The view from here is wonderful, as long as my back is to the garden, and my gaze goes across the road, across the far side of the valley.
Turn around, and–oh! All sorts of plants in pots, needing to be planted. All sorts of weeds needing to be pulled where the plants are to be planted. Last week it was too early, we were still having frost. This week it’s too late; I can’t work fast enough.
I have to stop and remind myself that I waited all winter for this. But I am always of two minds. When I am writing, I feel like I should be gardening. When I am gardening, I am writing in my head. How ironic that when there is the most to write about, there is the least time to do so.
I just want to say: I haven’t quit writing–it’s just not getting out of my head. I planted a rose. I’m battling bindweed. I’m gradually taking a bed back from goldenrod. There are more things in bud than in bloom, and I’m not sure whether it’s me or the garden that’s holding its breath, waiting for the crescendo.
And how are things with you?
About Kathy Purdy
Kathy Purdy discovered the joys of writing in fourth grade, when she started corresponding with a former classmate. She's been writing letters ever since, first on looseleaf, then electronically, and now as weblog entries. That makes you, the blog reader, her pen pal. Her first independent (though frustrating) attempts at gardening were made in high school, though the gardening bug didn't bite hard until her mid-thirties, when she found herself mistress of a rural home on 15 acres. • USDA Hardiness Zone:4 • AHS Heat Zone: 3 • Location: rural; Southern Tier of NY • Geographic type: foothills of Appalachian Mountains • Soil Type: acid clay • Experience level: intermediate • Particular interests: colchicums, narcissus, cottage gardening, NY native plants, gardening with/for children
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
OH BOY, don’t even get me started about the garden chores. I just posted a similar lament. View is good……as long as it isn’t of MY garden. I hear you!
Twitter: @reddirtramblin
It’s always hard to combine our passions; one is always trying to take over from the other. You also didn’t add in child rearing and schooling and your blog business. No wonder you’re of two minds.~~Dee
Dee, thank you for your sympathetic understanding.
Upstate NY gardening has been especially challenging the endless frosts followed by very hot weather. My cabbage is done for.
Yeah, it is good to ‘look up’ and not get too tied up with the to do list, I think we are ALL fighting bindweed! It is a too busy time of year, and I am glad to have Sunday off for my achin’ body to recover! We are right next to some mountains that I never tire of looking at.
Now, thats is a wonderful view… Much better that here in denmark
Robin, we had frost last week, and this week it’s in the 90s! No fair! Haven’t finished my spring planting and it’s acting like summer! I plan to water all my containers, eat ice cream, and whine!
Kathy,
I envy that view! I also envy that you had a frost last week while we set heat records of 101 in May in Austin. I’m already done planting for the spring, and you are just beginning. Have fun!
Robin at Getting Grounded
Yup. Those are the hills of my youth. I drove through your area on my way to Greene, two weeks back. May have even driven by your house! Can’t tell from the hills – they all look alike.
What a wonderful view. You don’t often show those wide shots.
I completely agree about being torn between writing and gardening. And housekeeping and cooking. And just about everything else. Some days I err on the side of one thing and other days on the side of another. In the end I suppose it all balances out.
Robin at Bumblebee
I’m in the same boat: too much to write about & photograph, too little time to do so. Maybe with the start of summer’s heat, I’ll want to spend more time inside so I can get back in balance. At least you can enjoy your fantastic view while you’re getting everything done.
With a view like that, I don’t think I’d get much gardening done. Either that or I’d say, “Hmmm, you know I think I could fit 200 tomato plants up there and no one would even notice.”
What a beautiful view! I have a view of a corn field, lol. So true when there is the most to write about but no time to do so.
Twitter: @clayanlimestone
I find that I get ideas at the oddest times …this morning I headed out for a walk with a notepad, pen and the camera! I’ve got company coming and I am trying to get a few posts ahead so I don’t disappear to write…more hours in the day, please and a bit more energy.
Twitter: @nancybond
What a gorgeous view! It’s been cool and windy here in Nova Scotia, and, believe it or not, I just checked the Environment Canada web site and it says we *could* get frost tonight. Argghhh! I doubt we will, though.
Laughed indeed with that Me too! sort of wry relief. The days are so long now I can’t even save writing for evening and have enough time for it. So I’m thinking–who needs sleep?
–Kate
I laughed with understanding at your post. Ah, northern gardening in late spring is one intense time of year. This is the view in my urban backyard as of a couple days ago. And even though the space is small it’s still not all planted, sigh.
One of the reasons I feel so behind is because I have a wonderful family that likes to hike every weekend. So the views I often see are more like this.
Hiking and camping with my family, gardening, writing, photography… too many good things going on time of year, that’s how things are with me.
Twitter: @ZanthanGardens
I have the same problem. When I’m gardening, a zillion ideas about writing come into my head. Sometimes I dash inside to jot a note (as you can tell from my dirt-encrusted keyboard) because if I wait I lose the freshness of what I’m trying to say. However, the moment I’m at my desk, all the things I should be doing outside start buzzing around in my head like annoying little gnats. I think this is why I’ve fallen in love with Twitter, much to my surprise.
That is a nice view and would be an ever better place to explore. I think we’re also in that crunch time here. Frosts are finally gone, but it won’t be long until it’s summer. Weeds are starting to take off and I just hope the plants I want can compete when I don’t do all the weeding I should or could.
I’m a few weeks ahead of you, but have no view like that. I just see my neighbor’s house across the street! Ah, the suburbs.
Good luck with the bindweed. Good. Luck.
Your view is lovely, Kathy. And I’m glad to know that you’re busy in your garden again after waiting through the long winter. It’s hard to find the time to blog when there’s so much to do outdoors and the weather is glorious.
We’re way past glorious weather here, so you may find the Southern bloggers posting more frequently, being inside much of the time, than in the winter.
Twitter: @timestocome
What a great view!
Spring rush time up there it sounds like? Here I pulled out my first crop of tomatoes ( they don’t fruit when nights are over 75′ ) and am done planting until Sept.
Down here we just water and enjoy the view till Sept. when it’s time to get busy with the second round of planting.