Normally in Pennsylvania, you’d want to plant your garden at the very end of May; I planted too soon because I started my seedlings too soon. This means I had to protect the plants from frost by covering them at night.
My tomatoes are “leggy,” but my beans, chives, and cilantro all look great. Cilantro does better in the ground than in a pot.
The ground cherry seems to double in size every day. In the background, you’ll see my plumcot tree happily growing tall. I might prune this tree each year and let it stay happy in a pot. You can grow plum trees in a pot! I needed a few more plum trees to pollinate with my first plum tree that will blossom next year.
My lavender and basil seem happy in these pots.
It’s a simple backyard garden that brings the perfect amount of joy each day. A storm came through last night and poured down rain, so I won’t need to water the garden for a few days. I still go out and inspect the plants to ward off anything that might harm them. I still go out and see what’s new with each plant. It feels like a spiritual practice, like something God does with us.
I love how living with flair means you don’t need extravagant, expensive, or fancy things to build a joyful life. If you have some dirt, some seeds, and some water and sunshine, you have everything you need.
I’m also learning that older people like myself love to talk about their gardens. If you want to know how to enter in a conversation with someone this summer, ask if they are growing a garden. See the way they light up. In my last three conversations with relative strangers, I asked about their gardens. 45 minutes later, they were each still lit up with happiness as they shared about their plants.