Saturday May 21 2016  PLANTING DAY

Finally, the night temperature should now be above the 30’s and 40’s at night.  Anyway, that is what the global weather forecast says on my IPhone.  Do I trust it?  I guess I do because Dave and I planted window boxes, perennials, tomatoes, and herbs.  I planted my favorite outdoor perennial, red geraniums.  Every year I plant them in pots for the front yard and three pots for the outdoor sun-room landing.  In the past I planted seven for the landing so I could have them lining the side of the steps as well.  But, not anymore.  Downsizing you know!  Two big pots in the front of the house and three smaller pots for the side of the house, and that is it.  I do have the remnants of three geraniums still in the house (a variety of pinks) that Dave planted in pots last year while I was gone. 

For years I brought all my geraniums into the house during fall, winter, and early spring.  I usually had at least nine potted geraniums.  Some of them sat on the floor and others on stands and tables during the winter months.  The plants would grow us out of the room.  I had plants on the floor that literally grew as high as my chest and their circumference was huge.  The ones on stands also grew humongous.  I think the ones on the floor grew so tall in order to reach the height of the windows.  They bloomed all winter and amazed anyone who came over to visit.  I had to regularly snap off the shedding old blossoms.  One day while breaking off the old blooms I counted them.  On that one occasion I snipped off over 200 spent blooms.  The opened blooms grew larger than my fist and I have large hands.  I did not fertilized them in the winter. 

Along about the first part of April each year I would reluctantly (but relieved too) cut all the branches back close to the pot.  New growth would soon begin to bud and by mid-May they were ready for their place of residence in the yard.  Once again, with frequent fertilizing, they would grow large and begin blooming.  I brought the same plants into the house (some having grown to larger pots) for nine years.  I felt like I was abandoning longtime friends when I had to give them away and discard the ones I could not find homes for.  Somewhere in one of my computers I have photos of those amazingly cheerful winter days in my sun-room. 

So red it is again.  My pots are planted with new plants.  I brought the three pink geraniums in last season and they were doing wonderfully all winter in the sun-room except for the fact that there were only a few small blooms.  And, now sitting in my sun-room are three scraggly plants.  I left them with a friend for a month while Dave I went south for a few weeks.  I asked her to water them very infrequently but she assured me she watered her plants every few days at her house and they all did well.  However, geraniums need to dry out between watering or the leaves will turn yellow and fall off.  I cautioned her about it but I don’t think she followed my instructions.  When we returned home the branches were about 90 to 95 per cent bare of leaves.  The soil was saturated.  She felt so bad about it but it was really no big deal to me.  I simply cut them back severely and they have pretty much recuperated nicely.  I will start acclimating them to outside exposure tomorrow.  I may even plant them in the ground in my perennial garden in the back yard.  It will be a nice experiment to see how they do.

Spring has truly arrived.  Unfortunately we had one last frost last week and crops were affected at the farm where we buy our summer vegetables.  Our first delivery was Thursday for early greens.  The asparagus crop was lost in part and all the corn plantings were frozen.  So we will not receive corn on the cob this season.  There are but 90 anticipated growing days in Wisconsin.  There is no time left to start another crop before the anticipated fall freeze. 

Spring and summers are quite brief here in the north-lands.  Perhaps you can understand why walking in the woods and enjoying the wild flowers, and going to the arboretum to experience the lilacs, and belonging to the local Botanical Gardens is so important.   At the first sign of good weather outdoor activities explode.  Quickly the highways and roads and bike paths are teeming with bike riders.  Today on the way to the gym I must have seen over a hundred bicycle riders on the country roads.  They were in groups with matching team clothes on so an event must have been taking place.  Today was our first real jacket-less day.  So spring is finally here!  I know it is already summer for many of those who read this blog.  But don’t feel sorry for me.  I actually enjoy each short season as well as our long winters which can last six months.  Enjoy every day wherever you are.  And remember for those of you who swelter in the southern climates for months on end we sometimes only need our air conditioner for total of two or three weeks out of each summer.

THE DAYS OF SUMMER AND RAIN

By Kathleen Martens

May 21, 2016

Long awaited  days of summer and rain

Have finally tiptoed in again.

All the ice that winter sends

Blue skies and warmth soon will mend.

Spring has sprung it all her glory

As colorful blooms convey her story.

Dirty fingernails and grimy hands,

A badge upon which the gardener stands.

To once again smell the rose

And view the firefly in twilight pose,

The heart will sing the feet will dance

During the weeks we have the chance.

Backyard barbeques fired in haste

Not one day will go to waste.

Sights to see and sounds to hear

Before winter once again comes near.

What a joy to gaze at green

In backyard splendor and summer’s sheen,

And smell the fragrance of the earth

That springtime once again has birthed.

Early mornings and later nights

Are God’s gift of extended light.

And the time will pass too soon

When we once again view winter’s moon.

God, thank You for your boundless treasure of flowers.

Thank You Lord for being so immensely creative.

Thank You for red geraniums.

Thank You for cow manure.

And thank You Lord for the feel of Your earth in my hands.

Thank You for springtime.

And special thanks tonight for all the birds I heard today. 

Thanks for staples too.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU