We are now stepping into the month of April.
April, the time when Mother Nature bestirs herself awake from her winter slumber and prods all her creations to produce their wares.
When the open fields are a riot of color as wildflowers, filling the air with their perfume, pop up wherever the land beckons.
When the bees flit from blossom to blossom, gathering nectar for their queen, and beady-eyed squirrels leap from branch to branch, chasing each other in playful abandon.
April, the very rhythm of life takes on a faster beat, and invites all to drop their cares, and join in the upsurge of life and spirit.
O Lord, please show us how to rise up to April’s invitation and help us to renew our eagerness for life and its living.
While I’m a few days late, posting about April, its sentiments are still relevant with plants starting to bloom on Whidbey Island, rabbits emerging from their dens and enjoying the dandelions in our grass, hummingbirds eagerly drinking sugar water from our feeders, and our cats taking extended sun baths, moving from room-to-room as the sun shifts.
April also brings longer days, and a burning desire to plant a garden. However, after consulting with several master gardeners, we were told to spend this year preparing plots of ground, rather than planting. It’s disappointing news, but we’ve been assured killing the grass by putting layers of mulch and other organic material on top of it, then letting it rest for months, will produce better soil (with dramatically less weeds) in the long-run then rototilling the grass and planting.
Drats!
This spring, summer, and probably fall, is dedicated to creating a “garden complex,” with a shed, greenhouse, pathways, layer mulched garden plots, and a fence around everything to keep out the deer and rabbits.
So far, we’ve got the shed. Rich built a ramp for the riding lawn mower, put up gutters to collect water into rain barrels, laid linoleum on the floor of the shed, and put up numerous shelves, hook, and other storage “thingies” for our tools, fertilizers, and other garden stuff. I felt the need to sew curtains, so no one can see what’s inside the shed.
This week, Rich will put lattice on the bottom of the shed, and I’ll start planting herbs in the front. Some of the herbs, like rosemary, sage, and oregano, won’t need to be replanted every year. Others like parsley, dill, and cilantro are annuals.
A few weeks ago, the pieces for our greenhouse arrived from Santa Barbara, CA. We’ll need to build a foundation before we can start to assemble the hundred or so pieces of redwood, plastic panels, and components for the heater, fan, mister… and mystery boxes of nuts, bolts, and other “thingies.”
Spring! Lots to do, but super rewarding!
Rajalary 