Last Chance to Plant Poppies

Due to yesterday's wintry mix, there's one inch of snow on the ground. So-called snow. It's more like tiny round pellets of ice. But i don't have time to quibble because today, this morning is my last chance to sow poppy seeds.

Poppy seeds like it cold. I couldn't understand why my poppy seeds barely germinated until a gardening friend told me to sow poppy seeds on top of the last snow.

When is the "last snow"? Who knows?

And who knows when our own "last snow" might be. I have a new app on my phone, We Croak, which reminds 5 times a day that i am going to die. The We Croak website says, "Find happiness by contemplating your mortality."

I'm going to contemplate happiness by strapping on my yak-trax and throwing some poppy seeds around on top of the snow.

Germinating Seeds

There's a problem with planting 9-year-old bean seeds--they don't germinate very well.

I am an inveterate saver of seeds, and sometimes the seeds are a few years old before i actually get them into the ground. Today i'm replacing them with 6-year-old bean seeds that i've soaked in water for 24 hours. Hmmm. Wonder how they will do?

I love green beans, and i especially love these thin French filet beans. The time for planting seeds of kindness is now. Don't delay!

My summer squash seeds still have not sprouted. Well, they were packed in 2004, so i expected a low germination rate. I just hoped it wouldn't be 0%. Oh well, it's time to replant.

I just finished teaching an 8-week class called Begin Again. The students all had previous meditation experience, but meditation had fallen away from their lives. So they began again, as we all do, every time we sit down on the cushion.

It's time to replant our intention to meditate.

What do you aspire to?

In the garden, i aspire to a crop of summer squash (my favorite!)
In meditation, i aspire to daily sitting. I am inspired by the Dalai Lama who arises at 3 a.m. and meditates for 3 hours before turning on the BBC World News at 7:00 a.m. What a great way to start the day.

I've already started my day with a long sit and with writing this Dharma blog. Now it's time to walk out into this summer day and plant summer squash :)

Photo from klesickfamilyfarm.com