Dear Mark,
It will be 25 years this March since I met MB, the then Head Gardener/Manager at Weleda in Ilkeston. He was our guest speaker at the Nottingham Homoeopathic Group.
He made such outrageous claims about the auspicious times to plant seeds and the treatment of lawns. He talked us through each day in the month of March 2001 highlighting what to do and what not to do on each day. He had a few Maria Thun calendars for purchase and encouraged us to put his advice to the test.
I bought a calendar because the audacity of his wild claims had to be challenged.
I sprinkled lobelia seeds as advised knowing that as usual I would wait months for one or two to pop up if I was lucky. Within a fortnight my tray looked like a large pack of mustard and cress from Tescos. Mmmmmm
Ok, time to start cutting the grass. I liked to keep my croquet lawn well trimmed and got out my mower twice a week with usually 8 boxes of clippings each time. I kept to the Northern Planting Flower Days and soon found I only had 2 boxes of clippings to compost/use as mulch about every 3 weeks. Clearly MB was walking on water.
I became a convert, discovered the local Study Group and bowed to my Guru. The preparation making days, Goethean Plant observation days, 3 Kings stirrings and so much more have widened my knowledge. 25 years on and I still meet with my Guru and all the other members of the Study Group. I learn something at every monthly meeting.
I collar anyone I can to repeat MB's original message. My elder sister was always delighted with her Maria Thun for Christmas each year. I hand over my wall calendar to someone every year. It was my new neighbours in 2024 and N had to agree how the grass cutting had reduced. My young Physiotherapist got my 2025 wall calendar and is highly impressed. They both have young families so I haven't managed to get them to the Study Group yet.
I am amazed how few people believe what I tell them.
I suppose not everyone is as inquisitive as I was. People don't believe my wild statements. Their attitude is, if it was that basic everyone would know and be doing it. Perhaps it's time to get onto Gardener's Question Time and hammer the message home to the panelists. If they only did their grass cutting on Northern Planting Flower days starting early in the year to get into the rhythm before the hot sun of global warming stops the grass growing anyway we could get some powerful support for such wonderful gardening/time saving tips.
Oh yes, I do get on my soap box. I am so disappointed that folks are too apathetic to try it.
I did my seed sowing experiments in 2001 and have never looked back.
I am so glad to see what a brilliant start you have made to your weighty task.
My best wishes to you.
PD