The Last Leaf Gardener

It is the season of Lent and most known for fasting and abstinence. In the past my fulfilling what I’ve given up for this period of time has been something I’ve not achieved, and it has been the same with my attempts at keeping New Years’ Resolutions (and this one of the reasons why I no longer make them which does not mean I lack habits to break or behavior that needs changing). 

In terms of New Years’ Resolutions, I try to resolve to do something positive such as be more helpful at the place where I do volunteer work, rather than promise to no longer do something such as swearing or eating the “wrong” foods.

In terms of abstinence and Lent, I’ve found that a mere few hours after I have ashes on my forehead with a resolve to give up a certain food, a particular drink, or modify my behavior, I’m back to my often miserable self.

But abstinence and fasting are not the only “activities” one “can” adhere to as he/she remembers that “we are dust and dust we will return … ,” for Lent is also a time of preparation.

And it is the fact that Lent is the season of preparation which prompted some new figurines to visit my succulent garden once the Valentine’s Day ones had left for the year! 

“Normally” during the forty days of Lent, I do not have whimsical figurines in my indoor succulent garden, even though I’ve felt that their presence has caused my succulents to thrive as I described in one of my guest blog posts for My Square Foot Garden.

The reason for having no figurines or extra decor in my succulent garden during this time has been my quasi-adherence to the “somber side” of Lent, a side I do respect, but a side I’ve re-evalated this year as Lent is also the Season of Preparation.

This year I decided to have my indoor succulent garden reflect the message of preparation by “allowing” “guests” to visit it who bring this message and these “folks” may be seen in the images accompanying this text.

The first image shows my “flower-girl” with her tools for preparing and nurturing a garden. As we all know, the calendar day for the first day of spring is less than one month from now; and while one may not be able to go outside into the garden to do actual gardening, one can, and probably should, prepare for the task which will eventually come. In the case of my urban (NYC) “terrace” garden, preparing the garden for winter and then getting it ready for spring have been done with great care, and I invite you to refer to my method of madness by clicking here.

The second image here is of a grand dame Lady Bug, and she represents the role ladybugs play in a garden, although I did not have many real-life ladybugs in my garden, but there’s always another season to prepare for!

The third image in this series is not particularly garden related; rather, it’s related to another outdoor activity, kite-flying, which is an activity associated with the month of March, a month that will be here in six days counting today (so prepare your kite and get  it ready to fly)!

The fourth image in this series shows a bee figurine who somewhat resembles a New York City doorman, but in any event, bees are insects that know all about preparation! In bygone years in my garden, I certainly was delighted to see them in the throes of their prep work as evidenced by the number of “stories” that I  wrote about them here on tumblr; as well as on Blogger; and I even featured them in one of my Virtual Stories (garden themed movies) on Vimeo which may be viewed by clicking here.

The fifth image reminds me that, whilst April Showers might bring May flowers, we have to get through the last five days of February and then thirty-one days in the month of March! Nonetheless, this fact did not prevent a new visitor (pictured here and featured on TLLG’s Facebook Page as well as a Pinterest Board) from coming to my succulent garden! The “things” which I grow here and I were especially delighted to see her clad in her yellow slicker and red rain boots! Her “attire” is truly a form of preparation!

The sixth and final image of this series features a flower-girl ready to plant bulbs! Bulbs are something I have never planted in the spring, but with the help of Juan V, bulbs for tulips, crocuses and daffodils were planted in late November as well as early December of bygone years.

It is my hope that my visiting figurines will remind me of the value in preparation  re my mundane activities as well as for the big picture of life!

Out of the blue … on a blue flower “belonging” to a Black and Blue Salvia plant which grows in my urban (NYC) garden a lone bee was hard at work today, seemingly unaware that it’s a holiday weekend! 

Where have she and her friends been feasting this year? Certainly not in my garden! In 2011 I wrote ten posts about the antics of “my” visiting bees (and featured accompanying images) on TLLG’s Blogger Pages, but have only one entry there (so far) for any bee stories in 2012!

Most of the comments that come up in my Facebook Feed for The Last Leaf Gardener’s FB Page @ http://on.fb.me/vvmjB0 , have to do with folks who “can’t wait for spring,” and, I also hear this from many of my friends as well as from people I meet in passing!

I continue to find these comments disturbing and even stressful! 

We still have (including today), FIVE days left in February (as it is Leap Year).

AND, then, we have TWENTY-ONE days until spring “officially” begins!

Why does anyone want to rush the time we have on this earth? When it’s summer, I hear news of Christmas prep; when it’s Christmas, I hear news of summer travel plans, please, please SLOW DOWN.

As the song* says:

“Slow down, you move too fast.

You got to make the morning last.

Just kicking down the cobble stones.

Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.

Ba da, Ba da, Ba da, Ba da…Feelin’ Groovy. 

Hello lamp-post,

What cha knowin’?

I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’.

Ain’t cha got no rhymes for me?

Doot-in’ doo-doo,

Feelin’ groovy … “

*These lyrics are from Simon and Garfunkel’s, golden oldie known as “Feelin’ Groovy, The Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge Song,” which I have referenced in a blog post @ http://bit.ly/zst2VJ , however, I include the lyrics here today, as I cannot stress enough, the importance of living in the now: the “traditional” in-between growing seasons time (at least in NYC where I live and have an urban terrace garden where I grow 80+ things).

For, if I had not been living in the now, I would have missed countless moments in my garden, as evidenced by the images accompanying this narrative. They reflect only a minute portion of the wonderful experiences I have when I “slow down” and “make the morning last”! 

The bees in my terrace garden are extra busy these days as if giving credence to the “busy as a bee idiom” and they have been my inspiration to do things on my ever-lengthening “to do” list.

One thing on that list was to have a teacher/friend over for a cocktail inspired by my bees — a drink from the 1920’s —  which is known as BEES  KNEES. I had heard a lot of “buzz” about this drink; and buzz is right — woo-hoo. Here’s the recipe:

2 oz. Gin

3/4 oz. Honey Syrup

1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

Ice

I served mine with crackers and thinly sliced bread which were topped with either sheep’s milk ricotta or honey goat gouda.

And you, my garden comrades, do you have bees busily getting ingredients ready for honey  before winter sets in?  I find the bees to be delightful and have written about them in my blog The Last Leaf Gardener. If you’d like to read  (and weigh in too) what I said, which was influenced by Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, please go to the following link:

http://thelastleafgardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/busy-busy-as-bee-my-bees-and-me.html