The Briar Philosopher - Changing Times (FREE ACCESS - NOT PAYWALLED)

I never get tired of being tired of the time change. It just really snuck up on me this year. Though I will be glad for the extra hour of daylight after work, it takes some time to adjust to the earlier morning and retrain my circadian rhythms as to when to go to bed. I know it was a thing growing up but it never really seemed to affect me. We were always up early anyway so I don’t remember ever noticing the difference. Part of that might have been the fact that daylight savings time didn’t start as early in the year so the morning wouldn’t have been so dark. I looked it up and in 1972 (I was nine) Daylight Savings time started on April 30th. I don’t know when or why it got to be so early in the year but I will look that up too, when I have a minute. 

But back to the topic of changing times. This time of year the clock isn’t the only thing changing. The days are warming. This week we’ll have temperatures in the 70s. A tad higher than normal but it will be nice to feel the warmth. The trees are sporting their first blush of new buds and daffodils are blooming.  All this changing weather means the earth is starting to wake up as Spring comes closer and closer. It also means it’s time for me to get busy outside. 

I love the Spring, even the hard work it brings. The body also has to wake up from its winter sloth and get those muscles growing again. I did do pretty good at making sure I got plenty of exercise in the fall so it wouldn’t be so hard to get back in gear this Spring. It still gets a little harder every year but after a couple of days, my body is grateful for the extra labor. 

Over the weekend I grubbed out an old strawberry bed and hauled some compost and wood chips to it. It’s pretty played out so will still need to dig in more compost/mulch/old cow manure to get it ready to plant the first part of April.

It’s a new thing I’m going to attempt to grow in that particular bed this year. It’s an Old World perennial tuber called Skirret. It grows clumps of long roots that can be eaten like potatoes but is said to have a bit sweeter flavor. Once you have it established, it comes back every year and will also resow itself from seeds. Thus the permanent bed. I’ve never eaten it but I like the idea of a perennial tuber growing in my garden. Of course, there will also be potatoes. Not replacing them, just supplementing them. 

After yesterday’s toil with reclaiming and conditioning the bed, I did wake up quite sore this morning but that is as it should be. I do feel better though than I did before I began the project yesterday. It was all I could do to convince myself to set about the task. My energy levels just seemed too low to drive a maddock around the bed. I took it in small doses at first. Work a half an hour or so then rest. After the second break my body was awake and I felt my energy return and knew I could finish the task. It won’t be long until I’m back physically. I’ve always bounced back from the winter pretty quickly. It is a little harder every year but it’s still possible and I’ll keep on doing it until I can’t. The best thing for the soreness is to work again so I’m going to try to get my onions planted this evening and maybe work on the lettuce and spinach bed with that extra hour I’ve gained from the time change. 

There is also a chance that I won’t do anything but try to rest up from the work and the time change, both of which made getting out of bed early this morning all the more difficult. 

They say that change is difficult and they’re not wrong but change is also necessary. Things can’t go on as they are, whether they be good things or bad. Change is (ironically) pretty much the only constant thing in the universe. We’re not immune. Whether it be changing time, changing seasons or other changes that must be faced, it’s a good idea to come at it like you would a garden bed in early spring. For instance, I didn’t kill a strawberry bed. The soil was played out too much to support the strawberries anymore and had really not been in a good place for strawberries in the first place. I planted a much larger strawberry bed last year in a much better place so the old bed was ready for something new. Change may feel like an ending but it can also be the beginning of something new. It may be the start of something positive that you’ve never experienced before, like Skirret. 

Speaking of which, if I get it to grow to harvest, I’ll let you all know how it tastes. Until then, and always, when you look at your life be sure to notice if any old beds are played out and in need of revitalization or replacement. Have you been fighting to hold onto something that you know can’t grow? If so, consider planting something new. It might be a lot of work but, in the long run, you’ll probably be healthier for the effort.