Signs of Growth

New Growth on an Apple Tree

I’ve stopped watching the evening news, along with many other changes in my life. I’ve found it’s made me much happier. I no longer track the daily progression of the Dow, nor exchange rates to convert Euro’s to Dollars. These days I focus my attention on the only real growth there is: People and Plants. We both grow, and some times we both need pruning.

The Lettuce Lifter

Let’s start by looking at growth which at first seems like a bad thing. Here is one of the pilfers of lettuce. If I had a scope of another trade in my hand, he would be no more. However, I realize this is their home too, and we both share the same eco-system. So long as I can buy lettuce cheaply, I’ll let these rodents go. If the world should take a very sharp turn down, well, I’ve heard rabbit meat is pretty good…. This is sort of like an investment in catastrophe insurance. I’m sure I’ll never get my lettuce back, but if I ever do, it will be well worth it.

Corn Tassel

I’ve spotted my first Corn Tassel, which is the male portion of the plant. This is an important sign of growth, indicating that the plant is moving from sheer vertical growth to reproduction… aka producing Corn. They still have a way to grow, but I’ve begun cheating here too. Since the garden is on a slope, I’ve been piling up fertilizer at the very top of the garden. When it rains, the water will carry the nutrients down the hill to all the plants below.

Dwarf Bananas

The growth isn’t just limited to the garden. My Dwarf Bananas are going Bananas ! The large leaves have grown in the last month, and they go through a cup of water each daily. In about another year they should start bearing little bananas. I’ve also grown a bit. The bay window in the background was recently remodeled by the gardener himself. I got some scrap trim, and with a little bit of work cleaned it off, stained and fit it to this window. I’ve used Birch stain, which just glows in the sunlight. I’m also remodeling my bedroom and hallway in the evening after watering the garden. I quit working on it around 11:30 last night.

All in all, I see growth everywhere. I’ve adjusted to this downturn, as I’ve seen others do the same. In a year or so I predict more gardens, and more Happy People.