69 / Sowing The Seeds

FFS!

Mar 11, 2021

Hi and welcome to For F*ture’s Sake! A half-assed attempt to live sanely on planet earth.

Reading time: 2 minutes

I’ve been carrying an injury all week. It's of the gardening kind. Or at least I think it is. If you can’t recall the specific moment you felt harm, can you call pain an “injury?”

In fairness, to prepare space for growing, I did a lot of heaving and hoeing, hauling and hacking — movements for which my aging frame are not particularly au fait. So the answer, undoubtedly, lies within one of the aforementioned, intransitive verbs.

All I know is, I went to bed supple, but woke up stuck. I’ve no idea what happened my back; although I've a hunch!

The discomfort’s been keeping me awake at night too; so I’m tired. So much so, I forgot to take care of my new companion — a robin redbreast.

Ever since I started composting, he’s stalked me relentlessly around the garden. It’s been fascinating really. He’s let me come close without flying away.

For a while, I thought it was the start of a budding friendship. But no! Turns out, he’s just like my cat — using me as a conduit for free food.

He charmed me into removing the lid of the composter every morning, knowing full-well, there’s a bounty of worms inside. And once I obliged, he wouldn’t come near me from one end of the day to the next.

Then circumstances conspired, and I completely forgot about my hungry, pot-bellied friend. The lid’s been shut for days, and right now, as I type, he’s gawking at me through the window.

Be right back!

Also staring at me through the window — metaphorically speaking at least — rests another assured bounty. This time though, it’s meant to satisfy the appetites of my human companions rather than the bird’s.

I sowed out seeds you see. Artichokes, radishes and other tasty greens. It feels wonderful! I can’t wait until the garden explodes with all its edible corners.

In the meantime, all you would-be growers, check out my awe-inspiring photos — before they go viral on Instagram: