Every year, every season there are a million firsts. It doesn't matter how many seasons you have under your belt as a grower, the first bud, the first smell, the first cut, the first arrangement is our hook to want to keep doing this year in year out. The excitement of a first does not become muted. This is one of the reasons why gardening never gets old!
Today I saw our first broad beans in flower. It was a slightly devastating time last year when Thomas the cow ate all of our broad bean plants just as they were about to start fruiting. This year Thomas is living happily with his mate a few properties away so the chances of that happening again are slim. Those first flowers made me smile!
This time of year, early winter, when the majority of my spring flowers are in the ground and settling in, I become impatient. Growth does slow (above ground at least). green is the colour your eyes may become slightly tired of and besides watering and a bit of weeding I am forced to slow.
In saying that, there are many things to look forward to before that bounty in spring/summer. The Geraldton wax is budding up, the wattle is stretching and preparing and that beautiful show of autumn leaves turning, is in full swing. Many native species flower in the winter time and our native flora are some of the most intricately detailed flowers you will ever see. So much to marvel at.
I am waiting for spring in a sense but I'm not pining for it as there is a time, place and a moment for everything. It is the time now for the slow, the snug and the savoring of life. I plan to take in all that winter has to offer us. I will prepare my mulled wine and orange juice and enjoy time hibernating with my family by the fire. The first fire is the catalyst for us to always want for a fire in winter. The same goes for growing - they have us hooked at the first bud every time.
Keep growing!
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