Luxury is an Endless Garden

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Now is the time to get your peas and potatoes in the ground. A friend once asked me what I meant by that and I really had no other explanation than, "we always plant peas and potatoes on St. Patrick's day (or that week)." I know it is because they take the longest to grow and they can handle a bit of cold but, beyond that, it's just what we do.

Yes, she replied, "but how do you know that is the right time? Where did you read that...have you done any research?" I love my friends dearly but sometimes they can be overly pedantic. The thing is, St. Patrick's day begins the gardening season. If it is not the "correct" day to plant peas, I would hardly care since I plant rows of them every week until the next big gardening date, Mother's Day. That is the weekend to put frost-sensitive plants into the ground. The second sowing occurs just before midsummer and produces until November.

If I brag about my lineage, it is only to say that I come from a long line of gardeners. We have always sought to cultivate and beautify our surrounds. Gardening allows you to play with and honor space and time. Fruit trees can take several years to bear while greens flourish and are harvested within weeks. It is a game within a game and a dance within a dance. The space changes and different plants rise and fall and interact with the light. We take from the garden and give to it. Plants are not put out and then left for months until their fruits or flowers are ripe. We plant and harvest continually, weeding, watering, noticing.

We all have limited time and energy and where we choose to focus it can support or detract from our priorities. In german, the Gachtl, in France the Potager, the kitchen garden can support our ecological and health priorities but the real reason I love gardening is because it fosters relationship to the larger world. The spirits of wind, sun, water and earth interact with the hopeful little gardener and her seeds. Neighbors drop by to chat during their evening strolls.

The holidays mentioned above are inevitably tied to the agricultural calendar. Further, they are tied to the nature's calendar which has been keeping time between the sun and moon for aeons. Funnily enough, I have planted multiple gardens that I have never seen completely through to fruition but I hear that the fruit and landscaping are always appreciated.

When considering gardening for abundance we want to create a plan from a holistic or permaculture perspective. That simply means we consider the needs of the plants overall as well as their interactions with each other. Companion and succession planting offer hints. Each plant has requirements and provides benefits. Herbs and bright flowers benefit bees, trap crops deter pests, tall plants offer shade while spreading, low-growing plants protect the soil. "Dream with the land", to quote one of the most inspirational gardeners ever, Sepp Holzer.

The foundation of any practice is action, not knowledge. As humans, we are much better at operating from the feedback of our own actions. If you do nothing else, start a garden, even a potted one this week. You can learn as you go. Read a little, plan a little, execute daily. Learn more, use reference planting guides.

Some general tips and observations for your garden:

• Start today, even with potted herbs, berries or an olive tree

• Ensure easy access to water

• Spend at least fifteen minutes in your garden daily, mid-March to November.

• There will be weeds and there will be beauty and harvest.

• Install walkways at the beginning as raised beds and stone are difficult to move.

  • However, don't let this hinder you from beginning.

• Fruit trees require several years to acclimate and develop.

  • Pinch off all fruits in the first two years. As tempting as they may be, the tree will do better overall if the roots are allowed to develop first

  • Old white tee shirts make great protection against sun scab. Cut them into strips and wind them around the trunk and tuck in the loose end, like dressing a mummy

  • Consider what will be shaded as the trees reach maturity

• Include a place to sit in your garden to absorb all the wonder

• Scratch damp bar soap with your nails to keep dirt out from underneath

As we discussed previously, materializing multiple streams of income is how we build an intricately beautiful and luxurious lifestyle. Perhaps, it would be better to say multiple streams of abundance because this stream overflows with goodness. Gardening will feed your body and soul, refresh your mind, flavor your food, stock your apothecary and undercut market prices every single day.