I feel like I have so much to say. Then again, I feel like I don’t have much to say at all. The feeling about which I wrote last week is staying with me. I am resting again with flowers.
I haven’t planted anything in the raised garden beds yet. (If you’ve been with me for a few years, you know gardening is not my forte, ahem.) But I have intentions…oh, I do! In the meantime, it seems Mother Nature is kindly lending a hand. As if to say: It’s okay, do what needs doing, come here when you can. Last week, my daughter and I noticed two heads of lettuce growing. They must be volunteers from last year’s lettuce as the only thing my daughter and I have actively planted this year are wildflower seeds in a patch adjacent to the raised beds. But there they are: two beautiful heads of lettuce, one green and one deep red.
And in the second bed: California poppies. I wasn’t expecting those to appear either. I don’t know much about flowers and I did only the quickest of internet searches to find that some poppy species are annuals, some are perennials. Perhaps these are, indeed, perennials. Or maybe they’re volunteers like the lettuce. (See note above about gardening not being my forte; every year I think I’ll make notes about the garden, but never do. Ah, well.)
Either way, Mother Nature has started the raised garden beds for me. She’s giving me a leg up. It’s not like I feel desperate for help except that, every now and then, I really do feel desperate for help. Just a little something. Do you know what I mean?
And so I have beautiful poppies blooming. Yesterday, I had a plateful of fresh salad greens. And the sage…my dependable sage is flowering too. I planted it our first summer in this house. It’s hardy and beautiful, and I thank it every year when it revives. I am not a particularly gentle gardener, and I feign patience. But…I am adoring.
Thank you, sage.
Thank you, poppies.
Thank you, lettuce.
Thank you, Mother Nature, for the leg up. I didn’t especially need it, except that I did.
Once again—and, truly, forevermore—the flowers are what rest in my heart.
Sending a little love your way, m
P.S. A friendly reminder that I have some open spots for the next run of Just Five Things. I hope you’ll join us. xo
Michelle GD 
Ha, I am not much of a gardener as well, although I would love to be. Every spring I begin with the intention that this is the year I will be successful but, unfortunately, I didn’t inherit my mom’s green thumbs. Thank goodness for the Farm CSA in our town! : )
So glad your lettuce returned to grace your salads! xx
I’m always thankful for the local farmers as well! Good thing their thumbs are greener than ours ;)
(and I’ve had some delicious salads lately!!)
Ahhh. I just love this, Michelle. I too am not a gardener. But every year, I am out there, praying for eyes to see the splendor and promise. Every year I try to grow flowers. And every year the only thing that grows is basil and tomatoes. You inspire me to keep trying!
But your basil! And the subsequent pesto!
So many lessons in the gardening, yes?
xo
also…have you tried zinnias or cosmos?
They are very forgiving of gardeners like us ;)
I have some garden intentions too but no volunteers. The weekend ahead does look promising for digging and planting. Enjoy.
Well, the intentions count for something!
Hope you get your hands in the dirt this weekend… xo
Hah I planted veg last year and the whole lot got ruined by bugs, it was brutal. Doing flowers this year! So far so good, but I have bug killer spray on hand in case!
Oh, I hear you! I’ve more or less given up on tomatoes since they get ruined every summer…am trying once more with a container of them on the deck, close to the house. We’ll see. Each year I do more and more flowers! It can be so disheartening, can’t it?
Yes, but spring comes every year and I’m optimistic every time! Mum used to say ‘god loves a try-er!’
I like your Mum’s attitude!
And like you, I’m optimistic each year…how could we not be?! The possibilities are glorious!