The weather is changing for the better and it is high time I do something about the planters on my stoop.
There was a time
when I had a house
with a big yard and
a large vegetable garden,
but those days are long past.
Nowadays,
my garden lives
in manageable containers.
There are dahlia tubers
in round pots that
need to be examined
and possibly replaced.
In the rectangular planter,
the remnants of old chrysanthemums –
bought for parent teacher conferences
in October 2019 –
cling to life.
They were scraggly
last summer and
will be replaced this year.
I might plant basil, later,
when the weather is better
and there is no fear that
cold weather
will kill off the plants.
And a yellow pear tomato plant
is always a delight.
I know a lot of people with
extensive garden,
who page through seed catalogues
in winter,
planning in great detail.
I was, too,
once upon a time.
But I’ve become
a gardening pantser
planting whatever takes my fancy
when the time is right.
booksandbassets 
I wish I could get into the habit of planting herbs and veggies. I just go to the store and buy what I need/want. Not the same as growing them yourself.
Thanks for the tip about Tylenol. Other than a sore arm, I feel fine today.
Glad to hear your shot went well.
Hi. Thank you for your photo of your pots and thoughts of your future plants. So encouraging. I am en-courage, avec coeur. I am usually reluctant to recommend books to other adults as we are all so different (Reader’s Advisory, notwithstanding) but I feel compelled to tell you that I recently read and appreciated Miss Benson’s Beetle and then, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye — both by Rachel Joyce.
Have a good day.
Cathie
Sent from my iPad
Cathie Padgett
I have read Harold Frye and loved it! I already have Miss Benson on hold!
Great minds think alike.
I love that last stanza. Makes me reflect on seasons of life.
I love the way you’ve organized this poem. My favorite line? ‘I’ve become a gardening pantser planting whatever takes my fancy when the time is right.’
Ah, the joys of gardening on a manageable scale!
I have spent the last 5 years trying to get a big garden going. It’s not working. I have one meal’s worth of potatoes last year, and lots of green onions. I can’t decide if I should give up on tomatoes all together or do as my neighbour does and put them in pots on the front porch. She gets so many and last year I had three total cherry tomatoes on five plants.
I liked the words “managable containers”. Great way to share about your passion through poetry.
I have thought about doing pots for a garden, but that does not ever turn into anything. And I struggle to remember to water flowers. On the plus side, I have a neighbor with a garden of food and they share. 🙂