Back and Forth Forever

16 Comments

This week, as I take some of my strongest and largest seedlings and older transplants through the hardening off stage (acclimating them to outdoor life), it occurs to me that this process is a lot like that line in the Miranda July film, “Me and You And Everyone We Know.”

Back and forth, forever.

Or maybe it’s the exhaustion talking. It also pretty much sums up where I am with deadlines, and I don’t think it is too far a stretch to imply that these are very poop-filled times. Very poop-ified times, indeed.

On a brighter note and continuing in the theme of poop, an enormous cube of composted duck manure has been sitting in front of our house for weeks waiting to be moved into the garden. It gets a lot of stares from the neighbours when they walk by. Maybe the shifting will start to happen this weekend. Maybe.

Back soon(ish). Or when I am a human again and not just a productivity machine. Or never. Or tomorrow.

Gayla Trail
Gayla is a writer, photographer, and former graphic designer with a background in the Fine Arts, cultural criticism, and ecology. She is the author, photographer, and designer of best-selling books on gardening, cooking, and preserving.

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16 thoughts on “Back and Forth Forever”

  1. I feel for you!
    We’ve got nothing but rain & my greenhouse is now full-full-full of trays & pots of plants that desperately need to make their way into the garden.
    You’d think after living out on the rain coast for almost 10 years, I’d get over 8 months of rain per year & garden in my rubber rain suit…

  2. I’ve spent a good part of the last few years trying to get that movie out of my head.

    Thanks for putting it back in.

    I’m pretty sure that it’s going to get stuck there forever and ever.

  3. wow, perfect description of hardening off. i knew exactly what you meant before i even read the post. i definitely felt that way yesterday when i spent a good ten minutes bringing all my plants outside, then just as i was setting out the last few containers a 15-25mph wind started up and i had to whisk them all back inside to safety. ))((

  4. I feel like I’m spending a lot of my mornings and evenings shuffling plants indoors and out. Luckily our temps finally seem to be modulated at night (about 45+ at night from here on out I hope)!

  5. Hang in there! I think many of us can totally relate. These are poop-filled times. I keep checking my poppies for blooms – that’s how I’m getting through. I know it’s unreasonable to check 2x daily, but no one ever accused me of being reasonable. ;)

  6. Amen sister! I just found your blog and I love it! I have to agree with you with the hardening off and ever expanding plants just waiting to be moved. I fear my first venture into salpiglossis this season is going to end badly with our terrible MN weather this season and not being able to get them moved. There’s always next year right?

  7. Back and forth forever. I love that line. I love that movie. Thanks for reminding me of it.

    I hope the unpleasant poop gets out of the way so the manure can do its thing and make you happy in the process!

  9. I hear you and amen to that shuffling. Thank goodness I have DH to help or, I would be too overwhelmed with all that is still to do.
    Finally getting some things planted out but, with three new beds for veggies we are behind……..tilling, raking, de-rocking (is that a word?) and now fencing.

  11. Ciao Gayla-

    I don’t know if you’re noticing this, but it really seems like this has been a brutally cooler than normal spring so far. Everything in my garden is well behind schedule, yet I’m more tired than usual. I can’t quite figure that out. With all the rain we’re getting, I’m not sure the tomatoes will go out over the long weekend as I was hoping. I guess we can console ourselves with the idea that if the forecasters are correct, it’s supposed to be a hotter and drier than normal summer – that’s good news for tomato-growers..not so much for lettuce and peas.

  12. I’ve never been to this website before, and I loved that I had to do a double-take at the title, because I talk about that movie scene ALL THE TIME.

  13. I found your blog after stumbling upon your book at the library (which I have to let you know I thoroughly enjoyed!) While I am certainly having fun reading your blog, you have solidified me as a regular reader with your Miranda July reference! That was definitely a laugh out loud moment!! Thanks;)

  15. Forgot something that I just thought of, Let’s Vote You GROW GIRL FOR PRESIDENT. SHE IS VERY SMART. SHE woulsd difinitely get MY VOTE.

  16. I’m a green thumb in the making, a new lover of gardening with nothing in my immediate surroundings to reference. I was beginning to think my “Back and Forth Forever” was early onset “Crazy Plant Lady.”

    Thanks for making me feel not so crazy!

    May the poop arrive to its port of call!

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