Sunday, April 21, 2013

A Healing Garden

I've turned off yet another press conference about the Boston Marathon bombing to write this post. The authorities are reporting on the condition of the captured suspect, the items found in the related searches of the suspects' home, and the opening of the damaged area to businesses and residents.

Things are returning to a new normal. And while we were distracted by horror and pain, while we were awed by the heroics of law enforcement and doctors and average citizens, spring arrived.

As if by magic a week after the tragedy, flowers are blooming, herbs are sprouting, and I have escaped to the garden to sow hope for the future.

When we moved here almost 4 years ago, the gardens were lovely, but mostly ornamental. I'm adding more edible plants to the mix as time goes on.

Emerging rhubarb and green onions have gotten a nice layer of salt hay mulch.

Three new blueberry plants and some strawberry plants occupy a bed that previously held flowers.

J and I dug a 40 foot trench this past week for this new asparagus bed.

R waters the new plants in a raised strawberry bed.

Vinca has overwhelmed the raspberry patch. We've been pulling and digging it out, then replanting errant raspberries in more organized rows.


The events of the past week  give us a renewed appreciation of the beauty of life sprouting from the Earth and on our children's faces. Perhaps nothing is more lovely than the mixing of sweet and bittersweet.

1 comment:

Meryl said...

And you have a beautiful rock wall--I'll bet it's a sight when everything really gets grown in.