Recrudescence
A famous gardener recently announced on social media he just had to go dig an onion bed, and that’s all he said. The subtext was he was seeking out the calm and healing that comes with being consciously grounded in nature amidst the discomfiting tumult suddenly clouding our world.
Not that gardeners need another reason to get their hands dirty, but maintaining a rational perspective matters, plus there’s plenty to pay attention to in a garden at the end of winter.
The earliest known use of the word “recrudescence” is from the writings of mid-17th century British physician George Thompson. He railed against the stubbornness and myopia of other physicians who insisted on timeworn medical practices such as bloodletting instead of learning new and better techniques to benefit patients. The word comes from Latin words meaning “the return of the raw,” and for Thompson it meant the return of something undesirable such as the recurrence of illness or symptoms after a period of remission.
For many, the word applies to the unsettling politics thrust upon us. So, gardening can help. To begin with – and this is nothing new to gardeners, hikers, birders and folks who watch the sun go down – being outside, especially around plants in a garden or the woods, can contribute to peace of mind. You are breathing fresh air and hearing birdsongs. Research shows your heart rate moderates and muscles relax, therefore less tension.
In our area, purple deadnettle has already sprouted in garden beds. It’s a cute, tidy herbaceous-looking plant that doesn’t ask for much, and it’s edible. There are toxic plants similar in appearance, but once deadnettle bears its little pink flowers, it is safe to eat because the toxic lookalikes don’t have little pink flowers. Deadnettle contains vitamin C and iron, provides a bit of fiber, but the point is a gardener does need all of it, so weeding some of it is a chance to get down to earth level and turn your fingers loose in the topsoil… calms you down.
Deadnettle is actually in the mint family like oregano, and since you asked, right now is the perfect time to clean up your oregano patch. I once had a single oregano plant at the end of a bed, and now I have a patch. Oregano is like that. At winter’s end, the long stems from last autumn have dried up and are easy to snap off. The underground system of oregano roots is saying, “Thanks for the haircut.”
The exercise focuses a gardener on tidier beds and pathways which is relaxing. In addition, you create a pile of dried oregano stems which can be strewn purposefully on another bed as a mulch for its long-term benefit, which means contributing toward a successful future. Planning for a successful future is good for your peace of mind.
A successful future might also entail trellis maintenance because vertical gardening can be a satisfying challenge. One year, bean vines grew to the top of the trellis and then back down. I picked beans going both ways. I use all manner of tall, straight sticks in trellises because all sticks matter, and, like a four-year old making a fort in the woods, it’s gratifying to find usefulness in things. Embracing the joy of innocence helps to balance the anxiety awaiting us all, and a garden will awaken your innocence if you let it.
There was an empty corner in a bed and it called out for the planting of a few seeds. “Kale and arugula should be growing here, don’t ya think?” is what I heard, so that’s what I did. It was sudden and daring, but another action toward a successful future, not reckless but with consideration of the consequences and a commitment to healthy governance through the season. I nourish plants; plants nourish me and others.
That’s the news I want to hear: “In today’s news, we all got our hands dirty in a good way by planting seeds for a successful, wholesome future.” Eat your arugula.