Rain - Glorious Rain

Sounds like the beginning of a Broadway hit. Appropriate maybe since my recent gardening efforts make me feel akin to a Broadway producer.

The greenhouse was completed two weeks ago and, with the warming weather, I moved in the seedlings planted earlier. Managing them had been work as I moved them around the house following sunlight at different times of day. Once they were placed in the greenhouse, they were set. 

Over the last two weeks, I've planted all of the remaining flowers and vegetables in their trays and moved them out to join the seniors already established.

It was while planting the remaining seeds that the image of Broadway came to mind. 

You might think a seed is a seed is a seed... Not so. Each player in this year's garden has its own requirements in order to germinate and then bring out its best performance. It might sound overwhelming to the non-Broadway producer but I like to think I'm getting the hang of this.

Forget-me-nots want complete darkness, Zinnias - extra warmth. Peppers are not great germinators so it's sometimes necessary to call in the stand-ins. Celery seeds do best in cool, damp conditions. Lazy Peas like to lie down between damp paper towels to speed germination before going directly into the ground. Beans like an overnight soak (picturing the star in the bubble bath here). Some stars need extra time to learn their lines and more space to move about (tomatoes) before they take their places on stage.

But, at last, the cast is in place. The dressing room (greenhouse) is monitored frequently to make sure their continuing needs are met as they develop in their roles - misting water on hot days, covers for warmth on cool nights.

The stage itself has been swept and set with needed props. Additional soil and compost have been added to ensure this year's cast is well fed. A new prop for this year's production is an arbour for the cucumbers to grow up, leaving room for other players to be planted beneath, maximizing the number of cast members the stage can accommodate.

As in Broadway (I imagine), it's only the stars who get the dressing-room. The walk-ons must start from the ground up with no rehearsal and no demands leading up to the production. Some walk-ons remained from last fall's production (carrots and garlic and, of course, the ever-reliable perennial flowers), returning to carry on with little prep and no script. They know their lines. 

The newest walk-on hires (beets, lettuce, chard, spinach) take their places quietly, looking for direction from the sun while leaving plenty of room for each star to arrive as their scene is called.

Back to why rain is glorious. The house is screaming "thank you" to the skies for sending me indoors with nothing but time for all of the chores put off while Broadway was calling my name.