Want a sure-fire, cost-free cure for the blues? Try weeding your herb garden. This spring I’ve been kept out of the garden by frequent rains (I’m thankful for them) and writing mysteries (I’m thankful for them too). Yesterday, however, I grabbed gloves, trowel, and kneeling pad and dug in the dirt. Mint, as you know, has a mind of its own and, if left to its own devices will run amok. It needs a firm hand but it has such a lovely fragrance, I can’t be stern with it. Besides, did you know that some herbs, including mint, can be used in making shampoos, mouthwash, and insect repellent? Bee balm has pretty red blooms, once it gets started and, true to its name, bees and butterflies love it. I didn’t know until recently that hollyhocks, those bright, old-fashioned flowers, will bloom just about anywhere. I don’t know if the wind carries the seeds or if birds drop them, but I find hollyhocks in the most unusual places, including my herb garden. Maybe they are just the friendly, out-going sort.
This year, I moved the sun dial to the container garden. “Grow old along with me,” is inscribed on the face of the dial in Robert Browning’s words, “the best is yet to be.” When digging in the dirt and inhaling the aroma of herbs, I believe that is true.
Earthworms love the garden too. I’m always happy to find these lowly little aerators of the soil. Dirt that has earthworms in it is bound to be a healthy home for plants.
I came away from my excursion a little tired and a little stiff in the knee joints but this morning, those are things of the past. I look forward to a new day, new plants, and helping to beautify my little area of the world. Those herbs, as well as being fragrant and fascinating, must have some sort of energy-renewing power; do you think?
Speak Your Mind