Dark clouds fill the sky and there is what appears to be fog over Mingus Mountain this morning. There is a storm on the horizon and we are hoping for rain. It’s the perfect day for a hike on the trail near the house and when I get back to put more plants into the garden. I feel very fortunate that we moved to a town that has an amazing independent garden center. Yes, it reminds me of The Flower Tree even though it’s about 10 times the size of what we were. They have a great selection, and lots of good signage so I’m able to figure out what is javelina resistant - because believe it or not that’s a big thing here. I can easily spend an hour just wandering up and down through the many aisles and greenhouses filled with plants. They grow most of their own stock of shrubs and trees. There are different varieties of perennials by the hundreds, annuals in six-packs and of course veggies and herbs. They even propagate their own cacti. As one of the largest growers and nurseries in the Verde Valley area, you can see they do a tremendous business based on how full the parking lot is every time I have been. Their acreage is so large though, that you can become lost in your own little world among the greenery.

This is PRIME planting season in this area, and while there are still “stay at home” measures going on due to the corona virus, this garden center is meeting all the social distancing requirements and taking extreme caution to protect their employees and local gardeners. They don’t take cash, the cashiers wear masks and change gloves between every customer. The large greenhouses allow only 6 people in at any one time, and they have curbside pickup and delivery for those that want it. People still want to garden, they want to feel connected to the earth and get fresh air and sunshine on their shoulders - they are just being extremely safe about it - myself included.

Weeks ago, before there were any known cases of the virus in Arizona, or for that matter anyone even talking about the virus pandemic that has now gripped our country, I was out at the nursery just wandering around getting my fix. They already had their tomatoes, peppers, greens and herb plants out. I was actually pretty shocked to see them, this was mid-March after all, and I asked the gardener that was working that particular greenhouse if it was to early to put them out. I didn’t have my beds ready, and we still had not found the whiskey/wine barrels that I was hoping to use for my tomatoes. I also asked him if they sold “walls of water”, a must have back in Northern Nevada for early planting, and he had never heard of them. That told me that yes, it was probably to early. But I bought them anyway, even though he told me this was just the very first of the thousands upon thousands of plants that they were growing in the back greenhouse and would be putting out as things became ready. I figured I could tend to them in their little pots until I could get the raised garden beds ready, and I was hungry to have a garden. Bob has had A LOT to do lately with the re-model of the house we bought here in Arizona. Me, not so much. Other than picking out paint colors and such he has been pretty much on his own. He works well alone - and I am smart enough to realize that. Back to the garden, I put the greens and some of the herbs in right away and held the other plants in a little area that gets a large amount of sun every day and nurtured them daily with water and encouragement.

Fast forward a month or so. We are now strictly “sheltering in place”. Trips are limited to one a week or so to the local grocery for perishables if needed, HD for supplies - which thankfully at this point in the remodel are very few because Bob bought everything last month he thought we could possibly need, and of course a trip to the garden center or cactus botanical garden. We found wine barrels and Bob picked up 9 of them and all the soil I needed on a HD run when he picked up all our new doors and baseboard trim a few weeks ago. My plants are all tucked into good organic soil and I have been harvesting lettuce and a variety of fresh greens almost daily. The tomatoes, peppers and a variety of other veggies are happy and growing and I have seeds started that a dear friend sent. Life is full and green in my garden.

And the last trip to the garden center, not a veggie or herb plant to be had. Seems everyone is hungry for that connection to Mother Earth right now. Stay safe dear friends and family. You are in our thoughts.

Tune in next week for : The House Bob Re-Built - We are THIS CLOSE!!!