Sowing Words

Share this post

Spring, Life, and Change

kristyacevedo.substack.com

Discover more from Sowing Words

advice on writing, teaching, and creativity from my small garden
Continue reading
Sign in

Spring, Life, and Change

Kristy Acevedo
Apr 16, 2023
4
Share this post

Spring, Life, and Change

kristyacevedo.substack.com
7
Share

My area in Massachusetts is in full spring mode after a few recent days of gorgeous weather. The tulips I planted in late fall have burst with color, and it feels like my heart has more space to breathe.

Unexpectedly, one of my family members has been hospitalized, so the garden has been a respite for me during a time of high worry.

When I am stressed, not only is the garden a beautiful space, but digging holes and planting new things gets out my frustration and gives me something tangible to fix. So that’s what I did this week.

Dwarf Mugo Pine

I have a small garden, and I love to pack it full with color. I’ve been adding small evergreens to balance all the flowers and add winter interest. I found this Dwarf Mugo Pine at the store, and it was too cute to ignore. Plus, I love the smell of pine, and I can’t fit any other pine trees in my yard.

I’m lucky to garden in soil that’s pretty easy to dig since I live about three miles from the Atlantic Ocean.

gloved hand holding up sandy soil
Sandy soil :)
cutting compacted roots with pruners

Then I took the pine out of the container, and ugh, the roots were so compacted. So I grabbed my pruners and got to work, cutting through to loosen it.

After: The loosened root ball
Dwarf Mugo Pine planted in the ground

Here’s the results planted in the ground. I added some Biotone to the soil to help the roots establish. It’ll grow about 3-4 feet tall and wide and fill in the space. In the picture below, you can see the pine centered with a row of Phenomenal lavender on the left (easiest lavender ever!), three limelight hydrangeas down the center that are still dormant sticks, and three sky pencil holly that I’ll never plant again because they are too slow.

Thanks for reading Sowing Words! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

I’ve been wanting to add more red to my garden, so I picked up some red dahila tubers. Then, of course, I found two gorgeous lighter ones that I couldn’t pass on.

I also had some tubers I overwintered in a shallow pot of soil in my basement, and when I uncovered them, they were sprouting! These were from an assorted bag I bought last year, so the colors are either white, pink, or purple.

silver bowl of soil with two sprouts from tubers

On the writing front, I slowed down this week and avoided the page. Since I’ve been feeling emotional and worried for my family member, it’s so hard to focus on creative writing. To get into a flow state, I have to feel like my life is in decent order, because creativity can feel like you are reaching into a chaotic abyss, pulling out pieces, then creating order and finding meaning. I can’t go there when my life already feels chaotic. Does that make sense?

Thankfully, next week I’m on spring break from teaching and can finally clean my writing office and catch up with laundry. Am I the only one who prioritizes gardening outside before doing inside chores? Hopefully with some time off I can process some emotions and return to the page.

Yesterday, my husband and I also celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary, 29 years together. He cooked dinner (this is usual for us—he’s better at it) and we watched the Last Kingdom series film-length finale. I can’t believe we’ve almost been together for 30 years and raised two kids. Soon our youngest will leave for college in the fall, and then life will change seasons once again.

Things grow, things change, and spring will always come back again.

Thanks for reading Sowing Words! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

4
Share this post

Spring, Life, and Change

kristyacevedo.substack.com
7
Share
Previous
Next
7 Comments
Share this discussion

Spring, Life, and Change

kristyacevedo.substack.com
Mary Hutto Fruchter
Writes Mary’s Pocketful of Prose
Apr 21Liked by Kristy Acevedo

Kristy,

I’m holding you close this week in thought. I just posted a bloom on notes. It was a bulb that was dormant for a year and a half. It made me think of you and our conversation about indoor blooms. If you can’t see it, we can figure out another way to share. I don’t love the noise of notes but I like that you can share pics.

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
Lissa Johnston
Writes Live And Learn
Apr 16Liked by Kristy Acevedo

Bravo! I love the finished product of a well-tended garden, but I am also lazy and forgetful, and my garden shows it. Lately I’ve been relying on hardy perennials, lots of flowering vines for the pollinators, and so forth. Keep up the good work!

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
1 reply by Kristy Acevedo
5 more comments...
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Kristy Acevedo
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing