Gardening, a good diversion

I am still grief-stricken about the war Putin has declared on the people of Ukraine. I did go to the World Central Kitchen website to see if there was anything I could do. Even though I am not a trained chef, I am not a bad cook. I have a passport, suitcases, and am happy to help and work to feed refugees or soldiers on the front lines. Unfortunately, I don’t have proficiency in the Polish language, which is one of their requirements. My few words of Yiddish just won’t meet the proficiency standards needed.

It seems the only way I can contribute is financial, which I will do as much as I can afford. Meanwhile, to vent my frustration, I will start planning the garden. I am sure spring is really on the way now

It was time to do a spring cleaning in the garden. I did more weeding and tossed junk that landed in my yard into the trash. Now, for the rest of the work. I will call the window washers as I’m embarrassed to even look out of my own windows. Next, the deck needs to be refinished, and no matter what Daniel says: there will be many coats of polyurethane for protection. Many.

I’ve scoured various websites for patio furniture to replace the couch, chairs, and tables that disintegrated this winter. I’ve even eyed some outdoor rugs to add some color. I bought a stack of lightweight, handmade, wild patterned blankets from a woman’s cooperative in India, so we can keep warm while hanging outside. I’m envisioning some late-night Scrabble games this spring and summer.

This winter was a harsh one, and as a result, I have two large, dead rosemary plants that need to be replaced. Losing them is somewhat sentimental and sad to me. Both were planted the first spring I was here. I went to Nancy’s Dream Garden when it opened, and they were my first two purchases. Shortly after that, I purchased sage, thyme, chives, and parsley, which lasted for the past three years. While most got through the pipe-freezing nights this winter, I may have to give in and replace some of them. I hope those winter nights also froze the squash bugs that devastated some of the varieties we planted.

I am happy to say that Daniel has hung screen doors on the front and back doors. Leaving those two doors open helps me believe spring is indeed around the corner. Time to take off the snow tires, uncover the hose bibs, organize seeds, get out the journal (which I quickly abandon). It is also time to think about lighter wines. Here comes the rosé.

I religiously chopped the top of my iris’ only to hear Bill tell me he could come over with his buzz saw and just top them off in one big wipe. Oh well, as usual, too late. I have meticulously been pulling goat head and mallow weeds, hoping to find their roots and never see them again. I’ve been doing that for the past three years, and they always return, so I’m not optimistic.

I was told by those who know that it was time to plant radishes and onions. I will do that this week and hope to see something sprouting soon. As I said last week, with the current state of affairs, hope is a good thing, even if it’s just for radishes.