Is it Spring yet?
Here it is more than half way through April, usually my favorite month of the year due to the flowering of the world as I know it. In these northern climes, however, flowering isn't so much happening as 'going to happen', maybe NEXT month. This time lag experienced by folks who live out of the loop of the rest of the country is often mother to frustration, depression, bad choices and suicide (the Mother of bad choices). Let me explain:
we first moved here in 1971 from Indianapolis, Indiana. Before that I'd lived in Arlington VA, San Francisco, around St. Louis MO, all mid-latitude places with a Spring that sprang in late March/early April and progressed from there. When April 1972 rolled around & we were still digging out of the snow regularly, the concept of flowers & budding trees, warm zephyrs, walking about in shirt sleeves out of doors didn't appear to cross people's minds - other than mine as I dug out of the snow. The lady across the street committed suicide that April; people were crabby (me); it was an unnatural way of life & it got to folks - cabin fever was at high pitch.
We moved away, back to mid latitudes five years later & stayed away as long as possible - but in 2000 we moved back. So here it is, April more than half gone & finally FINALLY most of the snow it gone, there are three tulip plants poked out of the ground in the front yard...they are up about four inches...no buds yet. The shrubbery is still a mystery because nothing is leafed out and I can't tell much by the tiny buds. One aspect of Spring is normal and that's robins. The robins are busy denuding my front lawn of worms, which I was hoping to use myself in the compost bin thingee John's planning. It's early yet even for compost tho' unless we use a LOT of manure to keep it warm.
When we lived here in the 70s, we had a garden & compost thingee. I faithfully poured vegetable leavings, grass, leaves into it to turn into earth, which it didn't because the growing season was so short the winters so long & cold that the composting material would freeze solid, then take all summer to melt before refreezing next fall. This year we plan to put the compost in a sunny spot, heave in manure & worms along with the veggie matter, give it a good stir, etc. I hope it doesn't freeze.
With May approaching & the 31st being the official 'plant your garden' day around here, we have a little time to sort out exactly what we want to plant & where. I can't wait for the effects of Spring to arrive along with the zephyrs.
we first moved here in 1971 from Indianapolis, Indiana. Before that I'd lived in Arlington VA, San Francisco, around St. Louis MO, all mid-latitude places with a Spring that sprang in late March/early April and progressed from there. When April 1972 rolled around & we were still digging out of the snow regularly, the concept of flowers & budding trees, warm zephyrs, walking about in shirt sleeves out of doors didn't appear to cross people's minds - other than mine as I dug out of the snow. The lady across the street committed suicide that April; people were crabby (me); it was an unnatural way of life & it got to folks - cabin fever was at high pitch.
We moved away, back to mid latitudes five years later & stayed away as long as possible - but in 2000 we moved back. So here it is, April more than half gone & finally FINALLY most of the snow it gone, there are three tulip plants poked out of the ground in the front yard...they are up about four inches...no buds yet. The shrubbery is still a mystery because nothing is leafed out and I can't tell much by the tiny buds. One aspect of Spring is normal and that's robins. The robins are busy denuding my front lawn of worms, which I was hoping to use myself in the compost bin thingee John's planning. It's early yet even for compost tho' unless we use a LOT of manure to keep it warm.
When we lived here in the 70s, we had a garden & compost thingee. I faithfully poured vegetable leavings, grass, leaves into it to turn into earth, which it didn't because the growing season was so short the winters so long & cold that the composting material would freeze solid, then take all summer to melt before refreezing next fall. This year we plan to put the compost in a sunny spot, heave in manure & worms along with the veggie matter, give it a good stir, etc. I hope it doesn't freeze.
With May approaching & the 31st being the official 'plant your garden' day around here, we have a little time to sort out exactly what we want to plant & where. I can't wait for the effects of Spring to arrive along with the zephyrs.