“Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today.” — Thomas Jefferson

PROCRASTINATION: is not an ideal trait for a farmer whether urban or not.

I am terrible with procrastination…either that or I’m just too darn busy! Like Zan, I try to juggle a life in the arts as well as my love of all things country. It’s not easy. And I’m learning every season that there is little room for error in the world of organic farming (or any farming, really).

Those lovely hollyhocks up there? I was GOING to take an awesome photo of their lovely blooms. I had taken one of them reaching the roof line before they bloomed, but then kept putting it off. Each day I’d walk by and say to myself, GOD..those are gorgeous…I need take a picture. Then I’d get busy and tell myself I’d do it tomorrow. Well…I guess mother nature got tired of waiting for me and decided to hit us with a big wind storm. Bye Bye hollyhocks, and all the other plants I hadn’t gotten around to staking. Now I know why people plant their tomato plants and put the cages over them immediately.

Not everything was ruined, but enough was. Now I’m looking at broccoli heads that are about to open because I didn’t pick them when I first saw them. And I’m also realizing that planting tomatoes in pots wasn’t such a good idea unless I’m around to water them twice a day because they dry out so fast. Oh the woes of gardening…why can’t you give us more of a window to gather the fruits of our labor?? And strawberries…we were deep in the throes of strawberries for about a week, and I wanted to go pick more after making jam, now they are completely picked over.

Don’t get me wrong. I love to garden. I love to grow my own food and can and make things from scratch, but sometimes the planning drives me crazy! While running all over the country to meet with wedding clients, photographing weddings, writing summer camp curriculum’s, taking screen printing classes and letterpress classes that bring me home at midnight, and trying to market my own business…I start to forget about other things. Like all the peas I should be picking today while shooting my next wedding. UGH! I need better discipline when it comes to planning.

But I do remember to forgive myself, though, because I am doing the most important thing an urban farmer can be doing right now. I’m learning. Every experience whether right or wrong gives me more wisdom and knowledge for future endeavors. I got it wrong this year. I’ll get it right next year. That is my new mantra. And I’m proud of myself for getting as far as installing all 9 of my raised beds, getting my perennials established, installing our rainbarrels and growing food two years in a row now.  I’m making progress.

I’m also learning the art of patience. In this high speed world of technology and instant gratification…gardening and farming seem to be one activity that reminds us that with hard work and perseverance, come pride and a fuzzy feeling of well-being. To know that you can be self-sufficient in some sense feels quite powerful!

So, gotta run and go pick-up some memory cards for my camera and get to that wedding! Please wait for me broccoli and peas…I’ll actually be cooking dinner tomorrow night, I promise!