What was once an inert and seemingly hibernating ground cover has spr=
ung to
life in the last week. The American Beauty Shamrock has exhibited in=
terest
in putting out new foliage to replace the yellow winter killed leaves=
that
cover the ground between here and the vegetable garden. It is a low=
growing ground cover that disappears completely in the summer
heat. Between now and when the sun grows very hot it will bloom; thr=
owing
up millions of tiny pink blossoms that face the sky and make me reluc=
tant
to walk through the tightly packed color. The snow drops that mother=
planted decades ago still burst from the earth every spring and put o=
ut
their tiny white with green dots blossoms for me to admire. I try ha=
rd to
avoid the foliage when it comes time to mow so they will be there the=
following year and add to my joy.
The field that once had several of my flower beds is covered ankle de=
ep
with vetch and chickweed. I wish I had some flowers that grew as rap=
idly
and luxuriantly as these two plants. The vetch has some small purpli=
sh
flowers but I am not inclined to encourage it. It doesn't need
encouragement. I think I have heard of people eating chickweed in=
salads. It certainly looks tasty. It is small and green and appears=
tender. If I could sell it I'd be set for life! I have started a be=
d in
the lower part of this field; down beside the two flowering cherries =
and
the Japanese maple. I'm looking forward to the blooming of the
cherries. They are wonderfully showy and seem to bring bees from mil=
es
around. To stand under the large flowering cherry and listen to the=
activity of thousands and thousands of bees and nectar gatherers is a=
reminder that things have gotten started now and the animals and inse=
cts
are hard at work.
Someone asked me if I had deer damage. I certainly have plenty of de=
er but
I didn't have any noticeable deer damage beginning when I get here in=
June. This year may be different. They may learn that there are ten=
der
plants available for the taking. I let Mercy (my Doberman) out at 9:=
00 and
10:00 every night and she rushes out and barks at something. I fear =
that
what she sees are deer and that I'll have to contend with them but I'=
ll
cross that bridge when I get to it.
The peas are looking good now. I have put up a string trellis for th=
em to
climb on. So far they are not tall enough to climb but give them ano=
ther
week and things may change. I planted some tomato seed (Parks Beefy =
Boy)
in a container today. I hope that I'll get ten or twenty plants to s=
et out
in a month or so. I intend to have too many tomatoes this year. I l=
ike
garden grown tomatoes above most vegetables and usually am able to gi=
ve
away what I can't use myself. If the weather holds warm and it doesn=
't
rain again and drench the ground again I might be able to till the fu=
ture
garden this weekend and start putting seed into the ground. Oh, I kn=
ow
it's pushing things a couple of weeks but I'd at least like to get th=
ings
planted like carrots and beets that can tolerate the cold. I always =
push
spring and I lose some stuff now and then but what the heck, seeds ar=
e
cheap compared to the work and planning.
I'm disappointed that my poppies have not revealed any willingness to=
germinate. I have put out a lot of seed and have wondered if it wasn=
't
just too wet for poppies. It has been very, very wet. I have seed l=
eft so
I am not going to be deterred. I'm gonna have poppies this spring if=
it is
possible to have them.
This spring has definitely begun. The entire week is predicted to ha=
ve
highs in the sixties and seventies and I'm seeing a lot of growth tha=
t I
didn't notice two weeks ago. Old Sol is going to rise a bit earlier =
each
day and set a bit later. More important, the rising point on the hor=
izon
will shift toward the east (from southerly) and the shadows at noon w=
ill be
smaller. The mere presence of a shadow is cheering to me. I love th=
e
sunlight and welcome it back. February was very dark this year. Bet=
ter
times are coming!
Bob Blakely
