Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Gardening With Willis


There was a day last week when the sun shone.  
Daylight came softly, the air was cool, the sky pearl colored. 
A pair of mourning doves sailed onto the bleached grass beyond the side porch, leaned close together as though in intimate conversation;  cardinals flashed through the scrubby trees beyond the gravel drive;  the sudden drumming of a woodpecker reverberated from farther up the ridge.


 By mid-morning the sun rode a clear blue dome of sky.
 I opened windows in the bedroom and kitchen, allowed the wood fire to dwindle to mere embers.
I made excuses to be outside, exploring, hoping for assurances of spring.
My heirloom clematis--a cutting from the one planted by Haskel Rogers in Gradyville--was lured by the warmth of late February to put out leaves and buds prematurely.
After each cold night I go out to inspect the damage.  Some frost blight is evident but the buds persist.



At the edge of the woods behind the stable, spring beauties [claytonia] thrust their delicate blooms above the clutter of dried leaves.


I want to believe I've found a small clump of hepatica--one of the first woodland flowers to blossom in my native Vermont.


Back in what passes for a garden,  I discovered that monarda/bee balm planted last spring has not only survived but established a promising clump of small plants.
Encouraged by this I fetched a slender pointy trowel, folded an old scatter rug for a kneeler, and attacked the weeds threatening to throttle the perennial strip.


Willis, like Alice's Cheshire Cat, has a way of soundlessly appearing whenever I settle to gardening.
I had been on my knees only a moment or two when I felt a nudge at my elbow and heard his familiar polite " Purr-rup" of greeting.
The brick walk had taken on the warmth of the sun, and Willis made himself comfortable, flopping down a yard or so beyond me.
He began a leisurely grooming session, pausing for a quick glance around at each bird call, stiffening to attention when Sally-the Troll-Cat dared to march along the retaining wall.
I stretched out a hand to massage behind his ears, prompting a rumbling purr.


I hitched my way along the walk, attempting to ignore the carpet of weeds behind me, prying out the clumps I could reach in front of me, sadly noting the sodden brown stems where salvia should be emerging,  but encouraged to see that phlox and dianthus had come through the winter.

I weeded until I was along-side Willis and mildly tendered a suggestion that he move to another section of the walk so I could continue working.
In response Willis rolled onto his back, then appeared to subside at the edge of the walk.
I edged tentatively into the space beside him only to be smacked by a swift right hook.
I sputtered indignantly; Willis glared through a slitted eye, then calmly resettled himself,
 blocking my way.


Grumbling, I clambered up, knees creaking, and continued my weeding on the other side of the domineering feline.
Willis, unperturbed and in control of the situation, gazed limpidly into the pasture beyond the wall.
I continued digging, prying out the tough shoestring roots of mugwort, lifting mats of chickweed, ground ivy, deadnettle-- already covered in purple flower heads.
I yanked up weeds whose names I have forgotten, all categorized as 'difficult to completely eradicate.'
My fingers were caked in damp soil, my back was protesting, and I pondered, not for the first time, that this attempt to create a garden is perhaps a losing battle.

I grubbed on, reaching the corner where the board fence joins the retaining wall.
The sun was moving behind the ridge to the west of the house, a light breeze cooled the air.
I lumbered to my feet, glanced around for Willis.
He was still reclining on his patch of the brick walk, but noting that I was on the move, he came to his feet stretching luxuriously, mouth opening in a pink yawn.


Displaying the contrariness typical of the feline tribe,  Willis abandoned the  brick walk.
As I put my tools away he strolled to the fence corner, maneuvered behind the prickly branches of a rugosa and reestablished himself against the sun-warmed weathered planks of the garden fence. 
 I climbed the steps, passed my tiny winter-ravaged herb patch, noting lavender and lemon thyme in bad need of pruning.
The urge to garden, to coax beauty from an unpromising strip of ground is strong, perhaps still strong enough inspiration to tackle invasive weeds, to counter rickety knees, to persist in nurturing plants toward the miracle of bloom.
Whatever I decide to attempt in this season's garden, I can be assured I will have a companion: the exasperating but ever-faithful Willis.








