Manic – from the Greek word manikós, inclined to madness.
Most every individual who identify themselves as a gardener has a story relating to garden madness.
Who has not walked into a nursery or home center only to walk out with a cart full of plants that die by the side of your home because the enthusiasm was lost somewhere between the parking lot and the driveway.
Or maybe it is a new garden bed that began as a mulch covered circle that now features your zone’s most invasive weeds. I must admit I have allowed many a plant to die in the container. Weeds in a bed, not so much since my mania is also compounded by obsession.
One January my husband brought home a container of bulbs. They were given to him by a friend who could not find the time to plant them. Knowing my “love” of gardening he thought I would be happy to add over 500 crocus, tulips and hyacinths to the garden.
Happy may not be the word I would have chosen. Giving me 500 bulbs in January in the northeast, I think obsessed became my mantra. Chipping away at frozen soil, pouring hot water into the ground, trying to find areas where the sun had melted the upper layers of soil, yes there I was gardening in a manic phase.
I was determined not to allow any bulb to go unplanted. I worked until exhaustion and my fingertips turned blue.
Was it worth it? You be the judge! Enjoy!
Be sure to share you stories of gardening in your manic phase!
One early October, a freak snowstorm was predicted. I was in day 2 of a project to rearrange one of my beds. I had all of my precious babies dug up and laying on a tarp until I could amend the soil and replant them. So, as darkness fell, I brought out a shop light to help me and I worked until the entire project was completed and every plant was safely back in the ground. Oh…somewhere around 11:30 pm I think.
I to have been afflicted by garden madness from time to time.
However I over came this madness using a glass of warm spice wine, ‘Before’ I resorted to pouring boiling water on frozen garden soil to plant a tulip!
Love you garden pictures.
Warm spiced wine, that would have kept my fingers from turning blue!