I worked in the garden on this glorious, 76-78F sunny day–a rare event in Seattle, especially for April. I got a mini-farmer’s burn from before I changed into a tank top. The gardening weather couldn’t have come at a more perfect time, as I had some basil, tomato, and eggplant started inside on March 1 that were ready for the outdoors. Before my outdoor adventures could begin, I had to stop by Lowe’s (where everyone else in the universe converged today) for some more garden soil to fill in my beds. They hadn’t had replenishment in 2 years and needed to be topped off.

Next came a miniature ethical crisis: should I tear out my 4 wild-and-crazy, huge, full-of-blossoms-yet-no-good-for florets broccoli plants? Normally, the answer would be “a thousand times, yes.” However, there were 4 or 5 happy pollinators enjoying the nectar of this cruciferous vegetable’s flowers. Who am I to discourage bees from my garden or to take away their food? Justin assured me that they would find sustenance elsewhere, so I ripped them out. I hope my little bee friends come back for my tomatoes, eggplants, basil, and other garden delights.

Some new developments in my garden include carrots (planted from seed outside today with the already-thriving Swiss chard), peppers transplanted outside (not doing great yet–we shall see), dahlias planted from seed near the rose bush, and alyssum planted outside near the rose bush. I also planted more peppers inside today, along with more mint and some new cantaloupe. I hope to plant mint outdoors in front of the house to serve as a space-filler with a nice scent to mask the smell of cat poop that lingers near the house. There are some cats (not Virgil–his evil cousins) that think our mulch (and my garden beds, if I didn’t have the netting) is their personal litter box.

I have decided to keep some basil indoors for kitchen use, and I’d like to use my chives and rosemary more than I do (which is hardly ever). I will likely keep some mint indoors as well. May thru July brings a new wave of planting, including hollyhocks, watermelon, squash, beans, aster, lupine, more alyssum, and who knows what else. As weather permits, I would like to use our fire pit/patio more and keep up my gardens, in general. I think what usually interrupts this process are our summer activities: when the garden usually needs the most tending and harvesting, we’re traveling or in our summer jobs/workshops.

More garden updates to come….in the meantime, does anyone know what veggie or fruit grows particularly well in Seattle or Seattle-like climates?

I got a voice mail from my dear friend Andrea. She was explaining that she and her husband were going to check out a neighborhood and its church this weekend, and she told me about Circle of Hope. This is, at first glance, what I hoped Seattle Metro Church could be. As I think about what we have done right and what could have been done better, I remember that we’re only human and that CoH started in 1996–when we were still in high school, worrying about Homecoming, SATs and band competitions. I would still like to be part of a community like this, and the closest I have found to this is Ohana Project. Justin and I have gone there sporadically since November or so (and regularly this last month). We have friends there, which helps, but I also enjoy the diversity of ages, races, and backgrounds, the fellowship, the authenticity, and the service-oriented nature of Ohana. I still hunger for more depth in theological/bible study, and I am not sure where to go or who to turn to for this. Here’s my ad that I will put out on Craigslist:

Teacher/Theologian wanted. Must be available at the whim of a 20-something’s desire to study the bible in-depth. Must be able to deal with her frustration, questions, and crazy schedule.