If you’re like me (Mama Soul) you have the best of intentions for planting a garden, but even when the weather is right you tend to procrastinate. It’s partly because your too lazy to bend over to do the planting, and then you have to count 2-3 seeds and dig holes of certain depths for each variety. It’s enough to make you want to scream, especially if you’re a beginner. It also has to do with that sore back or creaky knees you seem to be able to ignore most of the time.
The truth is it frickin sucks.
One day (most years at least) you do actually get to the planting, but you wonder why you’re such a loser that you don’t just spring up and run to the garden at every possible moment. No you want to finish your novel, or sew a dress for your daughter, or goof off on Facebook (don’t lie).
Hettie Quackers, HEEEELP….
Well, Hettie has discovered something you just gotta try!
Instead of planting new packaged seeds every year (or even saved seeds), she suggests, just allow a few of each annual variety you want to mature beyond the deliciousness of harvest. Just leave one or two plants. They will eventually go to seed right there and broadcast their seeds without any help from you!
All you have to do is keep an eye out and choose which plants to let go to seed and which to harvest completely or not-let-go to seed. You can also add seeds to your garden by mimicking this gesture of the plants. Imagine you are a mother plant sending out her offspring into the world as you toss your seeds.
Then sit back and let nature do your work for you (while you catch up on important TV viewing…and yes, Hettie loves Mad Men, oh and Weeds, go figure). Remember though that while you will learn over time to encourage balance and diversity, you will have to respect her choices and offer gratitude for what emerges. One year you may have heaps of Calendula (like we do this year in the picture – isn’t it lush and lovely?!) and another the Borage may go crazy. Harvest and preserve more than you will need for one year and it will come into balance over time.
This is the Lazy-Lady way of planting annual veggies, so you can take back you life – and your knees.
Leave A Comment