When I garden, it’s as if my alternate attention deficit self takes over. I tend to wander willy-nilly from task to task, weeding here, deadheading there, and putting a plant in the soil somewhere else. I get a great deal done, but not in a focused, confined sort of fashion.

Some of this haphazard garden tending style is due to my willingness to be drawn to specific areas as the plants themselves call to me. One part of the garden will make sure that I know that it needs attention now. Some of this style can be attributed to my interest being drawn toward what is more enjoyable for me (planting and weeding) instead of those jobs that are less rewarding (mulching, transplanting).

Yes, I love weeding. The results are immediately evident, it’s not physically taxing, and it is downright meditative. Planting is satisfying because you’re adding new, potentially wonderful things to the landscape. Deadheading can be calming and instantly rewarding.

I think that it’s easy at this time of year to get overwhelmed. I don’t know about you, but at this time of year at Poison Ivy Acres there are areas needing attention everywhere I turn. In June I’m still planting and planning, fixing past mistakes, weeding, fighting insect attacks, trimming, deadheading and filling containers. For me, flitting from area to area helps me not feel overwhelmed.

I’m acknowledging that all need work, and although not finishing in each part of the garden I manage to deal with what is most pressing while still getting some of those enjoyable tasks such as planting and weeding completed.

Attention deficit gardening works for me.

From so far away you can't see the weeds...but I spent about a half an hour pulling weeds out of this area of the front garden this afternoon. This was great - I find weeding to be very calming.

Everything is connected to everything else, and at no time is this easier to feel than in spring. All over the northern hemisphere, people are leaning into the growing season whether they are gardeners or not. And the plant people? Forget about it. We’re pouring into the garden centers even if it’s far too early to plant in the area where we live.

We’re connected by a love of great plants and interesting ways to garden. I got a message from Laura, who blogs at the Hudson Valley Garden Journal, saying she posted two links to this site last week. Reading what she’s writing about what’s going on in the Hudson Valley recalls the years I lived and gardened in Columbia County, and I delight in our connections.

Today I drove past Iverson Park in Stevens Point, WI and remembered a recent comment that was posted in response to my 50 Degree Day piece. Skeeter commented that he remembers this local celebration so well that he’s continued it with his grandchildren. He did a search on 50 Degree Day and up came a connection that reaches from his grandchildren to me.

Later in the afternoon I read a piece about the breeding of blue geraniums written by Chris Beytes, Editor & Publisher
 of GrowerTalks and Green Profit. To anyone in the horticultural biz it’s a must-read…just keep in mind that it was written for a special April 1 edition of the newsletter.

Seemingly random moments through the day: the coming of spring, a note from someone in a region where I too once gardened, a visit to the town where I once lived and a clever, funny April fool article.

Here we are in early April, leaning toward growth no matter where we live. Everything is connected to everything else and sometimes it’s good to lift a glass and celebrate those links. Here’s to spring, gardening, hometowns and a good laugh.

The crocus in the herb garden are a connection to the gardening I did two years ago, tucking a bulb in here and there.

To be alive means we exist with paradox.  We need to get comfortable with, or at least acknowledge the constant presence of inconsistency, because contradictions are a part of life.

My friend Jeffrey Thomas stopped by today and we talked about the life we each want to create. He was seeing Poison Ivy Acres for the first time, and commented that gardening here, and doing what I already do, might be satisfying enough.

He’s right…and wrong. If I knew that what I am doing right now would be the life I’d live for the rest of my time on this earth, it would be more than sufficient. I am blessed.

But I want to accomplish more. Is it greedy to want to make a difference in the world? Am I being gluttonous in my desire to encourage people to be thoughtful about building a whole life, or my goal to create more successful gardeners? Is it be possible to add my voice to support those activities and viewpoints that I view as life affirming and constructive?

This is where paradox comes in for all of us, I think. In our gardens, in politics and national affairs…in our communities and family life, we need to find a way to either be absolutely satisfied with what we have at the present moment, or to be living in the moment while working toward something better.

It's easy to see that we make a difference in our landscapes. If a garden isn't planted, weeded, and mulched it won't look good at any time of the year let alone in the spring. In our gardens, in all seasons, we are constantly called to appreciate what we have right now, and required to work toward maintaining what we have and planting for the future. In our gardens and lives, we cultivate paradox.

I raked, weeded and trimmed down perennial beds today, and was always alert for a subject to write about. As I’ve said before, one of the gifts of daily blogging is the need to my antennae up at all times.

1. In the garden and a blog, you never know what will come up. Be they cherished subjects or plants, they might appear or be totally elusive. You can’t be sure what will germinate, so you need to have open eyes and minds.
2. Each of these activities will connect you to people. Thankfully, blessedly, new people will come into your life because you are gardening or blogging.
3. Gardens and blogs require discipline and time. You need to be committed to get out there, so you can be weeding and writing.

I’m grateful for all of this. I cherish surprises and regulation. Most of all, I’m thankful for all of you delightful, interesting people that I’m connected to through this blog. We are graced from this web of connectedness.

All of the grasses in my gardens needed to be cut down this weekend, and I'm pleased to say that I got this done. Sometimes just meeting a deadline is satisfying.

As you know from my post of February 3^rd, I appreciate twitter because it connects people. Today I noticed a tweet by Frederic A Brussat that contained a link to a post listing twenty-five reasons that twitter is spiritual. I read them, deciding that I’m in love.

Some of the reasons in Frederic’s post are similar to those that I recently listed as benefits of blogging every day. Posts on twitter are similar to blogs, only more concise. I was particularly taken with the following points on Brussat’s list:

4.) Twitter inspires us to practice hospitality in a time when too often strangers are feared and the “other” is shunned.

6.) Twitter prods us to find the divine energy of joy in our daily lives and to share it with others.

8.) Twitter draws out our playfulness and celebrates, in a variety of ways, the holiness of savoring pleasure and the lightness of being.

Ahhh… those alone would be reasons to celebrate this website and means of communication. But how does this relate to gardening? I suggest that in Brussat’s thoughts about twitter, listed above, you could substitute the word “gardening” for “twitter” and it would all be true.

Gardening inspires us to practice hospitality, prods us to find the divine energy of joy in our daily lives, and draws out our playfulness. There are certainly twenty-five ways that gardening is spiritual, and I’m thankful that we have gardens and twitter to cultivate our connectedness.

Follow me on twitter by searching for C.L. Fornari or thegardenlady.