Springing Away From My Usual Cynicism

Hello Bloglandia,

It’s SPRING!!!!

The best season of them all (no matter what you autumn-obsessives think).

The days are getting longer, the days are getting warmer, and Mother Nature is splashing all kinds of color everywhere.

And for a little while, I’m setting aside my usual cynicism-bordering-on-pessimism.

In other words, I’m planning my veggie garden for the year.

Madness, I know, but I can’t help it.

Spring arrives and I just get all uncharacteristically giddy with hope that this year the garden is going to just BURST with fruits and veggies.

I’ve already planted a new blueberry bush (despite never having much luck with them in the past in this yard), with visions of blueberry muffins and pancakes…and the birds likely getting most of my crop (my spring-y optimism has its limits).

I’ve also gone ahead and planted some seeds. A task that no cynic should ever engage in.

Because really, if you think about it, planting seeds is pretty much one of the most optimistic/hopeful-for-the-future thing we humans do.

I mean, come on. Sticking a hard little lump (peas) or a nearly invisible black speck (basil) into a clump of dirt and expecting it to turn into what’s pictured on the front of the seed packet?

Madness, pure optimistic madness!

But every year I do it.

Because every spring, Mother Nature waves her magic wand (or maybe that’s Cinderella’s fair godmother), whisks away my skepticism, and turns it into a pumpkin.

Wait, yeah, that’s definitely the fairy godmother. Bippity boppity boo.

Confused metaphors or not, I have indeed set aside my cynicism, my worries that another deadly heat wave will arrive and obliterate my seed babies, my irritation at last year’s garden’s poor production, and have stuck little things in soil with silly expectations that they really will grow into tasty treats.

Don’t worry, I’m sure the cynicism will come back soon…probably riding on the backs of seedling-munching slugs.

Like I said, my optimism only goes so far.

What I’ve Planted

Now that I’ve had a little fun with words, perhaps you’re curious what I’m planting this year.

I really did plant a new blueberry shrub. Fingers crossed on that one.

And I’ve got seeds going right now for…

• Edible pod peas (mangetouts)
• A mix of basil, because you can never have enough basil
• Dwarf zinnias (which did actually do well last year…surprise!)
• And a random mix of flower seeds I collected last year (impatiens, calendula, marigolds).

Once I get back from vacation (finally, a vacation!!!) I’ll also start from seeds I saved last year…

• Pole beans
• Sunflowers, LOTS of sunflowers…they’re just too much fun and the birds love them.
• Probably more basil. No, really, you can never have enough.

One thing I am NOT starting from seed this year are tomatoes or cucumbers or peppers.

The seed pots take up too much space and the seedlings get horribly lanky since I don’t have enough light in my house for them.

Instead, I’ll be hitting the garden center for starts sometime in May.

What Else Is Growing?

Not much.

But what is blooming, is really putting on a show.

There’s this pot of violets I rescued from the bargain bin last year.

Not bad for $2, huh?

And then there’s the primroses strutting their stuff and looking amazingly well for how often I forget to water them.

These primroses were also bargain bin rescues….see, something about gardening makes me turn my back on pessimism.

I mean, no cynic could possibly have looked at these things in their sad, shriveled state and believed they could grow into into something this snazzy….

That’s it for my lapse in personality. 

Do you grow plants from seeds? Do you get weirdly hopeful about your veggie garden? What’s your favorite…spring or autumn?

Go on and pop a comment in the box below!

Have a great week!

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I’ll type at you again soon!!

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