The Garden Rules
Finally this weekend we transplanted the first of the tender vegetable plants into the ground. It will still be on the cool side this week but not cold enough to hurt them. The first to go out was my six types of paste tomatoes, mostly heirloom varieties; then I put out the cayenne peppers. They always seem hardier than the bell or frying peppers. I see no reason why this should be true, as hot peppers generally originate in warmer climes.
They all went into my garden, into raised beds there. It feels good to be working outside. In midweek, I planted the last of the harder seedlings, the Brussels sprouts. I was able to plant them in the main garden because Woody created four more raised beds there and I was transplanting the sprouts there. I can’t kneel because of my titanium knees. I am delighted to get into the garden. It makes me feel as good as I do now at any moment. I wish we were having much more sunshine, but the plants also need rain and they are not short of that. We had our first lettuce I grew – not in a salad but just enough for sandwiches. I start six kinds of lettuce every spring and fall.
My poetry group met on ZOOM this week. it was clunky and disorganized but still it kick started me. I had been writing little. The next couple of days I wrote three poems and revised two others. I’m now up to the 3rd volume of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall series. Many friends are binging on Netflix or other streaming services, but I find I mostly want to read. I watch Jeopardy every weeknight and generally one more program. But I seem mostly to want to read. The library’s closed so I read what’s in the house or order books online. I seem to be very busy during the days.
I realized after my poetry group met that I can’t do the juried intensive poetry workshop on ZOOM. Morning sessions are 3 hours long and there are 13 of us. The group with eight was chaotic enough and we got through only one poem apiece instead of the two we always do. If I can’t do it on the dates in June, then we may try to do it in the fall.
I’m pleased someone has optioned HE, SHE AND IT—I always thought it would make a better film than most of my novels. There’s very little money involved unless the woman who optioned it can make a movie. Hollywood buys a hundred books for every one they make. Options are cheap; films are very expensive.But it means some income coming in. That should help if she pays promptly.
After two scorching summers, drought and total neglect except for three roses near the house, I was surprised to find that some of the climbing roses in my former rose garden survived. First I had the two ;knee replacements; then I injured my ankle, I still have a painful ankle but am stronger and can get back at whatever survived. I had thought all but four were dead. We have water from a well, so we cannot water them. I had around 40-45rosebushes at least. I am still finding out what I have now. Woody pruned New Dawn. It had broken its arbor, killed the rose next to it and had imperialist ambitions. He hacked it way back and repaired the arbor. We’re still checking out the roses and giving them some attention.
My vet shut up shop. The one the women at the local shelterI support recommended is closed for the virus. Xena has been under the weather. I’d take her to the vet if I had one. I am treating her myself as best I can and she does seem to be improving. The vet that’s open in the next town I had a very bad experience with. I hold them responsible for the death of my wonderful cat Puck. I described his symptoms in January and they insisted on a tooth cleaning. I told them other symptoms. He got worse. When I switched vets, she did an ultrasound and found he had cancer that had metastasized. I do not forgive. So I’m reluctant to take Xena there.