Springtime Blues

Alas, spring sickness has descended and the primary victims are my seedlings. Due to watering neglect, basil, dahlia, kale, and most of the peppers have kicked the bucket. Ray of hope transcends from daffodils and cherry blossoms that perform with no contributions of mine. The lovage is already quite tall. A rose has passed on, leaving space to move the oregano away from the currants. Constant remodeling.

Having a garden places one on the endless wheel of greenery. Weeding, watering, transplanting - it's not over till the frost hits. Moping around the house, I neglect it all. It's not really work until I'm too tired to do it.

Bunnies of the World, Unite

My neighborhood is basically a warren. There is a part of our backyard nicknamed "Rabbit Superhighway," identifiable by the trail of turds that passes beneath the raspberries, which for some reason are a favorite winter snack of the local leporids. Some friends are exterminators, others protectors. I read Watership Down at too tender an age to lift a finger against a bunny, but I must admit that I'm not pleased when they help themselves to spring's sweet snacks: tulip shoots, baby lettuce, and new compass plant.

Image from freewildlifepictures.com

Countdown

1 week until my cool season veggies sprout on the warm patio.

3 weeks until the farmers' market opens.

5 weeks until my tomato and pepper seedlings go in the ground.

0 weeks until I get cool stuff from my CSA.

That's right, Easy Bean Farm is sending out awesomeness right now. Granted, the awesomeness is not edible, but I love the emails and pics Farmer Mark emails every week. I get to see him working on his tractor and cheering on the leek seedlings. Farmer Mark is cool.

It's a good thing, because we are wrapping up a major warm snap that signaled my springtime impatience to burst forth like dandelions in the patio cracks. Like bunnies in my lettuce container. Like the inevitable succession of baby animals that lodge themselves in our egress window well and await rescue. We've had a baby rabbit, a baby albino squirrel, and a baby bird. It's one of our signs of spring, like my husband scraping last year's caked-on meat from the grill, or feelings of embarrassment at the neighbors' still-displayed reindeer lawn ornaments.