Early Spring

Well, winter finally seems to be in actual retreat. The chindoxia was blooming on April 2. The front tulips that I planted last fall survived several freezes in March and a late snowfall and were up 3 or 4 inches at the beginning of the month. The snow-in-the-summer seems to have never gone dormant all winter and is taking over the west side of the front wall. The hydrangea are starting to emerge, although the front three only from the base. Perhaps they needed some protection this winter?

history-July 2007

We moved in June a short way up the Hudson River to a walkable town on a hill. All things said and planned and reasoned, it was quite sad to see Brooklyn go. The promise of some true soil that didn't come in plastic bags and reside in pots on the fire escape offered some solace. Many weeks and three pairs of gloves later my hands are cut up and the weeds are still winning. But I uncovered many lost souls: sedum, snow-in-the-summer, and several opportunistic strands of sweet-autumn clematis. I planned to mostly let this garden breathe a bit, and to see what comes up this season. Started a compost pile, which brought with it an irrational amount of satisfaction. John had vetoed my vermicomposting hopes while we were in our apartment (with reasoned aversion to a tiny kitchen full of worms), so this was a dream finally realized I suppose. My folks rescued an old rusty push-mower from the garbage on a drive down to visit and it found a spot next to a boulder in one of the beds. There are a lot of rocks here. A lot. I tucked in some white impatiens in the interim. Debating what to do with several bleeding hearts. Pouring boiling water on the brick patio in increments to try to kill the crazy dandelions. The earth worms don't like that. I feel for them. They are my friends.