Snapdragons and Vanilla Obsession.

Summary

John Rose shares his passion for gardening, particularly his success with vanilla vines and snapdragons under LED lighting, and how these activities lift his spirits and connect him with nature.

Abstract

John Rose, an avid gardener, delightfully details his daily routine in his LED-lit garden, which includes nurturing a thriving vanilla vine and a variety of snapdragons. He meticulously cares for the vanilla vine, manually pollinating the flowers and eagerly anticipating the harvest of vanilla pods for his Crème Brûlée. His garden, born from a series of happy impulses, has become a sanctuary that helps him cope with the gloom of daily news and reinforces his connection with the earth. The snapdragons, now in their third year, bring him joy and serve as a reminder of the beauty and unpredictability of nature. The act of gardening brings John a sense of cleansing and balance, allowing him to focus on resolvable issues and fostering a positive outlook, even on mundane tasks like marking essays.

Opinions

John finds joy and a sense of accomplishment in the growth of his vanilla vine and the potential for a bountiful harvest of vanilla pods.
He takes pleasure in the unpredictability and variety of his snapdragon plants, which add an element of surprise and beauty to his garden.
Gardening is portrayed as a therapeutic activity that helps John cope with the negativity of daily news and provides a sense of control over his environment.
The act of manually pollinating the vanilla flowers by hand is seen as a labor of love, reflecting John's dedication to his garden.
John values the connection with nature that his garden provides, considering it a way to reinforce his bond with Gaia.
The garden, initially started on a whim, has become a source of great satisfaction and a central part of John's life, influencing his mood and daily activities.
Despite the prospect of rain and the chore of marking essays, John maintains a positive attitude, finding happiness in simple pleasures like his morning coffee and the possibility of encountering snapdragons.

Start of Inglorious Day.

Looked at news gloom and doom never happiness, Looked at clouds threatening rain still need to shop, Looking forward to soaking trolley and rain filled boots, Time for chores.

Exercising with weights felt good, Refreshing shower, Happy breakfast refined years over muesli treat, Favourite coffee rich Rwandan, Time for gardening.

Gardening Lifts Spirits, Reinforcing My Connection with Gaia.

Vanilla vine thriving in LED garden, Amazing, Each day new growth, Carefully water, Make sure aerial roots contact soil, top up fertiliser, Happily fuss.

Check flower nodes, Counted 17 today, 3 more overnight, 12 flowers per node, Potential 200 pods, Flowers must be manually pollinated by me buzz buzz, Do my best, Happy for 100 pods, Last seasons pods curing phase, Soon I’ll wrap in wax paper and pack in wooden box for another month, Great expectations Crème Brûlée.

My Garden must confess came about series happy impulsive decisions, Stemming from curiously exploring exotic plants and fragrant herbs, Stumbled on LED Grow Lamps, Couldn’t resist, Love my Vanilla vine.

Snapdragons Guaranteed to Cure Gloom

Delicious Kale for tea and Snapdragons feast the eye. Picture by John Rose.

Growing Snapdragons, Happy experience, They strive to grow, Third year of snapdragon happiness, Freely admit love to take pot luck selecting seeds, Sow varieties in abstract patterns, Blame the wind for mixing seeds, Inconceivable it could be me, Happy expectations see what happens.

Bloomed today. Picture by John Rose.

Yellow caught my eye, Bloomed today, Extraordinarily beautiful, Exciting now more tomorrow, Just makes me smile at wonder of it all.

Every day, new blooms and new colours. Picture by John Rose.

Snapdragons curl and wind their way between each other and through the kale, Growing and seeking light to thrive and flower.

Gardening done, Feel cleansed, Perspectives balanced, Concentrate on issues I can fix, Make efforts to help where I can.

Even smile about stack of essays to mark, Hope there are snapdragons among pile of weeds.

Might just walk, Visit forest friends, But first need some coffee, You know dear friends, Would be nice having company sipping coffee. Think son’s dog needs a walk Maybe he like coffee?

Blessed be.

Snapdragons and Vanilla Obsession.

Pottering in My LED Gardens

Start of Inglorious Day.

Gardening Lifts Spirits, Reinforcing My Connection with Gaia.

Snapdragons Guaranteed to Cure Gloom