Re: [gardeners] Glorious Spring
George Shirley (gardeners@GlobalGarden.com)
Thu, 12 Mar 1998 09:11:21
Very lyrical posting for a chemist of the first order Liz. Glad you're
having some good days now. It is chilly but lots of sun here in SW
Louisiana. With any luck we will finish plowing the south forty this
afternoon and be ready to plant the main garden and the new herb garden
very soon. I like for the soil to get to about 55-60F before planting seed.
Our entire neighborhood is glorious with blooms. The daffs and crocus are
about done but the redbud, dogwood, and Mayhaw trees are full of blooms as
are the Japanese magnolia, the ornamental plums and pears and the azaleas,
bridalwreath, and forsythia plants. This is my favorite time of the year in
the hot, humid, south. If the weather got any prettier I would probably OD
on the stuff.
George
At 05:49 PM 3/11/98 +0000, you wrote:
>Today we had incredible weather -- the sort of day that one dreams
>about in the gray of winter. The temperature soared into the
>mid-sixties pressing people and plants to shake off the winter
>doldrums. Everyone on our block that worked raced home at the end of
>the day to putter around in the garden or tidy up the lawn. Those of
>us who sit home eating bonbons while watching soaps all day spent the
>day roaming up and down the street in an unofficial spring garden
>party. A few weeds were pulled and the last bit of "gee, I was going
>to do that in October" work was finished.
>
>Two falls ago I planted a circle of crocus about 3 feet in diameter
>in the lawn in front of the house where we had a tree stump ground
>out. Last year it looked "okay". This year it's literally stopping
>traffic! The grass has filled in the circle and is a nice shade of
>green and the crocus have multiplied. I think that this fall I'll
>take up a few strips of grass and toss out more crocuses. These are
>all giant crocuses planted in pie slices of color -- white, purple,
>yellow and the pickwick purple and white stripes.
>
>Over in the side bed are the blue pearl crocuses and they have put on
>quite a show again this year. They've doubled in the year they've
>been in the ground -- I really should dig them and divide them this
>fall. They are still my favorites but require a bit of quiet
>contemplation in order to be appreciated -- something that isn't true
>of there larger relatives. There is a subtle, sophisticated beauty
>about these tiny flowers. They have a unique, ethereal glow --
>almost as if someone made champagne glasses of translucent mother of
>pearl and set them on a light table. The thin, brilliant yellow
>cross inside is the perfect contrasting note. I sat on the ground
>near them and really looked at their beauty today. They're time is
>almost over now and I will miss them when they are gone.
>
>There's a double flowering plum blooming somewhere behind my house.
>At unexpected moments the scent would be carried to my nose. Plum
>blossoms are among my most favorite scents -- this counted as a real
>treat.
>
>I hope you guys are having or will soon have one of these perfect
>days. Today was a 10.3. I'll take it.
>
>Liz
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