Spring is upon us. Spring brings hope. Time starts to fly and it’s Canada Day. Spring brings panic: “How
will we get it all done?”.
Suburban gardening was an annual ritual, a chore really, of putting in some pansies, marigolds, and
petunias, strategically placed to cover as much ground as possible. The few perennials like irises,
hollyhocks, and peonies are remembered best. One’s grandmother’s garden, by contrast, was all
perennials: phlox, money plant, lilies, hollyhocks, Chinese lanterns, and irises. Perennials are family.
Perennials are something to count on. Their timing, colour, seed pods, and interaction all showcase
one’s artful expression. Choose your colours and create!
The sparrows are singing, the peepers will soon be peeping, and the buds and blooms are just a day
away. April’s a teaser and like any teasing it has to be laughed off. There’s too much to look forward to.
While we wait for the fields to dry out, firewood is being collected for next winter, just before the
blackfly barrage, which will commence at any minute. Lavender plants are being potted for May
delivery, the garlic is up, one of the tractors has a flat, and there’s a hole in the greenhouse roof. Add to
this the multifarious and woeful calamities that await us, and year number seventeen is in motion. Love
thy onslaught.
