Just as I prepared to abandon all hope, the tiniest carrot seedlings emerged. It has been more than three weeks since I planted. Both the lettuce and radishes came up in a little more than a week. Why I can’t remember one simple truth in gardening is beyond me. It takes what it takes. Peas planted a month apart will pretty much give you your first pea on about the same day. So, never fret when a friend brags that his or her seeds have been in the ground ahead of yours.
There are two window boxes in Vineyard Haven worth mentioning. CB Stark’s are full to overflowing with some seriously bright colors and a pleasing addition of a few sprigs of pussy willows. Nice going, Cheryl and Margie.
Then, just past Union Street, the green room has some lovely hellebores tucked into the boxes.
I should also mention the boxes at Two Susans. They always look great as you turn down Union.
Magnolias are bursting out of their buds all over town. I love the one at the bottom of the Edgartown Road.
Oddly, my quince is taking its time this year. Last year, it was in full bloom by mid-March. I don’t mind, though. I forced a couple of branches inside this week!
The pick-up for those of you who ordered rain barrels has been changed. Instead of SBS on Earth Day (that’s tomorrow, April 20), you can meet right up the street at the A Gallery parking lot. This is right across from the insurance company and Eden. It is the future location of Elio’s store. There will be some extra barrels for sale for those of you (like me) who neglected to order ahead. I believe the time is from 10 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m.
I was living in Washington, D.C. in April of 1970 when, on the 22nd, I attended the city’s first Earth Day celebration. How is it possible that 43 years have passed since?
I was no stranger to large gatherings on the National Mall. It was the Viet Nam War era after all. Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson came up with the idea originally, and the fire in the Cuyahoga River in Ohio cemented the need for something to be done about how we treat Mother Earth. Jokes ran rampant about smog in Los Angeles; trash was tossed with abandon at unregulated “town dumps”; movies showed stars throwing debris out of car windows; no one had heard of recycling, never mind did it; and it was a fact of life that industrial towns smelled bad.
The anti-war movement was ready to take on a new fight. The first April 22 Earth Day was held in major cities across the country with millions of participants.
To his everlasting credit, Richard Nixon responded with a push for the Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency was formed. One little odd piece of trivia — Richard Nixon died on April 22 sometime in the early 1990s. How I remember this stuff is remarkable to me. Did I eat breakfast?
I finally planted the tomato seeds. I never do it in a timely fashion. Everyone else’s are a foot tall, for Pete’s sake. Again, let me reassure you. I’ll get a crop about the same time. Nature is so forgiving to a point.
My chickens escaped their pen and polished off the rest of the crocuses and walked around on top of a bed of about-to-bloom tulips. Sigh!
The Virginia bluebells have big juicy buds, hostas and astilbe are up several inches, and all seems right in the gardens.
I managed to kill all the agapanthus I tried to winter over under plastic. The figs in the same location, however, made it and will be going into the ground soon. I am planting them once and for all. I think in a southern exposure with some protection next winter, they should be able to fend for themselves.
I was planning some cynical comments concerning the “autopsy” of the G.O.P. electoral results to either amuse or aggravate you this week.
However, I just heard of the events at the Boston Marathon. It’s only Monday night as I write this. Nothing is known at this point. What struck me was how many people rushed toward the explosion to tear down the barricades. They were clearly putting themselves in possible danger to be of assistance to others.
These horrible acts of violence seem to bring out the best in ordinary, sane people. It makes me believe that there is hope for us after all.
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