I’m wondering if there could be a more perfect day than last Tuesday. Spring is absolutely happening at the highest level. I love the now blooming ground plants i.e. ground phlox and perennial candy tuft. If you get a chance, check out Abby Burt’s front border on Skiff avenue. It’s on the left, not far from the Edgartown Road. The ground phlox is in the front of some beautiful andromeda on the rock wall. Andromeda is becoming my favorite shrub. It starts blooming in winter and holds those blooms well into the following fall. The best quality of the plant is its resistance to Bambi and his extended family.
Of late, they have been stripping to the point of death both azalea and rhododendron. I do not recall them eating those plants in the past. Then, again, recent studies have found 100 per square mile. There are no natural predators with the possible exception of cars. I’ve had them march up porch, stairs and polish off window boxes in a single night.
I still have not planted my onions from the seed trays into open ground. Also, peas are languishing in plug trays. In my garden the direct seeded ones get devoured by voles, then the newly (if any) sprouts are enjoyed by crows. And worst of all my fence is in disrepair allowing families of rabbits easy access. My philosophy is rapidly becoming”if it can go wrong it will.”
I took a serious fall on cement this week, which required a trip to the ER. There is a God as I didn’t break any bones but, yikes, I need some large bottles of Tylenol and or Advil. I spent Tuesday thinking of body parts that didn’t hurt.
I stored dahlias in peat moss and wintered them over in a 40-degree garage. I’ve had them potted up for over a month and I’m finally seeing some life. I was close to yelling “UNCLE!”
I have a young rooster who is starting to show signs of aggression. It will end badly for him. Then, my eight-year-old great-grandson, Zappa, came over, chased it down and held him until he settled down. Oh, to be young again. I can only catch them at night when they’re sleeping. The rooster has now become a civilized member of the backyard flock.
Last week was the 40th anniversary of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The area is still uninhabited. It’s becoming popular to include nuclear power, along with solar and wind, as alternative to fossil fuels. It doesn’t seem like a good plan to me. I was so freaked out by the event that I begin “canning” water. I used my pressure canner to process the quart jars. I still have them on the top shelves of the pantry. My children have long threatened to serve at my funeral.
This article appears in May 8, 2026.