Spring arrived too early in mid February here on the urganic micro-holding in the UK midlands, but harsher weather has reasserted since, with strong winds and cold temperatures the order of the day. Jobs hanging over from autumn such as processing the pile of loppings and burning all the brash have now happened, with a useful pile of potash-laden woodash as a result, and now spread on the veg growing ground, along with a couple of layers of compost.
Seed potatoes were purchased but not the variety that had been expected to come up trumps on taste, but which proved to be disappointing. Quite a few seed potatoes were planted under plastic in February, making a new season start. with, as usual, 'hope springing eternal'. The February warmer weather spell proved to be useful in terms of getting the growing ground cleared of weeds, and getting the woodash and compost onto the land.
Whilst the recent mainstream culture, being focused strongly on 'self-gain', doesn't then seem to have put 'care taking' too high on the agenda, for many individuals, 'taking care' could yet be important - ? The tendancy towards automatic self-criticality may work against such a process, in that 'uncare' to the self may not facilitate care to others - ?
The growing mindfulness practice can help, in that it encourages and facilitates a more tolerant and care-taking approach to self-management, one of its strengths, besides facilitating expanding awareness and a potentially lower stress approach to living. Care can start with the individual, whether it's taking care of the planet in a small way by say, looking after its resources, such as soil, or as a case study relating to a well-known writer indicates, extending care to animals.
