Adirondack Witch

A week or so ago, when the sunlight hit my face and a warm breeze blew through my hair, I could literally feel a sort of veil be lifted from my mind and emotional state. When the Winter snows finally melt and the sun finally comes out, something clicks in me to get outside, get to doing things, even if the air still has a nip to it.

Seasonal depression is such a big phenomena up here, and I’m not immune to its grasp.

The first thing I did was check up on my old garden plot, with cucumber and morning glory vines dead and still tangled from my hasty (if ill-planned) planting last Spring. Perhaps this year I won’t plant two vining plants right next to each other. But it was fun trying to pry them apart last time.

I took stock of my planting areas, thinking about what I might plant this year, but picked up the phone to text my dad-in-law, who had gotten a wooden shipping container from his job last year to build my raised garden in. Today, now, I know I’ll be getting another one, and it’s got me thinking about the lessons I learned, and that, since I’d proven to myself that I could tend to crops for a growth season, perhaps I could push the envelope this time.

Peas and beans grow wonderfully here. I’d spent many summer days going out to pick me some ‘night beans’, always having a pea pod snuck in there like a stowaway. Fresh out the garden is always best, and I’d planted so many beans that I had them in abundance. Those are a definite return this year.

The cucumbers and morning glories both grew quite well, and I enjoyed waking up to the flowers and eating the round cucumbers I’d selected every handful of days or so. I’ll plant them again – but perhaps a bit separated this time. Haha.

My son, who doesn’t particularly like vegetables, suggested I plant lettuce this time around. I’d watched some videos on growing lettuce indoors during the winter months. Quick and simple buggers. I’ll see how they grow.

I think most importantly of all, however, is that I want to start a compost pile. Nothing fancy- I don’t really have the time or mind to be tending something that needs extensive babysitting or research. But it’d be nice to not have to buy any new soil next year, if it could be helped.

It’s still in a dangerous place to start planting, however, unfortunately. With our new kitten, it’s nigh impossible to start any seedlings indoors (as she loves to knock everything onto the floor). I await the warmer days, hoping April will be kind to us. I especially await when the weeds start growing up again! I have some magical ideas in mind… but they will have to wait for now.