My garden isn't huge, and even though you didn't remind me, I tried very hard this year to plant only one type of plant in each bed.
I can't have one big patch, because of the water patterns here on the hillside. So it's divided up. In the picture above are the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zukes, lettuce, basil, beans, and parsley.
Down below on the right are kale, butternut squash (being attacked by something with the munchies, so hence the trellis with another little fence inside), and onions in the closer bed, which got drowned and baked so who knows what will happen there, other than weeds. I will try putting in some more lettuce soon.
And the scraggly row is raspberries which are coming along very well.
This morning I have two loads of laundry upstairs to fold, and this one little load out here drying (with a peek of the strawberries and asparagus).
It's an odd day. Doesn't it look odd?
Thunderstorms ought to be moving through, but they are holding off and suddenly it gets sunny. We need the rain! Consequently, the garden is looking a little parched.
I'm conflicted about watering. If you water, you only encourage the plants to be wimps. But if you don't water, they will be scraggly. But if you do water, those veggies are costing you. But if you don't water, why bother? But if you do water, it will rain right after.
What's a girl to do?
I was working out here quite a bit yesterday, and I had a little thought.
You know that thing we do… most of us… clicking around the internet? I don't even have to describe it to you. You keep clicking and there are more and more interesting, fun, distracting, or maddening things to read, listen to, watch, and CLICK!
Well, I'm not going to tell you not to do that.
That's what the internet is for!
But as I was working, I kept seeing more and more that I wanted to do out there. And if I went inside, I kept seeing so many things that needed my attention in there!
Most of the tasks were pretty little — just like that post, “6 Things You're Doing Wrong,” there were “Just Six Weeds Sticking out of this Low Planting!”
Or just as your eye is caught by “The Most Amazing Journalist Interviews the World's Greatest Philosopher, ” when you move around your home (away from the computer or phone!) you are tempted by real “clickbait”: “Move This Pile Of Mulch and Accomplish Two Tasks at Once!”
You know? They were little quick tasks that actually didn't take me long, but kept me running around. Just like a quick little video on Facebook that makes you think, and you can't help watching it: “If I Put this Chair where it Belongs, I will Experience Satisfaction with this Room.”
You can't do that all day — be “distracted” by all the little tasks that could use attention in your actual life — just like you can't surf the internet all day (you can, but you would hate yourself). But for an hour or two, it's a fine way to get things done.
You can do a lot in an hour. And what do you know, it keeps you off the computer!
- The winner of our giveaway of The Year & Our Children: Catholic Family Celebrations for Every Season is Mary Keane! You should have an email from me as we speak.
- You can order the book from Sophia Institute Press and receive a 30% discount for the coming week! Just use the code LMLD30.
- Don't forget to read Sukie's news and add your little bit of contentment to our link-up!
- Enjoy Father's Day and your celebration of the feast of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher on Monday, and your celebration (with or without bonfire — but something!) of the Birth of John the Baptist on Wednesday (vigil on Tuesday evening!). Don't forget to pray for our Supreme Court justices and for our country.
claire says
Just my kind of post- chatty, real, down to earth. Thanks for being a kindred spirit with a gift of real wisdom and thanks for sharing it!
Kylie says
I DO THIS! I call it “happening to the house.” I just set off and start happening to it without a real plan, and it really is amazing how much better everything is after an hour or two. Without a lot of thought at all! Wonderful.
Leila says
Kylie, I love it!
Auntie Sue says
I think there is something to be said for just doing things instead of fretting about them. Especially when you are a bookish, head-in-the-clouds sort of person. You are right, it would be disordered to do whatever distracts you all the time but sometimes you can grab a couple of minutes and really get something done that’s been bothering you. Occasionally, I put the timer on or time myself and I find that it takes less than 5 minutes to clean the inside of the microwave or put a few weeds. Even I can manage that!
About watering. We throw the leftover water from pitchers, my yogurt water bath, hard boiled egg water etc. on the garden. It adds up. Do you have a rain barrel?
Leila says
Sue, I do! I do have a rain barrel!
Woman of the House says
You can have some of our rain! Really! It’s been raining since the beginning of May and my garden is pitiful. The plants that are supposed to be there (beans, carrots, tomatoes) are pale and drowned, and the ones I don’t want (weeds) are hale and hearty. But because it’s raining all the time, there isn’t enough dry time to weed. It’s bad . . .
Your gardens look great, though! My husband even commented on how neat they look! 🙂
Ally | A Home Called Shalom says
I do this, too- most of the time, I call it “Just Suck it up and Do It or You’ll Think About it All Day.” Your idea is much better.
And for watering- I’ve been watering my (brand new!) raspberry plants from my (brand new! to me, anyway!) pond. I don’t really call it watering- it’s more like “Taking a nice walk to the pond with a couple buckets.”
Have a great weekend, Auntie and gals!
Sully says
that garden is seriously amazing! I hope to work my way up to that level of production.
Rachel says
Love. It reminds me of your advice to just clean that spilt milk out of the fridge already instead of making a plan to remove all contents of fridge, wipe down all shelves, etc.
It really does restore sanity to be given permission to NOT make a plan but to tackle quickly!
Thank you.
Helena says
My husband and I play hypothetical games all the time driving in the car. His latest one: “if you could choose a royal family for the United States (can’t be someone that you know personally), who would it be?” It took about 5 seconds to come up with you all, and it ruined the conversations as it was such an obviously perfect answer— which is a plus as I really hate all those hypothetical questions. This post and your husband’s post on the encyclical reinforce the choice!
Leila says
Helena, that is too funny. You are cracking me up.
April L. says
This comment isn’t surfing related, but I didn’t want it to get lost on the giveaway post. Leila, do you know if the reprint of The Year and our Children is updated or revised in any way? I actually found a very old copy at a flea market several months ago and picked it up just because it looked intriguing. I had no idea what a treasure I’d found until I got home and started reading it! If the reprint contains the exact same content with a new cover, I’ll obviously stick with my old copy. I looked at the listing for it on the Sophia Press site but couldn’t discern if there was any new info included in the book.
Leila says
No, nothing new has been added. The publisher says it’s a reprint of the old book.
April L. says
Wonderful, thanks!