thyme | Rabid Little Hippy

One of this things I am most aware of with our pending move and huge planned lifestyle changes is that I have not, to date, been much of a gardener. In fact I used to joke that if my thumbs were green then it was probably mould. I have all sorts of big intentions but severe creepy crawly phobias usually crippled my dreams.

In order to get past this I had some hypnotherapy earlier this year focussing mostly upon my severe phobia of millipedes. Those horrible little Portuguese imports (the wretched things aren’t even native!) could reduce me to a gibbering mess in seconds. Easing the vacuum hose to within an inch of one of those little black curls so I could dart back to safety before switching it on was amusing. Gardening was an episode in uproarious humour IF you happened to be watching me. I seem to get the gardening urge when I am full term pregnant, so envision LARGE tummy, dodgy non-functioning hips and then picture this as it scoots backwards at a rapid rate of knots spewing profanities and gibbering in fear. Not pretty. So, with our planned move to the country I decided enough was enough and I booked in for some hypnotherapy. I wouldn’t say I am deeply in love with those funny little trundle-bugs but coming across them I tend towards mild revulsion rather than sheer panic. Most other insects, invertebrates and other creepy crawlies fit into this list of yucky bugs too but I am now a lot better. I even held a worm in the palm of my gloved hand the other day. Something I have not done since I was 7 or younger.

Well today spent the morning gardening with my children. Jasper wanted to do digging, his favourite pass-time. Rather than just waste his energy I decided to get them to help me pot some plants I want to take when we move. I found some plastic pots, drilled some holes in some other plastic buckets and put some stones in the bottom. We then, with Allegra’s help too, dug up the soil into the pots. I then re-potted the rosemary bush I had grown from a cutting and struck another cutting from a branch that had cast roots, for my friend. We dug up the curry bush, re-potted a pot-bound parsley with some mint that had grown despite being thoroughly removed last year, and another pot of mint for my friend. I re-potted my terribly pot bound chives (don’t know if they will make it r not but worth a try) and also the pot-bound thyme. Watered them all in with water from the tank and they’re ready to go. The kids decided then they’d had enough digging so in we came for some lunch.

I came across a group of snails and a single millipede, both of which were moved out of my way with only a little fuss, so I would say I am no longer phobic (yay) and I know I can handle gardening when we move. And I have sorted out yet another part of the move too so I would consider that a highly profitable morning.

Now we are off for a walk to run some errands. Orik into the Ergo and the other 2 are going to walk. Here’s hoping they’re tired tonight and sleep.