It's sunny and cold outside in the Carondelet Garden on this Shrove Tuesday morning. We should have abundant sunshine all day with highs in the upper 50's. Not a bad way to end Shrovetide.
It's Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, or Mardis Gras. It's the final day of Carnivale and the day of preparing ourselves for the forty days of Lent which begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. It's a time of preparation for the coming of Easter and, if you are a gardener, the coming of Spring as well. We did a little preparation by visiting the Orchid Show @mobotgarden yesterday. It was absolutely stunning! If you haven't been I certainly encourage a visit. Over the years gardens were designed as sacred spaces. I truly believe they are exactly that. A place where you can experience the peace and harmony of spending a few minutes in the creation of the Creator of all things. Gardens are magical. Stepping into the grand world of orchids truly inspires and offers up possibilities for other worlds and other thoughts all while making us look inward. Not a bad way to end Shrovetide. It's a beautiful morning. Maybe enjoy a pancake or a waffle and celebrate Shrove Tuesday. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.
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It's a cloudy morning here in the Carondelet Garden. There's a bit of a chill in the air but you can see signs of Spring bursting forth out of the cold ground. Take a look at these little succulents that we uncovered while doing a bit of cleanup last week. It won't be long now!
I know some people feel like the month with the fewest days seems like the longest month of the year. It can feel that way, but February is the month when gardening really kicks into high gear. The weather can still be pretty rough, and the days are still short. In February there is still something happening. There's a bit of thrill in the air. Tulips are sticking their little heads up. The crocus are starting to poke out. It's an exciting time here in the garden. It is a good time to be present. After all, it is all we really have. We have the now. This is where the Creator will always speak to us. The now holds everything and rejects nothing. This is where we encounter the Creator here in creation itself. It's a good day to be kind and gentle with ourselves and others. This week we will enter into the season of Lent. A time of prayer and fasting. One of my prayers is for the faith, hope and love to acknowledge God in all things. Amen and amen! We are having yet another beautiful, sunny day here in the Carondelet Garden in south Saint Louis. The temperatures were almost balmy when I stepped out this morning to check on things. We should see mid to upper 60s later this afternoon. My weather friends tell me tomorrow may hit 70-degrees. If that doesn't give an old gardener Spring Fever nothing will.
The honest truth is that Spring Fever is in full bloom here in the garden. I finished this lovely extra tall, raised bed yesterday and have another to be built. I can almost taste the carrots and potatoes right now! The thing about stretching your limits is that every time you do it, you have a new limit to stretch. Every time you solve a problem, it builds you up just a little bit more. It is the doing of things that ties the garden all together. The work and sweat and hope and faith are what makes it possible. I am always amazed and awed by the power that comes from the very first tomato of the season. Is there anything more beautiful and sweeter? It's a good day for a good day. Time is precious and the weather is cooperating. Life is pretty amazing right now so I'm heading out to enjoy it. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. It's a bright, sun-filled morning here in the Carondelet Garden. We should see a mix of clouds and sunshine this morning followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. A perfect day to do a little gardening!
The Leafmould is doing its thing. It's been about three months and it's dropped over 12-inches in that time. I'm really excited to use it this fall for some soil conditioning and mulch for over-wintering hardy plants. I love Leafmould and the best part is it is FREE! I'm busy building new raised beds and starting seeds and dreaming of Spring right now. It's really easy for me to see myself in the role of conductor for this symphony of nearing Springtime. I like the idea of controlling every note and beat of my garden. The reality is that even the very best gardener is not so much a conductor as much as a cross between a caretaker making sure the lightbulbs are replaced and a member of the audience with possibly the best seat in the house. I truly believe any success I have in growing anything well is a combination of confidence, intuition and sheer luck! There is a bit of faith, sweat, hope and love thrown in as well. A labor, but a labor of love. It looks to be a beautiful day. It's a good day to be kinder and gentler with ourselves and others. We all need more kindness and gentleness as we make our way. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. The sun is shining on this chilly Tuesday morning here in the Carondelet Garden. It's a bit chilly outside right now but this afternoon the temperatures will hit the mid 50s again. Needless to say, I've got a bit of spring fever!
The picture is a bit of beauty from the grow station. The little succulent decided to bloom and share it's grace with us this morning. What a joy to wake up to such beauty. We have work to do this late Winter. We are putting in three new raised beds and a new Missouri Native Wildflower patch in the boulevard. The boulevard is such a weird little piece of ground between the sidewalk and the street. It is the only grassy area I have left in the front garden. I have two sections. I will try the smaller one first to see how things go. Exciting changes. It's good to continue to challenge and learn. @thehillsidelife shared a quote from Henry Ford a few days ago that rang so true to this old gardener, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." There is such truth in that statement. It's a good day for good day. Time to learn something new and tackle some new projects. How about you, anything new in your garden this year? That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. It's a bit chilly out in the Carondelet Garden on this Ordinary Monday morning. The good news is the sun is shining and the high will reach the mid-50s by this afternoon. You can't beat that for early February in South Saint Louis.
It was a busy few days in the old garden. The new cold frame is ready to begin filling with plants for Spring. I'm going to be putting out beans this week. I know it's a bit early but I'm willing to give it a go. Lettuce and Spinach are going into the grow area this week as well. Spring is coming and I'm ready! I am ready for a bit of faith and hope. It is up to me to celebrate creation wherever I find it. The beauty is there to behold, drawing me in. Drawing me in to that which is holy. This longing for creation is a part of all of us. It is how we are put together. I wouldn't want it any other way. It's a good day for a good day. A bit of faith, some hope and all the love we can muster will get us through. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. A bit cloudy this morning out in the Carondelet Garden this morning. We should be seeing a mix of clouds and sunshine, but the clouds are moving back in this afternoon with a slight chance of a rain shower. The highs should be in the mid-60s so Spring is in the air!
Our sweet niece and her hubby were down with the creeping crud yesterday, so Dr. B went into cooking mode. Homemade chicken noodle soup and her award-winning Apple Crumb Pie were dispensed STAT! They were feeling better as of last report and hopefully on the road to full recovery! I have a new Cold Frame in the back garden as of today. I am excited to get an early start on a variety of plants and vegetables this Spring. @flowersandweeds you are so right, as I am "dreaming of Spring!" The weather is pretty amazing today. Even with a few showers you can't be too upset with 60-degree weather on Groundhog Day. Be good to yourself and try to get outside a bit. Walk about and smell the earth coming back to life. That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden. |
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