Who's a gardener?

Loose Ends Susan Nienow

I am losing my patience. The plants I brought in for the winter have announced that they are tired of being in the house. They're obviously fed up with my absentminded attention to watering and resentful of the layer of house dust on their leaves. Clearly they have the right to be irritated with me, but I did give them all of the space in the windows that get sun. That should count for something.

I expect them to make it until I can safely move them outside for the warm weather. Actually, I am not really cheering for the big ones. I don't have room for trees in the house. Or the plant that is like an octopus - with a spread of more than four feet. I just can't kill a plant. Benign neglect is the best I can do.

Yesterday my other half asked if it was time for me to dig up the asters yet. For that comment, he got my "turn to dust, honey" look. have a bad track record with asters. The leaves look like weeds so I pull them up - every spring for the last several years. And I just bought more. But these are going into pots.

I left the ivy tree topiary outside all winter, and it looks dead. My other half said something about that not being terrifically benign. I have a hard time admitting that I hope it has gone to happy "plantland." It seems callous, somehow.

This is the time of spring that I take an assessment. My grape hyacinths are missing. I am guessing it was uneducated voles that didn't read the book on critter-proof gardens. It said voles don't like those bulbs. I wonder what would happen if I fed the voles? Do they like peanut butter or apples? Grapes? Would they leave my plants alone or would they call their extended family?

It's not that I don't plan my garden, but I forget what I planted and when I do remember what, I can't tell you where I put it. This year's crop of new perennials should drive me nuts next year. There was a sale on them - half price for the little ones. So I bought and bought. This weekend I will plant and plant. I'll stick the plastic plant tags in next to each plant, but I think the voles use them to panel their family rooms. And then I rake up the rest with the fall leaves. So spring is full of surprises! I had a bad day in February and took out my frustration on the seed racks in the plant stores. I even bought okra seeds. I'll let you know when they are ripe - I don't even like them.

I have already learned something about gardening this spring. I shouldn't plant shrubs that are so small they are hidden by the grass and then ask my other half to mow around the flowerbed.