of vining plants. I've been dreaming about my new interior and just imagine an old crumbling factory that's being reclaimed by nature. That's what I want. A thousand plants, old strange objects, and clashing textures of iron and moss.

[Bermuda]

Sometimes I fantasise about my plants taking back my building after a huge disaster. The thought brings me comfort, like I'm making a positive difference in the world. I don't think it would take too long, just a couple years without humans and vines would reach into every cranny. I imagine the rats making their way from the basement all the way up here to the fourth floor. Rats living out their days in peace with the silverfish in their post-urban oasis.

Self sustainable gardening brings me joy.

[dollyvee]

I like that idea Bermuda. It's a good metaphor for the healing process and growing through it with all the "darker/hidden aspects" coming up that no one ever wants to face, but finding new life.

[OwnSide]

Today I discovered the basil in my window has flowers. In February! And I live in fairly northern climate.

Perhaps it's trying to tell me it's possible to bloom in the unlikeliest of conditions 

(Attached pictures)

[Blueberry]

OwnSide, flowers in February are a thing of joy!

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I'm feeling more at home in my new place and in the garden/yard. LL went through the whole garden with me on Monday, showing me places where I can put my own plants or sow wild flower seeds. He also pointed out what work other than lawn-mowing needs to be done and/or could be done. Now that I've had a proper tour of the garden, I can see how nice it is and how much potential there is. Also, I now know that some spaces are not mowed at all - that's where I can put my wildflower seeds. LL and I are on a similar wave-length as far as gardening goes. That's cool. He doesn't live in this building anymore but he still cares about and cares for the garden.

A couple of hours ago I went down into the garden to do one job I'd had my eye on and which LL confirmed needed to be done sometime. Some way it reminded me of being at one of my grandmother's when I was in my early teens. It was a good memory and so doing the job also a good feeling in several different ways.

[Bermuda]

I read Blueberry's recent post and it made me think about my little balcony garden and actually just how good the season feels.

I thought for sure my balcony plants died over winter. They became shrivelled and grey and snapped like kindling, so I just stopped watering them at some point.

To my shock they are alive! I have sea buckthorn, and a gooseberry bush, a calamondin, and a fig. Today I bought two more sea buckthorns and a blackberry bush for my son. He is semi-verbal and said, "That me happy mama!" Heart-melting.

The weather in Sweden is so great this time of year and the sun is out most of the night so we stay up until sunset to watch the bats from the balcony. I am thinking of moving further north to really be in nature. It's such a magical part of our routine, to stay up until sunset to watch the bats, to awaken to seagulls, to water the plants together, to look up random facts about spiders we see.

[Armee]

So beautiful, Bermuda. That's melting my heart, too.

I half garden. I plant stuff but dont always tend well. Its a little funny cause a couple weeks ago my T said "you like to garden, don't you?" And I replied vehemently "no. I don't garden. I just kill stuff." But my blueberry and mandarin orange trees are going bonkers this year. And I have some gladiolas coming up now that I planted a couple years ago, but they won't bloom till summer. And a snapdragon that me and my D stole. It was this little maybe 6 inch snapdragon that was dying in a public space with no water. So we stole it and brought it home a few years ago and it is now this giant shrub up to my thighs filled with happy yellow stalks of flowers. The only thing I've stolen and I'm proud I did. After going home and remembering this I picked a bouquet and took a photo to show T and to remember myself. I do garden, some.

[Blueberry]

You rescued that snapdragon, Armee! Your garden sounds lovely!

I plant stuff that can mostly look after itself. I've still got a bunch of stuff to plant from my old garden. Today I've been weeding instead, mostly stuff I said I'd do for LL. Weeding is easier today.

[Kizzie]

I love your Snapdragon story Armee.        I think it speaks to the type of people we (survivors) tend to be. 

[Blueberry]

Snowdrop shoots were up last week. Now they're blooming   Yellow crocuses are in bud. Another little yellow spring time flower is open - might be aconite, I'm not sure.

I like flowers that tend themselves and come up again, year after year

[Bermuda]

Blueberry, that is very exciting. We also have snowdrops, and the tulips have shot up too just patiently waiting. I am planning my kids' "spring holiday" baskets, and my son is really into flowers, and my daughter it into throwing dirt, so I got them really large pots, and it will be filled with their own little gardening tools, gloves, birdhouse building kits, diy windchimes and suncatchers, and heaps of flower seeds... My son really is into giant sunflowers right now. I'm going to put florist foam in the bottom of the pots, and stick in a large flower windmill toy in the center and cover the base in paper grass, put all the gifts on top, and I'm going to put another stick into the foam and wrap it in blue tape and hang a little watering can from it's spout as if it's watering the flower.

I hope that it ends up as amazing as I am imagining it to be. I'm happy that spring is coming. Spring holiday is rough, but the thought of rebirth and reawakening as a thing to celebrate makes me happy.

Flowers, leafy buds, bees, butterflies, and if I am so lucky as last year the sighting of a hummingbird moth, that would make my year. Things to look forward to.

[Armee]

I love how special you make things for your kids, Bermuda.


Lots blooming here too. My favorites are the wild plums.. like cherry blossoms. Gorgeous. And we have some snowdrops too though I never knew what they were called! Daffodils have popped up randomly including pretty white and yellow varieties and I even saw a new flower out here and looked it up...a "Bermuda Buttercup!"

And the whole yard is completely carpeted in a wild leek that is just starting to bloom. Those white flowers will be prolific in a few weeks.

That all the stuff that just grows wild. I have a fenced off plot of land that I planted poppies, irises,  Fava beans, and ranunculus, also gladiolus...but to be seen if any bloom. My yard is shady in the woods with lots of critters and strangling clay soil.

[Kizzie]

So, being in Canada the only thing growing are icicles.  I love hearing about what's happening in all your little corners of the world though! 

[Blueberry]

It snowed the other day but there's just a little sprinkling left on bits of shady lawn. The yellow crocuses are blooming now, in other people's gardens purple crocuses are blooming.

The sap is rising in trees and it's especially visible in the thin branches of certain bushes which turn reddish-purple in spring.

[Blueberry]

I see a few new posts on our Healing Porch thread, so I'm bumping this thread too. It's not the same, but I thought there might be some interest in gardening or plants in general on the recent Healing Porch posts. The Healing Porch is definitely different though. It's magic. So I don't want to distract from it at all, but just add this thread too, appropriate time of year for it in the northern hemisphere.