Rewind
I thought I knew what a typical March day felt like. As a kid, March brought torrential snow banks and long evenings spent outdoors in playful commotion. This winter feels far different from those childhood memories. We’ve only managed to accumulate seven inches of snow; spring begins in less than a week.
I decided to forgo the polytunnel this year because of warm temperatures and the lack of precipitation. Covering the main garden bed with sheets of plastic would prevent precious snow or rain from quenching the dry soil bed — which could become a certain disaster for crops grown here later this spring. I’m disappointed, of course. Even well-made wishes evaporate during climate change.
I’ve collected favorite flower photos for Rewind, including recent images of my indoor garden. May these images give you momentum to move into the season of cherry blossoms, daffodils, sunsets after 8 p.m. — and maybe — a late night thunderstorm.
If you like the photos featured in this Roots & Vines newsletter, then check out my online store. You can purchase both digital and print copies of selected flower photographs from my collection.
Last year’s rosemary grew prolifically in the garden, so in early November I took cuttings to overwinter for this year’s garden. They may look a little rough, bent stocks and mute green leaves, but they still smell wonderful when I slide my fingers up from the base of each cutting before cupping my palm near my face.
Snapdragons are easy to start indoors; sprinkle the tiny seeds on top of damp soil, then place the container beneath grow lights. They prefer cooler temperatures, so they will be amongst the first flowers I harden off outdoors in late April. I usually cut the tops off of leggy plant stems to produce a fuller plant full of blossoms. And instead of composting the clippings, I simply place them in a small glass jar of water to root, which yields double the amount of total snapdragons.
Despite a heavy layer of leaf mulch resting on top of this south-facing garden bed, crocus blossoms emerged during an early stretch of very warm weather this month. I’ve kept the leaf mulch on garden beds for insects because many of them rely on yard refuse for winter protection. It won’t be long before I remove paper thin leaves to make way for summer flowers, like bleeding heart and astilbe.
After a five month pause, I practice designing flowers with store-bought arrangement.
When I run out of recycled plastic flower pots, I make my own containers for seed starts using newspaper. Each container is quick to make, and when I’m ready to transplant the seedling into the garden, I put the whole thing, newspaper pot included, into the ground.
Last year I started delphinium seeds indoors and by the time summer ended, I had five healthy delphinium plants growing beneath a modest bamboo trellis in the kitchen garden. There’s nothing quite like the electric blue of delphinium petals.
Pink: the perpetual color of spring.
Foliage and products featured in today’s essay: Snapdragon seeds from Johnny Seeds. Grocery store bouquets from Trader Jo’s. Crocus bulbs from Breck’s Bulbs.
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See you soon.
-Betsy