We Can Work It Out

Dave has plants now!

In the preface to his wonderful book, An Ear to the Ground: Garden Science for Ordinary Mortals, Ken Thompson describes a garden as “a large, unplanned and slightly out-of-control scientific experiment”.

Part of the way through last week I had the sudden dreadful feeling that I’d bitten off more than I could chew; if I had any vegetables of any magnitude to chew that is.

The problem was that I’d started out with three packets of seeds and a balcony and there was no pressure. I didn’t even mind blogging about it; some junk finds here, a few seedlings there.

It was fun.

Then my first failure happened when the initial thyme I’d planted decided to stay where it was. That was okay. I was even okay when the raging wind attempted to murder my potato plant. I was outside my back door with a cup of tea and it was manageable.

It was also invisible.

Three blogs later and I have a balcony called Sam and a plot called Dave. I also have a whole bunch of people who not only read about what I’m doing, but sometimes actually watch me doing it. Added to that, I have my college interview next week so that I can formally study this ball of wax called Horticulture.

That was the point when my brain melted last week and I had a Garden of Gethsemane moment.

I am so far out of my comfort zone right now and terrified of failure; and public failure at that, writ large. What happens if I never grow a single vegetable? What happens if I really suck at this?

I’ve always suffered from White Knight Mentality; the urge to save the world with whatever I’m doing. I start something, and then I end up charging in on a mission. That’s when the fear sets in and I panic.

So, I went out on the balcony this morning with my cup of tea in hand and I looked at Sam. After several deep breaths, I realised that my large, unplanned and slightly out-of-control experiment would be okay no matter what I did.

You don’t control Life and you certainly don’t control nature; you pretty much just do the best you can and help things along a little. The White Knight in my head had Dave all dug and sieved and planted at the end of May. Here we are in June, and we’ve dug and planted half of Dave, but that’s okay.

Dave has some plants growing in him; and Sam has some plants too. Even one healthy plant is one more vegetable than I had when I started this little wingding in February. We’ll dig the rest of Dave over in August; and if we don’t manage it, that’s okay too. Right now, I’ll tend the plants I have and round up some junk to make the place look pretty. Whatever happens will happen; I’m just here to help it along a little and not go charging in on my white horse every five seconds.

Oh, and I may have lied about the absence of vegetables part. The salad and nasturtium petals taste just fine. :)

Comments

[Richard]

Looks delicious :)
Yu shouldn't worry too much about deadlines or success or any of it; the important thing, surely, is to keep it fun.
Isn't that why we all start gardening?

[Elias]

Amazingly enough, most plants do fine with little care from us, in the beginning the hardest part was to keep myself from overdoing stuff expecting plants to show speedy results. It's not a competition, you don't have to prove anything to anyone and it's impossible to not have plants die on you no matter how experienced you may be.

Too bad you 're in the UK and can't try some tropical wonders out in the open. Seeds are cheap on ebay but as high temperatures + plenty of sun are necessary for growth it's hard for them to bear fruit even in a greenhouse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1rfXde7Up0

[trouble]

gg girlie, be cool honey child. you can do it! the earth can do it, or not, but your job is just to analyze, assess and soldier on...

[Anne]

This is my first year with a large garden, and to call it an out of control science experiment is so correct! I now I have lettuce going to seed (but hopefully I can collect and save some), and potatoes that are three feet tall. But to see the transformation from when I started is incredibly satisfying. I worry that this or that vegetable won't work out, but that's all right, because that's how we learn.

And isn't it great when you have something you can actually eat? That there is proof that you've been successful!

Cheers!

[Dale]

Even with chicken wire down to the ground I figured I was spending a couple of hundred dollars a year to feed the rabbits, woodchucks and neighborhood deer. Then a new septic system installation obliterated all the amendments I had added to my soil, so the last couple of years I just hit the local greenmarkets. I got the itch again this year and went the drywall bucket method for my tomatoes and peppers, with greens growing in an old wheelbarrow I picked up in the trash. At least the rabbits can't junp three feet up. Or can they?