Sometimes you need to get away to come back ready to begin. The quick getaway to the South Carolina shore for Mendy’s birthday, besides being great fun all around, was just what this gardener needed. The warm breezes reminded me that spring is working its way slowly (very slowly) but surely up the mountains.
I’m just about ready to begin the first gardening season in my new home. It’s been a long time coming and I feel ready. I still feel a tiny bit daunted to begin what I consider my life masterwork – turning this big rolling property into the lush, edible garden and lively little farm I envision. It’s a project that will take several years before I even begin to see the outlines, and several more before it hits its stride. For now, I’ll be starting with a little veggie patch out back and a burst of plantings for bees and birds this first spring. If I’m lucky I’ll get to have a long journey with this land, letting it shape and guide the continuing conversation.
I returned from the beach ready to start the first steps of that journey. How happy I was to see the road home.
