I’ve been incredibly swamped with work the past few months. Garden consulting is super busy this time of year as you might expect. This mild Spring has really helped with plant growth – and the evidence is the huge display of awesome perennials packed in the nurseries right now. Rows of lush bearded Iris, Delphinium and Nemesia are already offering abundant clusters of blooms. The plants I propagate from seeds and cuttings are going crazy, bursting over 5 gallon pots begging for a home in the ground. And my clients have all been extra enthusiastic and raring to plant this year – I’m guessing they are over the Winter just as much as I was.
A general feeling of – “Hell ya, let’s plant!” is in the air…
And then there’s Garden Apothecary – another full-time job on its own. I’m redesigning recipes to include more organic botanicals – like Cardamom, Cassia, Cacao, Lotus and Blue Tansy. I’m starting to sell at the local farmers market, to an array of stores in LA, and figuring out just how many products can fit on a pallet for over-sees shipping – all while creating these small-batch blends by hand. Needless to say it’s been exhausting and wonderful all at the same time. The little down time I have, I’ve tried to spend in the garden. Some evenings it’s just to get out and water. Others I can re-pot propagation plants, fertilize, water and weed – all before the sun completely goes down. And then when I’m really zonked from the work day, I sit on my driveway like a hobo and just stare at the garden. I count pollinators, count weeds, count buds on my rose bushes. It’s a pitiful site really, but I love it.A good way to end a busy work day…
I also love to glam it up in the garden. Sometimes – when I’ve had a real shit-tastic day, I put all the fun jewelery I have on, pour some vino, turn on a podcast, and do some gardening. I feel like it takes the drudgery out of weeding when you can add some sparkles to it. And really – if you’ve never listened to a podcast while gardening – you must try! The gardening Zens you out, while the podcast gets your mind to open up to something new, melting away your work day.
Here’s a list of the podcasts I love to garden to:
Pretty much any one of these from the NPR’s
PICTURES by Rob Co.
