For the first twelve months they are just plain old spring onions, a vegetable you head out automatically for when something fresh and bright is required on the plate, but give them another twelve months or so and they become these tall, graceful beauties. Gardening has taught me lessons I did not even know I needed to learn, has offered a deeper connection to, well, to life, I suppose. I often leave plants to live their full cycle now, allowing things to just be rather than rushing to use up every food plant we grow. All too easy to go mad. What's the rush, I tell myself, what lesson will I learn by simply looking?
It's cooler today, and we had enough rain yesterday to make the garden well again. Silence fell upon the hill as the rain poured down. Even the grass parrots waited until it passed before exploding into chatter and song. A reprieve for us all.
"Nourish Me" -- the email update from your blog rolls into my inbox and I flag it, quick. Clear up the rest of this crap and settle in for a few minutes of bliss. Lower my shoulders, listen to your kitchen, prepare to smell your garden ... breathe.
It's a treat in words and pictures -- a second, skinny slice of pecan pie when everyone's gone home.
Thank you. :)
Posted by: Jan | February 17, 2014 at 12:57 PM
Love your prose and photo reflections. It's been raining in Sydney too a beautiful respite from our month of rainlessness.
Posted by: Elizabeth | February 17, 2014 at 04:45 PM
I'm so envious of your rain. We're suffering the worst drought on record. Rain in summer? Unimaginable.
Your onions are gorgeous. Isn't it wonderful to sometimes just let plants do their thing? Have you ever let a large headed broccoli go to blossom? It's firework heaven, I tell you.
Posted by: Christina | February 17, 2014 at 05:41 PM
"Gardening has taught me lessons I did not even know I needed to learn, has offered a deeper connection to, well, to life, I suppose."
Wisdom, beautifully expressed in Lucinda style.
So glad you have finally have rain.
PS. Loved reading your and Kathryn's beautiful, thoughtful "Acceptance" in Alphabet Family Journal. xx e
Posted by: Elaine | February 22, 2014 at 06:58 AM
I completely agree with you. I figure plants are better at reproducing themselves than I, so I let some flower and seed and do their own thing in their own season and time. It's much less frustrating, no seed saving or transplanting required!
Posted by: thedesertecho | February 27, 2014 at 01:51 PM
oh yes to this. so many lovely garden happenings occur when they can just do their own thing. the onions are a particularly graceful example of this.
what's the rush indeed?
Posted by: Alison | March 10, 2014 at 02:13 AM