Thoughts of Spring & gardening
Photo: L. Jordan
Well, the Chicago temperatures are actually giving us hope for Spring arrival. Usually, I don’t get bothered by our Winters but the Winter of 2009 will always be bookmarked in my brain. We went thru a lot this Winter: an epic Presidential Election, Sarah Palin, the thought that McCain might be President, the Recession, and those god awful days of arctic cold and snow. And for me, the lack of work is always a bad thing. Amd I’m not speaking strictly from an economic point of view but because, well, as my mom used to say:
an idle mind is the Devil’s playground!!
I feel better when I’m performing. Having time off is great but all this idle time to myself…
an idle diva is the Devil’s playground!!
But after I walked outside yesterday at midnight with a mere sweater on… I say Spring is in the air!!
Which brings me to the thought of gardening. You all may not know this about me but I love to garden! My father was a HUGE gardener. I grew up with his various gardens: a huge vegetable garden which was the size of a lot next door to our house (collard greens, tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, pumpkins, beets – one year he grew peanuts and watermelons!!) as well as flowers everywhere, fruit trees and three rows of grapevines!!
Photo: L. Jordan
I reckon it’s in my blood. I had a gorgeous potted garden on my front patio for three years running. It got more lush and extravagant each year. I added a solar powered fountain and used to spend hours on my front porch reading, sipping wine or tea and just being still… I had a Jasmine tree, verbena, lavender, roses, hibiscus – all types of flowering plants, coleus in all shades, cherry tomatoes, herbs – I loved it!! I would have to get up early to water my flower boxes and pots as I have gorgeous southern exposure and the flowers would be cooked if not watered by say 9AM. This was also the time I was working out and getting my body in shape… And then one season I just didn’t plant a garden and I haven’t since. It’s been four years.
Ah ha!!! Structure, that’s what I need in my life! Structure and gardening!
Anyway, my BFF Avis has started a gardening blog called City Diggitty (she has a flair for titles, words and headlines) which focuses on the urban gardener. I am so excited. I am hoping she will inspire me to get back into the swing!! And she grows a terrace garden (tenth floor) that can be seen from the sidewalk as you look up and spot her flowing vines and flowers. She plants tomatoes and flowers and herbs… it’s quite impressive.
Photo: L. Jordan
Thinking about planting flowers makes me feel wonderful. Is there anybody else out there planting a garden this Spring?
Tags: city diggitty, flowers, Gardening, gardens, herb garden, lavender, Lynne Jordan, lynne jordan and the shivers, planting, potted garden, recession, Spring, urban gardening, Winter
Filed under: In the Life of a Diva
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This is like Oprah’s favorite things –
The top 4 things I am most passionate -Things that make my soul more alive -
1. Dancing to Lynne’s music/listening to any music !
2. Cooking
3. Decorating
4. GARDENING
I just looked around my yard and saw my bulbs starting to pop up – spring is right around the corner – I am becoming addicted to my beautiful perennials – they love me back every year !!!!! Peonies,,hydrangea bushes ,Bleeding hearts, hostas. Cone flowers – day lillies,moss roses , ferns. – adore wild grasses, my carpet rose bushes that cover the entire front of my house (hate the japanese beetles that tried to eat them all last summer / I killed them with my bare hands- they are disgusting} – and the zinnias blow me away with their sturdiness in the hot sun and the vibrant colors they come in -Then all the bees and the beautiful butterflies come hang out in the yard ! Even a hummingbird or two – don’t get me excited!!!! hahaha So happy to hear other people love gardening too! Oh and the magnolia trees have their little ” pussy willow buds” – Lynne I just went to the Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier a few weeks ago – have you ever been??? Be happy to talk flowers anytime!
xoxo I saw your reply regarding my comments on my mom – I probably shouldn’t have shared that much info on your site – sorry I purged on the subject – but I appreciate all you said! That life definitely formed me in a lot of ways !I hope Rhianna learns from her recent experience ! Is your only next gig the beginning of May at Green Dolphin???
1 lkosarek said this (March 25, 2009 at 10:46 pm)
Lynne,
Thanks for the shoutout for CityDiggity.com. I am happy to hear that you are going to get your garden growing again this year. A hard-working diva like you needs a place of solitude to put her feet up and watch the world go by.
2 avisw said this (March 25, 2009 at 11:02 pm)
Love that!! So do you serve up Sangria in your garden?
It sounds absolutely wonderful!! I hadn’t seen a butterfly in ages then I would see the same butterflies every day chasing around my plants!
You are a serious gardener!! Lucky you to have a yard!! I love zinnias too. I was just describing them as strong stemmed to my friend Avis (City Diggity)
May 2nd is my next public gig.
3 Lynne said this (March 25, 2009 at 11:08 pm)
Avis: I will keep referring to you for the seedling advice. I am excited about the sun sugar hybrid cherry tomatoes! From seed!!
4 Lynne said this (March 25, 2009 at 11:11 pm)
O yeah baby, get that stuff growing again. I’ve already got my onions in, and some seeds for early harvest (just hoping that the cold this weekend isn’t too cold otherwise I’ll be out there sowing again next week). I’ve got seedlings covering half of my kitchen table (my only morning sun spot) and they’ll be big enough to plant by Easter and we should be past all chances of frost. That’s the advantage of being further south.
When we bought this house it had just grass (yuck). I add at least one flower bed every year and have expanded the veggie garden every year. This year is not exception and I’m looking into strawberries for next year. Husband tells me that I love creating work for him, but hey, He’s got the muscles and I got the brain….hehehe.
Let us know what you get planted.
5 earthgoddesswithin said this (March 26, 2009 at 12:58 pm)
P.S. It’s Linda from Springfield, MO.
6 earthgoddesswithin said this (March 26, 2009 at 12:59 pm)
I am going to do it!! It is a lot of work, but so worth it once you can see it and sit amongst it.
It’s great to have a partner in crime to do some of the “heavy lifting”
I’ll keep you posted.
7 Lynne said this (March 26, 2009 at 5:09 pm)
AWESOME!! You came to the web site!! Lately, i haven’t posted the blogs on Myspace. Glad you stopped by!! How is the spa business? I need to indulge soon.
8 Lynne said this (March 26, 2009 at 5:11 pm)
Well we went to the nursery yesterday. It is devoted strictly to native Hawaiian plants and trees. As you know our front yard was ravaged by pigs, they ate all of our taro. We picked out a beautiful ohia lehua tree and are going to plant some native akia in the entire side going down next to the lava rock wall.
While it’s not vegetables it will be fun to watch the growth and progression of this new project. I support all of our local farmers at the KCC market trying to eat only stuff from here and berating the Safeway for not having more local produce!
Speaking of…..I’ve got to go make dinner with some awesome tomatoes that we roasted the other day! A hui hou and XOXO dear dear friend!
9 manele said this (March 27, 2009 at 10:16 pm)
Those horrid pigs!! How did you get rid of them or do they have a season? Just be sure to send photos of the new landscaping!!
Aw… to live in hawaii…
10 Lynne said this (March 28, 2009 at 12:03 am)
Come to Hawaii… we don’t have to wait for spring here. Sounds like you have another friend over here in the islands… Aloha Manele! We don’t have pigs at our house, but they are on the island and no, they do not have a season. They just like to eat! Wes helped our friend Macario build his Imu and they roasted one of those piggies last weekend!
Love and Miss You,
devany http://www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
11 Devany said this (March 28, 2009 at 7:22 am)
Oh yes, Manele meet Devany!!
Fresh pork….yum!
12 Lynne said this (March 28, 2009 at 3:49 pm)