It鈥檚 six am in the morning, it鈥檚 still cool. I鈥檓 up and outside to water my household鈥檚 mix-mash of garden containers. Yesterday wasn鈥檛 a ideal day, and I鈥檓 feeling down鈥�. As soon as the garden becomes my focus, I feel relaxed and pleased with the world.
My first customers, the energetic, colourful petunia鈥檚 release a small orb spider and it drops away on a thread. I look to see where it鈥檚 landed so it won鈥檛 fall victim to my steps.
I check some tomatoes that have volunteered among a fine bin of red beets. We鈥檝e already had a jewel-like beet salad. Sadly one tomato plant is suffering from curled leaves. I make a mental note to come back with a soapy spray.
Just around the corner it鈥檚 the cucumbers. They鈥檙e finally, enthusiastically pushing upward on a bamboo lattice I installed last year. I push aside some large green leaves to see what鈥檚 happening. Tiny cucumbers are evolving from the promising yellow flowers! Ah, there鈥檚 one that鈥檚 almost ready for a cucumber sandwich.
Nearby, two large round potato bins have already been harvested. Declared a better harvest than last year, some of this crop has become a delicious crisp potato salad, with more for another day.
After almost two weeks of high temperatures, well into the top 30鈥檚, I see dark clouds on the south horizon. The air is thick with moisture and rain. I stop to savour the rare smell.
In a moment of inattention, the sprayer drenches my feet鈥efreshing as the coming rain.
Somewhere there鈥檚 a pot of zinnias I planted from last years seeds. I鈥檇 expected large extravagant cupped flowers in a rainbow of colours. Instead I see smaller heads in yellow and white. No matter, the bees still love them and so do I.
Speaking of bees, it鈥檚 been slow for insect pollinators. The large bumbles I鈥檝e grown fond of have only appeared a few days ago. But I鈥檝e noticed lots of smaller bees, hover flies and cabbage white butterfly鈥檚 tumbling about in the cat mint and Russian sage.
A couple of sparrows fly toward me then swerve off to land on a tall garden stake just a few feet away. They鈥檙e on the support for a large greenish windmill. It鈥檚 there to halt bird strikes on the reflective windows behind. I鈥檓 pleased the windmill is working!
Next up, a large pot of sunflowers who are facing toward the cloud shrouded sun. Then there鈥檚 one of my favourite large bins with a collection of volunteers I鈥檝e rescued from other flower pots and the compost bin.
I never know what a few brave leaves will turn into. This year there鈥檚 an extraordinary tomato plant with unusually large flowers, a yellow violet who doesn鈥檛 like being overtop, some snapdragons and two mystery melons flowing out and over the edges of the bin into the grass below.
The sky has darkened. I hear distant rumbles. Everything is watered and will surely welcome additional sprinkles. I feel ready to meet the day.
To contact Dianne please go to writer@diannebersea.com
