Farm & Garden
I managed to kill quite a few broccoli transplants. It was super hot in the greenhouse two weeks back when we had that lovely, unseasonably warm spell. I hauled out all the perennials, cole crops, and snapdragons. Then we had two extremely cold and windy days. Oddly enough, the snapdragons were the only ones showing no effect. The foxgloves look completely burned, while it will take a miracle to revive the broccoli. Oh well! Live and rarely learn.
I am like a little pit bull. It is difficult, if not impossible, for me to let go of something once I sink my teeth into it. This certainly is true in my relationship with my gardens. I will continue planting the same things in the same way long past usefulness or reason.
I can’t say I’m proud or ashamed to admit this, but I do not understand the computer. Now, I can Google in a pinch and wait impatiently behind someone showing me some supposed quick function while they make excuses for its slowness or an unsolicited advertisement popping up instead. In any event, last week’s column had a paragraph about my Dad mixing paint and using motor oil to condition the wood shingles on our house. The computer added “he” right before “used” which completely changed the idea I meant to say. I mentioned to Marie that my editor must have changed my sentence. She came to his defense and said the computer often “thinks” you meant to say something differently. Silly me, I only knew about spell check. The event made me think about quotes in the paper and how a single word, or letter even, can alter a person’s intention.
Legend has it raccoons were brought to the Island as a front for hunters to, as they say, “jack” deer at night. As the story goes, if a warden caught someone hunting at night, the hunter would claim he was after raccoons rather than trying to stock up on some after-hours venison.
In the long run this ploy did not work out so well for the rest of us. Raccoons tear apart our garbage at night and, more devastatingly, they go after our chickens with reckless abandon.
The little we had of winter seems to be over. Marie has a reseeded pansy blooming in her yard. There are a few daffodils flowering in protected locations. All of my crocuses are in full color — both the early ones and the jumbos. The spring birds are singing. I wish I knew them better. In my perfect life I would know everything.
I finally sat down and perused a few seed catalogues. I went ahead and ordered peas from Pinetree Gardens out of New Gloucester, Maine. It is my favorite for several reasons. It has simple, non-glossy paper. They don’t give too many seeds. The prices are reasonable and the package arrives within two days. I like to grow all three types of peas — English, snow and sugar snap. This year I stayed with one variety of each type. I have a sturdy fence so all the varieties are five feet tall. At my age I like less bending over. For years I grew the dwarf varieties because I knew I wouldn’t get fencing together. For several years I cut random brush and used it as supports. Beech twigs are particularly attractive and hold up well.