 The Winter Blahs!
by Pat Stachon
The winter blahs, cabin fever, Yukon fever – call it whatever, I have mixed feelings about winter!
What gardener doesn't relish some quiet time in a comfy chair with a glass of wine, in front of a cozy fire with a stack of unread gardening magazines on a cold wintry day. January has passed; snow and more snow, freezing rain, icy winds, keep coming and coming. They do not know when to leave. Mid February, the downer month, more cold more snow ENOUGH!
I enjoy the final cut of grass, cleaning the tools and putting my garden to bed, mulching and mounding my tender plants to help ward off the icy blasts to come, but that was months ago! It is still winter white at the farm and the so called ornamental grasses (-– to provide winter interest) have completely flopped, and are covered in snow.
As I place, grunting and groaning, the ten thousandth log into the kitchen wood stove, my husband says, "It isn't even the end of February!" As the first day of spring is March 21st a very discretionary date indeed. I shall plant a few annual seeds add some spring flowers to my next shopping list. This will give me the necessary jump-start on spring to ease those winter blahs. (2008-04-10) |
