On leeks and optimism.

I've written before, on my other blog, about farming and gardening and optimism. About the hope for the perfect weather conditions to enable the crops to germinate, to grow and to thrive. The hope for days that are not too hot, too wet, too cold or too humid. The hope that the irrigation pipes don't block or burst, that pests leave that crop alone, that there are no diseases, not too many weeds and enough water to irrigate. The hope that there is no flood, or fire, or wind storm. The farmer/gardener hopes that Mother Nature is kind and enables a delicious crop to be picked at the end of the growing season.


Today my littlest, my farmer boy and I spent the day in the kitchen garden and my heart felt full of that optimism. That love of growing clean, whole food to feed our family. The knowledge that the moon is waxing and it is the right time to plant roots. That warm winter sun on our backs. That feeling that comes from sharing an experience I love with those I adore. That hope that we are passing important knowledge on to the next generation. And that hope that if all goes to plan, in a few months time we will eat the fruits of our toil.

This morning we took the leek flower heads that we had saved from last year and we pulled off their seeds.

Then farmer Bren let the wind and a colander help him separate the seeds from their pods (winnowing).

We made a seed raising mix from our compost and sand.

We sprinkled leek seeds in rows.

We covered those seeds with more seed raising mix.

And then my farmer girly carefully wrote labels for the trays.

I cannot think of many better ways to spend a morning.

And I feel full of inspiration and optimism that spring and warmth and bounty are just around the corner.

Do you feel it?
How and what does your garden grow at the mo?
Is there dirt under your nails?
Have you ever grown your own leeks before?
What's making you feel hopeful and optimistic?

Bye!