Common Ground – April 2021

“April’s wonder is worth it all.”

Sir Henry Newbolt

At the end of March and beginning of April it’s enjoyable to sit in a lawn chair and watch the glacier on the north side of the house slowly melt. It takes ages and many of the spring bulbs have appeared by the time the ice is all gone.

The first snowdrops appeared in the wild garden in mid-March. As they do every year.

They bloom reliably every spring and nothing seems to eat them. They have been increasing here for decades.

About a week after the first snowdrops, the crocuses and species tulips started to appear. I was relieved to see that so many of them had survived. Unfortunately crocuses and tulips are on the squirrel and chipmunk menu. Last fall I saw many little holes in the lawn where the naturalized crocuses used to be. I wasn’t sure what to expect once the snow melted.

Photo Karen Graham.
These tough little flowers are as eager to see spring come along as we are.

There is a pine plantation to the north and one to the west so there are unlimited numbers of squirrels and chipmunks. It’s almost certainly the triumph of hope over common sense to try to grow tulips and crocuses here. I guess I have firmly put aside common sense.

Fearing the worst last fall, I planted a lot more crocuses in the lawn. This is the easy way to get some spring colour. Crocuses grow and multiply quite happily in the lawn. No weeding needed. I can only hope that the squirrels and chipmunks aren’t too hungry this fall. Just in case, I will plant more and try to stay one step ahead of them.

Like snowdrops, daffodils aren’t bothered by any predators. I planted a lot of those last fall as well. Given the state of the world, I was pretty sure I would need something to cheer me up once spring came.

In winter I quite often buy English gardening magazines to see hillsides of daffodils and get a preview of spring. But there is nothing like the real thing when it finally happens here. Like the brilliant yellow of forsythia, daffodils are a miracle every year. And they are the most cheerful cut flowers bar none.

We are entering the second season of pandemic gardening and the novelty hasn’t worn off. I saw seed racks being restocked in one store I visited recently. And I was amused to see several displays of garden sized windmills. These looked like children’s toys blown up to about five feet tall.

If we are going to be in our gardens for another summer and not out travelling the world why not have some fun with it? The windmills are a good reminder to not take ourselves too seriously.

Most of my seed orders have finally arrived. I look at some of them and have to wonder what I was thinking back in January. I must have decided that I would plant more kale for the deer to eat this winter. I find myself with seeds of Russian Red kale. This is one of the most attractive vegetables you can plant. But like most kale, it looks better than it tastes.

Any variety of spinach is a better bet for greens that actually taste good. Spinach, of course, bolts and is done by the time summer comes. It’s only really viable in spring and fall. So kale gets points for durability and being decorative but not much else.

I usually manage to plant cold weather vegetables like snow peas and greens by the beginning of April. Every year I’m thankful for the sandy well drained soil here on the edge of the moraine. Once I can’t see a footprint in the soil it’s ready to be planted.

I’m trying to imagine my reconfigured herb garden that won’t have many herbs in it. Some old herbs like tansy will stay because I’m too lazy to move them. I’m more interested in flowers these days and am trying some new ones I’ve never grown before like dahlias. I will also plant lots of easy to grow annuals like nasturtiums. And maybe California poppies, rocket snapdragons, calendula…There are so many to choose from.

After the depressing pandemic winter we have just had it feels like a privilege to be able to work outside again. Happy spring gardening at long last.

By Jill Williams

 

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