Practicing Patience

I remind myself at least once a day that I’m grateful to have developed a meditation practice over the past year or so. In the midst of the uncertainty and fear of this global pandemic, I’d be a hell of a lot more cranky, anxious, and weepy if I hadn’t learned how to bring my swirling thoughts back to the present.

According to many news stories, I’m in good company in my resolve that this is the spring to plant a garden. On the recommendation of a friend down the street, I got a book on the Square Foot Garden method just before the library closed. Kevin and I made a couple of trips for wood, hardware, and the trio of products needed for the soil: compost, peat moss, and vermiculite. Mixing on a tarp and transferring to the frame took a fair bit of effort — definitely a two-person project!

The soil (which is what gardeners call dirt) was remarkably light when we ran our hands through it. We made the sides 18in/45cm high in an attempt to keep out rabbits, chipmunks, and squirrels (or, as Kevin calls them, “damn varmints”).

After we watched a bold chipmunk hop right into the box from the adjacent cement wall, we decided an additional barrier was needed. We jerry rigged some chicken wire, metal stakes, hooks, and clips to create fencing (of sorts) that can be removed to provide access to the garden.

Right now, it’s just soil with the beginnings of peas and some other plants beginning to sprout. I’ve got some greens and herbs started inside and will transplant them once the weather warms a bit more. It’s been the coldest April in a quite a while here in the Greater Boston area, but I’m confident it’ll warm soon enough. It’s only a matter of time….