Farm Record 003: The Woods are Lovely, Dark, and Deep (+ Banana Leaf Plant Tips)
TL;DR - If your banana leaf plants died, and you’re here for tips on how to overwinter your hardy banana leaf plants next year, just scroll all the way to the bottom.
But back to our catch-up: Sometimes I hate to admit it, but “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (Robert Frost) has always been one of my favorite poems. And it’s not necessarily because I’m instantly curious about a trespasser feeling safe enough to take a beautifully quiet moment in the woods with an animal companion that is, too, curious about this specific moment of bravery in a dark and snowy forest. I mean—especially now that we have woods that children and speed-walking women with dogs feel entitled to traipse through almost daily—be curious about the audacity of white supremacy. But, that’s not what gets me about the poem.
It’s the gentle uptick of the last stanza. The resonating return of angst-driven duty and/or obligation in the midst of luxurious respite.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
That’s exactly what this winter has felt like for us here on the homestead.
Our little portion of the world we’ve been entrusted with has felt exquisitely beautiful. It’s felt ghastly and cataclysmic. It’s felt extensive, profound, intense, and never-ending.
I shared about it a little on our Instagram.
There’s so much here at the homestead that’s dependent upon dark, rest, a moment of retreat, or what looks like cessation of life. I mean honestly, the last 6 months have felt like this for me. But looking at our hardy banana leaf plants reminds me that things are not always as they appear. And that matters. And then sometimes they are. But life, like nature, like people, can always surprise you for the better.
And my Instagram.
Those of you who’ve been following me for like a zillion years on the Internet know that every December I get fairly quiet. Not sullen, but i definitely find myself deeper inside myself, looking for all the connections, in hopes of digging out some dark matter, and making myself a better me. 🖤
Which reminds me: here are those tips for overwintering banana leaf plants.
If you’re a Zone 7 - 9 gardener, and your banana plants are too tall to overwinter inside, cut them down to 6 inches (15 cm.) above the ground and apply a thick layer of mulch.
Or, leave foliage on hardier plants until spring. Then prune any deep brown or dead foliage and give a hefty watering to jump start growth. Make sure to keep moist consistently through the full growing season. And you should be good to go!
Anyways, I haven’t really figured out the most effective way of describing that gentle (and not so gentle) uptick I mentioned above. Or how to describe the feeling of wanting to keep it at bay when it wants to rage and rush in. But I’m in the process of co-creating a list of resources with our #NotesfromtheFarm folks - my no-frills Patreon community where we deep dive into everything we need to conceive and construct a beautiful and infinitely fulfilling life.
It’s like what we do here, but more, and with friends.
This week, I’ve shared twelve resources—podcasts, videos, courses, playlists, and more—certain to help lighten your load as you shift and journey on through your own woods - literal or figurative, hopefully just as lovely as they are dark and deep.
Until next time,
Kholi. <3