The Patient Gardener or The Gardening Patient

Being a gardener helps with developing patience. It takes time for plants to grow, and there's not much, apart from making sure the plants are watered, fertilised and protected from the elements or predators.



Wattles in Spring



This has been reinforced for me recently after returning home after a couple of weeks after a short hospital visit. The need for fresh fruit and vegetables has become important for me, but there is not much that can be done to speed up their growth.







As we head into spring, however, I can look forward to some of the work done earlier bursting into life. Some examples:


• Broad beans that have had flowers for weeks now should start to set their pods soon. I heard some bees  buzzing around them today, and should get some pollination going.

• I can't keep up with the snow peas. I have to give lots away.
• The grape vine around the back  shed are starting to shoot new leaves.

• Blackberries are also shooting new leaves. The young plants looked dead all winter.
• I discovered a Chaste Tree (very small at this stage) buried in the weeds, and it has leaf buds about to burst.
• The olive trees planted months ago are also shooting.
• Flowers are forming on the orange and lemon trees.
• And more.....

I'd better stop writing now and get out there to do some more of those jobs that Spring weather produces. Weeds!