In the GANG Garden on the day before Mother’s Day

Update, a few hours later: Victory! We just had our first neighbor stop by to purchase his starter plants! YES!

Where we live, in central Indiana, supposedly now zone “6a,” it’s traditional not to plant outdoors until Mother’s Day, when the likelihood of frost is just about nil. But we couldn’t wait. Peas, lettuce, potatoes, sunflowers, not sure what else — resident experienced gardener Rebecca put out some of her seedlings a while ago, the hardier ones, for sure, and they sit surrounded by nitrogen-fixing vetch and other living mulch to help cushion them from cold and wind and hold the rain.

Potatoes, in vetch — and a few dandelions, most of which we have harvested from the garden now, after clearing our livers from winter sludge via dandelion leaf green drinks for at least the last month early every morning. We’ll dry the leaves and boil the roots for tea.

The vetch? We’re not sure what to do with it. Haven’t used it before. It was meant to hold the nurtrients and supply more over the winter, and since we purist permaculturists don’t till the soil, maybe we’ll just keep it as mulch and let it die out naturally. I did look it up, and it’s supposedly edible, at least cattle like it!

BTW: I read somewhere today that the roots of patriarchy can be traced to the invention of the plow, since from that time on more muscles were needed for horticulture. Interesting idea, in which case the permacultural attitude is both pre-and post- patriarchy!

We’ve had a sign out by the garden fence saying we have seedling plants for sale. To date no one has entered the garden with this in mind. Perhaps we’re not far enough along yet in the relocalization process to realize that we need to grow food and community right where we live? Patience, Ann. Aaah, but see update above!

I’m sure it will help when we actually have a permanent sign that says Green Acres Neighborhood Garden. This has been in the works for years! Can you believe? Hopefully this spring?? And it will help when we change out the flimsy gate to make an obvious gate. Right now, the gate is between the two poles in the above photo. You have to know it’s there to open it! A month ago I ordered an arched arbor gate which sits in its giant box on my screened front porch awaiting the perfect time to set it in place. Maybe incorporate setting up the gate and sign into a Summer Solstice Ceremony and potluck? Hmmm.

So Mother and Daughter, Rebecca and her Nezhla, down from Indianapolis for the day, are spending time in the garden, preparing to plant the hundreds of seedlings ready to go.

Several days ago, I was pulling dandelions in the garden when a new neighbor walked by with his dog. He told me the garden reminded him of France! That it felt like a little bit of France plopped into Bloomington. Nice.

The pond’s first iris bloomed yesterday.

As did this year’s first lotus blossom.

YES! Like the lotus blossom, we rise out of the dark, rich mud of our life’s journeys to greet the increasing light.