14 comments:

  1. Isn't it amazing how these furry loved ones can dominate us so much.lol
    Briony
    x

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    1. Briony Only another cat lover can understand how we indulge these creatures. They are totally spoiled!

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  2. I'm wanting so badly to get out in the garden. The flowers are beginning to bloom, but the weeds are terrible. This round of chemo is going well and I'm hoping to get outdoors this weekend.
    I've stopped our cat from coming out because even though we treat her for fleas she gets them outdoors and they're bad.

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    1. Janet; It is encouraging to hear that the current round of chemo is a bit easier on you. Hopefully you'll be well and able to enjoy spring before it gets too hot to be in the garden.
      I do wonder why weeds are so much hardier and more persistent than the flowering plants I try to coddle.
      I treat our indoor/outdoor cats for fleas March through early November--which reminds me, weather not with-standing--its about time for the first dose of the season.

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  3. Well having no cats I am surrounded by three chickens who I stumble over and a dog who eats chicken yuk if their run is open. But aging is a problem, can't kneel anymore because of my ankle so have a funny seat affair. Do you not find when identifying 'weeds' that you get sorry for them and occasionally leave them in, I would love to find ground ivy in the garden, if it is the same as yours I'm not sure.

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    1. Thelma; Aging has all sorts of liabilities we didn't consider even a decade ago. I suspect its a continual adjustment to find safer ways of doing things. I'm sure I will meet my demise falling down the stairs, accompanied by a tribe of cats.
      No--I don't think I feel badly about removing weeds! I have found that here in Kentucky plants are nuisance invaders due to the climate, while in New England they were merely considered vigorous growers 'once established.'

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  4. "There was a day last week..." And, your telling of it was just magnificent. I could see, hear, and feel right along with you. Now, as for weed control, I am keen on tucking torn bits of cardboard wherever I can, then covering over with whatever I have on hand.

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    1. Chip; I think you recognized that a sunny day has been a rarity here this spring!
      I've thought of putting down cardboard or opened out bags that have held cat kibble or litter. The thing deterring me is my horror of snakes--I fear they might take refuge under a layer of something. We haven't seen a copperhead--although neighbors along the road have dealt with a few.
      I need to find a better way of gardening if I'm to continue.

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  5. A glimmer of hope! I'm looking forward to my first day out, prying out weeds, picking up sticks and birch branches that are now laying around, frozen into the snow layer. That Willis sure is an example for us, appreciating any little bit of warmth and comfort!

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    1. Phil; In northern climes early spring is a messy season--odd bits of rubbish that slowly emerge from dirty snow. The backyard of our first Kentucky home had many trees known here as 'water maples.' After any rain or wind branches came down, so one of my yard work tasks was gathering them up to use as kindling in the fireplace.
      Willis does indeed make himself comfortable!

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  6. I must say that I am indeed just a wee bit covetous of your spring weather. Seeing your Spring Beauty and Hepatica is a bit like having dessert first! The snow cover here is shrinking albeit slowly and when I was out filling the bird feeders I thought to look to see if the Snowdrops had perhaps made an effort. They hadn't!
    Reading about your weeding efforts makes me think of my Korean weeder. A relatively inexpensive tool that I simply couldn't live without. Grubbing out invasives with that weeder is far more efficient than a trowel or claw. I think that I ordered mine on Amazon. Meanwhile the wait for spring slogs ahead.

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    1. Mundi; While we aren't buried in snow, our springtime is all about cold rain and nights below the freezing mark. In New England there is still mud season to endure!
      I shall investigate the Korean weeder--it might save my knees.

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  7. Beautiful Flowers. Happy Easter.

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    1. Sandra; I'm waiting for more spring flowers--slow this year, but at last I have tulips!

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