GREEN THUMBS UNITE
[hide]Ode to the Artichoke by Pablo Neruda (translated by William Pitt Root)
The tender-hearted
upright
artichoke
girded itself as
a warrior, constructed
a small dome,
to keep itself
waterproof
within
its scales.
At its side
crazy vegetables
ruffled up
in cat-tails and tendrils,
bulbs on the march;
underground
slept
the red-whiskered carrot,
the vineyard
withered the shoots
wine once rose through,
the cabbage
devoted itself
to trying on skirts,
oregano
scented the world,
and right there in the garden
the meek
artichoke,
girded for battle,
burnished
as a grenade,
haughty,
and then one day
it was into the grand
willow basket
with the others and off
to the market
it marched
to fulfill its dream:
the militia!
In columns
never more martial
than at the fair,
men
in their white shirts
among the vegetables
became
field marshals
of the artichokes,
the closed ranks,
the voices of command,
and the sudden detonation
of … a fumbled cashbox,
but
then
comes
Maria
with her basket,
who fearlessly
picks out
an artichoke,
looking at it, examining it
against the light as if it were an egg,
she buys it,
drops it
into her basket
with a pair of shoes,
a white cabbage and a
bottle
of vinegar as well
then
entering the kitchen
plunges it into the pot.
And so it ends,
in peace,
the career
of the armored vegetable
called "artichoke,"
and presently
scale by scale
we undress
this delight
we munch
the peaceful paste
of its green heart.
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Can you feel the cool, friable earth between your fingers; do you dream of the rich scent of humus? When you close your eyes, do you see a far green country under a swift sunrise? Have you ever, in the parlance of our times, touched grass?
This thread is dedicated to the plants; to the seeds; to the fruits, and the vegetables alike. It is dedicated to the reapers, and to the sowers. To the cultivators, and also to the propagators. It is dedicated to the very earth beneath our feet.
In other words, I did a quick search of the forums for threads about gardening, but I didn't immediately find anything. So, I figured, let's start one.
Do you have a garden? Are you passionate about lawn care or landscaping? How about houseplants? Let's share stories!
As for me, I am what you might call an amateur gardener. I've been pursuing the hobby for about three years, now. I've got a nice little raised bed made of cedar planks, about 4'x8'. This spring, my strawberries are looking particularly excited to get growing. Most of them are only about a year old, but some of them are already two. The garlic is also looking quite well, I expect that if things continue in this way, then I'll be harvesting about 60 heads of the stuff come summertime. Luckily, one of my potted artichokes seems to have survived the winter (the other… I'm not so sure). I didn't get any thistles from them last year (since they hadn't yet "cold stratified"), but I have my fingers crossed that I'll get some this time around.
Last week, I sowed a variety of early spring crops in other parts of the bed: Radishes, carrots, coriander, scallions, chives, arugula, and spinach. Inside, I have some other plants getting ready for transplanting once warmer weather arrives: various tomatoes, hot peppers, and winter squashes.
I have plans to expand the garden this year, adding another raised bed that should almost triple the amount of garden space that I currently have. I'm most excited to put in some Hopi Red Dye Amaranth (it's absolutely beautiful, and I can't wait to snack on some of the seeds, roasted and popped in oil). I'm also planning to grow some comfrey for the first time. I hear that it's got a really strong taproot, great for pulling up nutrients and adding to compost. Apparently, the leaves are good for dressing cuts and bruises, too.
Anyway, I'm absolutely chomping at the bit to get this growing season started.
How about you? Care to share? Do you have photos? Want to see some of mine?
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