Another Faux-Spring Day

Photo: summer 2007 at northeast corner of garden - looking toward the cellar dressed in Morning Glories, Sunflowers and Scarlet Runner Beans.

This afternoon was sumptiously warm, with that moist-earth smell that is so prevalent in spring. Good for my winter-depression, not so good for the wicked weather that is predicted to appear tomorrow in the form of thick, early-morning fog, thunderstorms and possible tornadoes.

I wandered around the garden, dragging husband, Larry, with me telling him of my plans and ideas for my new beds this year. He often scratches his head over my recent obsession with gardening, since in the first 16 years of our marriage, I rarely did anything more than a tomato plant or two. But, he is good to help - at least some! Yesterday he climbed into the tiny attic in the wellhouse and dug out some of the old wax-coated cups his father had brought home from when he worked a the local paper-cup factory, back in the 60's. They will make perfect seedling-starter cups when I start in on those in a couple of weeks. But for this weekend, I just planted a few more milk jugs with 2 kinds of onions, leeks, chard, and larkspur and "planted" them out with the rest of my wintersown experiments.

While we were surveying the plot I've chosen for my new veggie bed additions this year, our "extra" kid - Christen - we've know her since birth and she and our daughter, Fallan have practically been like sisters - drove in with another box of goodies for me! She works at a nearby grocery and has recently been assigned to the produce section. So, naturally, I asked her if they had much in the way of discarded fruits/veggies and so now I'm getting boxes full to dump in my compost pile - yeah! She was very interested in my gardening methods and ended up borrowing my Lasagna Gardening book to take home to share with her mom. Maybe I'll have another garden-buddy to trade ideas, plants and seeds with soon!