Cool weather gardening…

I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens.

Philippians 4:11 (b) ICB

The greatest wealth is to live content with little.

Plato

As usual per the end of April, it’s hard for me to restrain myself from planting my summer garden, both flowers and vegies.  Currently, I’m a lot like a stable horse who is straining to run back to the stable after a long strenuous outing! You see, in my mind’s eye, I picture my yard overflowing with brightly colored flowers of many different varieties. I envision healthy tall plants providing me with homegrown tomatoes, peppers, and other summer delights!  The reality is that the weather is still too cool and night freezes are still a fair possibility for another few weeks. 

 So do I choose to impatiently wait for warmer weather…or count my blessings for the current cool weather plants growing?!  Right now, I am loving that lettuce and other greens are providing me with a sweet fresh addition to salads; when it becomes hot, those plants will be done until fall or next spring. My sugar snap peas are thriving and will soon have crunchy delightful pods to enjoy.  Meanwhile, cool weather flowering plants are flourishing. Pansies are providing a bright spot of color and my beautiful pink bleeding heart flowers are charming. Columbines, one of my favorite flowers, are just about to blossom. Clearly, there is much pleasure to be gained with cool weather plants!

Perhaps I need to take my own advice from earlier blogs…and slow down and savor the current season. After all, I do appreciate the often-perfect temperatures of sunny spring days, not hot and not cold. And I do love the sweet satisfaction of harvesting lettuce and cool weather vegies.  Summer, with its multitude of possibilities for the garden, will be here soon enough!