Nourishment: Spring

Melissa: What does your garden need for Nourishment this season?

Spring is an exciting time in the garden as dormant plants start to wake up. Now is the time to clean up your flower beds and boxes. Remove all dead growth and winter debris to make way for the new life about to happen. It is also an excellent time to divide fall blooming perennials and grasses. As you clean up your garden, take time to clean any bird baths or water features to ensure there is no stagnant water. Avoid creating a breeding place for pesky mosquitoes. 

Depending on your garden's needs, it is a good time to treat with fertilizers and chelated iron if you have heavy clay soil. On the subject of soil, it is essential to apply wood chips or mulch around your plants to control weeds, retain moisture, and add a layer of protection to your plants for those colder weather days that can surprise us. 

On warm sunny days, get out and enjoy the weather. Plant summer blooming bulbs like Gladiolus, Begonias, and Dahlias. It is also a good time to thin out your seedlings to ensure your garden plants have enough room.

Nichole: What does your body need for Nourishment this season? 

Spring is a time of growth and renewal. Nature is waking up from its slumber, and the results of rest and recuperation are blossoming into beautiful life. Energy is abundant and is reflected through the vibrancy of colors popping out of the ground. This season is about cleansing the body, especially the skin, kidneys, and liver. Many available foods are excellent for detoxification and regeneration, which is why you see so many dark, leafy, bitter greens that aid in cleansing the body. As with any season, it’s important to make sure you’re eating local varieties where possible and relevant. Below is a list of foods that are great for spring dining.

https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide

https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/

Shae: What does your soul need for Nourishment this season?

Spring is about waking up, stretching, feeling the sun's warmth, seeing new life, and shaking off winter's ice. Within ourselves, we start to feel the excitement of coming out of hibernation. It is a time for revival and rebirth. The earth is teeming with what is to come. You are not the same person you were when you went into winter. You are new, reborn, and ready to take on the year. 

The nourishment our souls need in spring is to notice the energies of new life, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. We are shedding the old in preparation for the new. Start getting out of your home, clean your space (they don’t call it spring cleaning for nothing!), open your windows and let the fresh breeze whisper about the year to come. Spend time in the sun. Let it wash your face. Spring is a time for planning. Start thinking about how you want to live in the coming year. It is also a time to start greeting others who have been in hibernation. Naturally, we begin to want to be more social. 

Journal prompt: What are my goals and dreams for the coming year? 

The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. - Harriet Ann Jacobs

Raymond: What does your community need for Nourishment this season?

Last fall, I noticed my neighbors trimming their trees and bushes. They were also planting near the same areas. I grew curious. When I asked them, they showed me a bag of flower seed mix and told me the bushes produced a lot of healthy pollen for bees. By trimming them, they were helping the trees to grow back healthy. The seeds were for flowers that bees and hummingbirds often enjoy. My neighbors offered me all they had left, and I planted them in my yard. I’m pleased to say it’s now buzzing with bees and hummingbirds this spring!

I know they need water too, so I used a battery-powered water pump to make a small birdbath, even installing a misting hose for them to fly through. Watching the bees and hummingbirds fly back and forth through the mist to clean their wings is funny. It’s like I made them a carwash!