Just Outside My Door

By ELAINE G. COLE

Spring has surely arrived in our area. It has transformed the picture I see just outside my door on this cool rainy Monday morning. It has also altered the look in every village and town all over the countryside in Chautauqua County and beyond. Mountain Ash and Apple trees burst into bloom almost over night. I love the fragrance of the latter and I smell it whenever I go outside. Beautiful flowering crab apple trees decorate many yards and lilac buds are ready to burst into bloom. The Bradford pear trees, spice bushes and other flowering trees and shrubs are in their prime, too. Even the fields and yards that are filled with blooming dandelions are gorgeous for they are like sunshine whatever the weather.

Although raindrops are falling today and I won’t be outside much, I enjoyed spending a couple of the warm partially sunny days last week working on my perennial bed. It took some time to get rid of last year’s flower stocks and the weeds that had sprung up. I had to dig deep to remove the burdocks and dandelions. Although I enjoy seeing them in the fields, I don’t want them in my flowerbeds. It’s impossible to keep the latter out for the meadow across the road is filled with them and many of its wind driven seeds land in our yard. I don’t know how the burdocks arrived but I suppose it was by burs attached to animals.

I still have other beds to clean out and annual flowers to plant. The biggest task will be the new bed in the back yard. Although I loved the bird pond surrounded by flowers out there, I’m not as young as I once was and cleaning it weekly was quite a task. After nearing falling into it head first, I decided it should be removed. Bill took it out last fall and filled the hole with dirt. This spring he has added more soil making it a raised bed. I’m going to purchase a birdbath with fountain to put in the center and surround it with annuals. Since I have to spend several days at my desk this week, I’m not sure if I’ll get outdoors much but hopefully I will if it warms up. Meanwhile, I have another “gardening” task inside.

I sent for foxglove, cosmos, convolvulus and zinnia seeds in February. I planned to plant them inside in April but I never did until May first. The directions said to plant them four to six weeks before transplanting them outside after frost danger was over. Nevertheless, they sprouted in two days and will soon be ready to transplant into bigger pots. I hope I can keep them alive until its time to put them outside. I especially want the zinnias for my new garden because usually I can’t find them in greenhouses or garden places.

Having the new bed about ready, I have found it difficult not to begin purchasing flowers especially went I’ve been in Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes or my neighbor’s greenhouse. I’m always tempted to start buying them. I know that it’s best to wait until the proper planting time but the temptation is strong. I already yielded to it and purchase yellow Johnny jump-ups, some primroses and two beautiful rose colored lilies.

All except the primroses which I planted in the perennial bed, are still sitting in our garage. I know I must be patient at least until Memorial Day when maybe the frosts will be gone until autumn.