My Green Ambitions

My seed packets finally arrived a couple days ago, so sometime between now and the weekend, I will be starting my wee garden - even if it's just putting some seeds into peat pots by my kitchen window. Oh, and I guess I should really get going in terms of getting the actual garden plot set up. One thing at a time. There's still frost to contend with - so I can focus on indoor efforts for now.

One of the flowers I planned to grow was Cosmos, which are sort of a wild daisy. I am still unsure if they're actually a member of the daisy family. Let's just roll with it, shall we? On the back of the Cosmos seed packet, in big bold letters it says that Cosmos do well in either full sun or partial shade. They prefer poor soil, need very little water, and require very little attention. Um, doesn't that make Cosmos the most desirable flower to grow? A flower that basically thrives on neglect!

This is something I know I can grow. I went out and bought two more packets. I'm growing Cosmos EVERYWHERE this year.

We had a lot of rain a little over a week ago, and some warmer weather and sun this past week. While cleaning up the patio, I noticed this little guy in the pot where we used to have some marigolds. When the marigold gave up the ghost, I took the last couple dried seed pods off the plant and just stuck them down in the dirt of the pot. I suppose the proper seed-saving technique would have been to put them in an envelope or other sealed container and wait until Spring to plant them. But marigolds have never really been my favorite, so I figured if the seeds made it, they made it. If they didn't? Meh. But, strangely, seeing this little marigold sprout made me feel so happy. I hope it will continue to grow. I'll bring it into the house to keep it warm if necessary. Somehow, even though they aren't my favorite, I'm really in love with the idea of having a pot of marigolds this year. In the past, I remember our family would buy marigolds from Home Depot and plant them around the yard. They'd grow and bloom and do fine, and then at the end of the season they'd die and that was that. We'd just buy more marigolds the next year. I know it's silly, but I find something thrilling about the idea of keeping a Home Depot marigold going. The idea that it wasn't just a disposable plant, only good for one season. But something I could keep seeing every year. It might be corny to say, but I really feel like a little kid: so full of the wonder and discovery of the garden & natural world. There's a joy and a reverence for being a steward of the Earth. Even if it's just over a marigold sprout.

Keep growing, little marigold!