Plant a Self-Isolation Garden to Lift Your Spirits and Fill your Tummy; Wildflowers AND Vegetables!
These past few days I have actually begun to put plants and bulbs in the ground in my new front yard foodscape. I can use my imagination to see the swaths of flowers and vegetation that will be bursting out of the ground in the coming weeks.
If you have read my earlier posts, you will know that I am a big fan of wildflowers. What isn’t there to like? They feed the bees, attract beneficial insects, are low maintenance, and add colour and texture in the garden. There is something truly breathtaking about wildflowers as they feel like nature’s way of demonstrating its magnificence. Reading my blog, you’ll also know that I marveled at my 50-foot wildflower beds for months and months last year until they finally ran out of steam in November.
That brings us to now. Thursday was the first official day of spring which is usually a cause for celebration. However, this year it has barely registered in people’s consciousness given the current state of affairs with the coronavirus pandemic.
Since we have chosen to essentially self-isolate, we are spending a lot of time at home and in the garden. It also means that we are not doing any runs to the nurseries and hardware stores to browse plants and bulbs. I decided to make do with what I have. Thankfully, I had several packages of bulbs already purchased this spring, many potted divided perennials, and lots of clearance plants I purchased at the end of season last year. I could plant a considerable portion of the garden with what I had on hand. My garden design went out the window. Oh well. With everything I’m trying to process right now, it registers as a non-issue.
In the midst of deciding where to plunk my motly crew of plants, I had heard stories about people putting up their outdoor Christmas decorations to spread cheer in these somber times. I thought that was such a resourceful way to spread happiness. That brought me to the decision of filling my beds to the brim with wildflowers! In a matter of weeks, my beds would begin to burst with colour and happiness! I happened to have a box and a half of seed leftover from last year. Every space between my groups of plants has been filled with miscellaneous wildflowers. I even added some mammoth and miniature sunflowers for good measure. I can’t go back now, I’m committed! I hope that people will pass my house and the flowers will bring a smile to their faces. I can share the joy of my wildflowers with others as they watch the bees, hummingbirds, and songbirds visit. Or maybe, they will just laugh at my big ol’ flower mess. Either way, it will surely brighten their day. I don’t know where this pandemic will leave us a month or two from now. I can hope and pray that it will be over and I’m left with my messy wildflower garden which will bring me joy regardless.
So, my front yard landscape has many low-maintenance perennials, some deciduous and evergreen shrubs, and a lot of bulbs. I have mostly stuck to a red/orange/purple palate with the plants that I had purposely selected before all this craziness went down. My wildflowers are all assorted colours, so that pretty much negates any sort of pre-planned palate. Attracting bees and beneficial insects will have the added benefit of improving pollination and general garden health. And, through this, perhaps we can have a little empathy for the bees who are going through a health crisis of their own. They need a little TLC too.
I have left a considerable portion of my garden, closest to the house, completely empty at this time. This will serve as my in-ground front yard vegetable bed. I have a small bank of flowers which will block the view into this vegetable patch. I will still interplant my flowers with vegetables suited to edible lansdscaping, as well as veggies that take up a bit more space (like broccoli and cabbage). I will also take one of my container fruit trees, my Stella cherry, and plant it in the ground in hopes of it being more productive this year.
Now that the flowers are all in the ground, it is time to start putting in the vegetables. This is going to hugely increase my productive space. Maybe I will even have enough to share if needed!
The rains are about to set in tomorrow, which is great. We might be stuck inside a bit more, but it will help everything take root. There is something fresh and renewing about the rain too; it brings life.
This is yet another step and milestone in my frontyard foodscape. I look forward to sharing the next steps with you. While we might be feeling a bit lonely now, we are not alone. We are in this together. If you find by blog or website helpful or inspiring in these difficult times, I encourage you to share it with others to help bring us closer together.
If you have read my earlier posts, you will know that I am a big fan of wildflowers. What isn’t there to like? They feed the bees, attract beneficial insects, are low maintenance, and add colour and texture in the garden. There is something truly breathtaking about wildflowers as they feel like nature’s way of demonstrating its magnificence. Reading my blog, you’ll also know that I marveled at my 50-foot wildflower beds for months and months last year until they finally ran out of steam in November.
That brings us to now. Thursday was the first official day of spring which is usually a cause for celebration. However, this year it has barely registered in people’s consciousness given the current state of affairs with the coronavirus pandemic.
Since we have chosen to essentially self-isolate, we are spending a lot of time at home and in the garden. It also means that we are not doing any runs to the nurseries and hardware stores to browse plants and bulbs. I decided to make do with what I have. Thankfully, I had several packages of bulbs already purchased this spring, many potted divided perennials, and lots of clearance plants I purchased at the end of season last year. I could plant a considerable portion of the garden with what I had on hand. My garden design went out the window. Oh well. With everything I’m trying to process right now, it registers as a non-issue.
In the midst of deciding where to plunk my motly crew of plants, I had heard stories about people putting up their outdoor Christmas decorations to spread cheer in these somber times. I thought that was such a resourceful way to spread happiness. That brought me to the decision of filling my beds to the brim with wildflowers! In a matter of weeks, my beds would begin to burst with colour and happiness! I happened to have a box and a half of seed leftover from last year. Every space between my groups of plants has been filled with miscellaneous wildflowers. I even added some mammoth and miniature sunflowers for good measure. I can’t go back now, I’m committed! I hope that people will pass my house and the flowers will bring a smile to their faces. I can share the joy of my wildflowers with others as they watch the bees, hummingbirds, and songbirds visit. Or maybe, they will just laugh at my big ol’ flower mess. Either way, it will surely brighten their day. I don’t know where this pandemic will leave us a month or two from now. I can hope and pray that it will be over and I’m left with my messy wildflower garden which will bring me joy regardless.
So, my front yard landscape has many low-maintenance perennials, some deciduous and evergreen shrubs, and a lot of bulbs. I have mostly stuck to a red/orange/purple palate with the plants that I had purposely selected before all this craziness went down. My wildflowers are all assorted colours, so that pretty much negates any sort of pre-planned palate. Attracting bees and beneficial insects will have the added benefit of improving pollination and general garden health. And, through this, perhaps we can have a little empathy for the bees who are going through a health crisis of their own. They need a little TLC too.
I have left a considerable portion of my garden, closest to the house, completely empty at this time. This will serve as my in-ground front yard vegetable bed. I have a small bank of flowers which will block the view into this vegetable patch. I will still interplant my flowers with vegetables suited to edible lansdscaping, as well as veggies that take up a bit more space (like broccoli and cabbage). I will also take one of my container fruit trees, my Stella cherry, and plant it in the ground in hopes of it being more productive this year.
Now that the flowers are all in the ground, it is time to start putting in the vegetables. This is going to hugely increase my productive space. Maybe I will even have enough to share if needed!
The rains are about to set in tomorrow, which is great. We might be stuck inside a bit more, but it will help everything take root. There is something fresh and renewing about the rain too; it brings life.
This is yet another step and milestone in my frontyard foodscape. I look forward to sharing the next steps with you. While we might be feeling a bit lonely now, we are not alone. We are in this together. If you find by blog or website helpful or inspiring in these difficult times, I encourage you to share it with others to help bring us closer together.
