Gardener at Work

      The count-down has begun.  Seventeen days from now Nyel goes under the knife once again and will then spend five weeks with his right arm in a sling.  For a totally non-ambidextrous, right-handed individual, the prospect is daunting.  Especially when it comes at the very time of year that outside projects are calling – starting the vegetable garden, building an improved brooder area for the chickens, some serious fence repair…
     Seventeen days seems like a fair amount of time. It helps that the first week is spring break so our stalwart substitute lady won’t be calling.  On the other hand, there are pre-op appointments, trips to Portland and Seattle, and various other claims upon the days.  So, in order to accomplish all the things on the To-Do list, every day counts, rain or shine.
     Yesterday it was fencing the yet-to-be-planted vegetable garden.  It’s the same netting fence we used around our apple trees for the deer before we discovered Liquid Fence.  It works effectively against the chickens, too, but it’s not so great when it comes to cats.  Last year one of the neighborhood cats was chasing something (or perhaps being chased) and ran, pell mell, right through it and then couldn’t find his way out.  Talk about caterwauling!
     Today it’s raining – a good time to spiff up the hanging baskets and see which of the fuchsias wintered over successfully and which might need replacing.  Ditto the tubs of geraniums.  Last year our local nurseryman told us his new fuchsias and geraniums wouldn’t be ready until Mother’s Day.  If that’s true this year, Nyel should be ready about the same time!  Some things just work out perfectly…
     Meanwhile, there’s the vegetable garden — probably lettuces, arugula, cucumbers, bush beans, peas, and maybe one zucchini plant.  I’m also lobbying for a pumpkin plant but Farmer Nyel says they take up too much room.  We might try some cherry tomatoes, too, though we’ll need more sun than we had last year.
     Well…no use planning those summer salads yet.  It’s one step at a time and yesterday’s fence installation was the only the first of many.