Sunlight and shade

I work up very late today to find the garden bathed in sunlight - most of the garden had either full or dappled sunlight on it at 10:20am (told you I was up late). This is wonderful. In my rush to get things in the ground along with a grumpy boyfriend who was grudgingly helping/hindering/rushing me, I put some things in the wrong place. I put tomatoes in the shady area for a start and the marigolds have not opened their flowers yet despite being ready 3 weeks ago - also in shady area.

Of course because I got up late I don't know when this sunlight first touched this area. But it looked lovely and I was so excited.

Unfortunately this wonder only lasted until about 11:30 but YAY!

The tenacity of plants

In the last year that I have been attempting gardening, I've learnt one amazing thing which blows raspberries in the face of my perfectionism. Mother nature is tenacious.

te·na·cious/təˈnāSHəs/Adjective

1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "a tenacious grip".

2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "a tenacious legend".  

You just have to look at weeds, no matter what you do, these will grow without too much assistance or help and wherever.

Weeds aside (that's a whole other post) you just have to consider some of my experiments. Last year after I had pricked/thinned out my tomatoes, I casually threw the excess seedlings onto a bed in the garden. A bed I had not turned or done anything with and some of the seedlings took hold. Granted they didn't amount to much but it amazed me anyhow. These seedlings were determined to grow.

This year, I undoubtedly left things too late to plant things out but then it was not as if the ground was warm enough for planting out. But my holiday beckoned and I was aware that my fledging plants would have more chance in the ground while I was away then in a pot. Everything went into the ground, cats and foxes and squirrels duly jumped over everything that night and the plants looked battered and beaten but still I asked a friend if she'd water the plants whilst we were away and... I came back to find out that most plants (despite being broken in torn in many places) had decided to live anyway.

Hoorah! Perfectionism - 0, Mother Nature - 1.