Wednesday, January 23, 2013

It’s all downhill from here

My fellow Alaskans, nay my fellow gardeners almost everywhere, we’ve survived the gloomy portion of the year. For the next 5 months, it is increasing daylight. Hurrah! I don’t count falling onto my bum on the icy driveway, ripping a mud flap off of my car on a poorly positioned landscaping rock, or not being able to cross country ski for a month for lack of snow as gloomy. (Painful and occasionally expensive, yes.)

Alaska Bothanical Garden July 2012

From this point on there shall be smiles, vitamin D absorption, and the occasional peek at sandals hidden in a deep, dark corner of the closet. Last year the sandals came out for two days. Maybe this year, if I’m a really good little gardener, it will be three. 

The reality of more than 4 hours of sunshine has gotten me a little giddy. I made, in a rash moment, goals for my garden. Or the plain old yard that will become a garden after approximately ten years, a large chunk of my time, quite a bit of hollering at the fates, a few pints of my blood, and a fat wad of cash.

The goals don’t involve the pitchfork, as a direct result of the Great Leg Skewering of 2012 that will go down in family lore. A current tetanus shot saved the day, but not the dignity/mobility of the involved party. (As an aside and on the advice of my lawyer, never, never lend out your pitchfork.)

And they don’t involve the wheelbarrow (praise be, glory hallelujah!) because Santa brought me a sturdy garden cart. I most definitely favor two wheels over one, having had professional experience in bruise creation and OSHA hazard development with each. Sometime I’ll have to share the tale of the elephant that used to chase me on a daily basis whilst I was wheeling garden carts around at a previous gig. If escaping large mammals is a priority, stick with the cart, people.

Getting to the point has never been a feature of this blog, so thanks for hanging in there to find out the actual, real goals. 1. I will plant a tree. 2. I will plant no less than two dozen perennials of no more than three types. Humble, but realistic. A low expectation ensures happiness, I find.

Also, I must add 3. I will not holler at the fates more than reason when the fragile plantings are lightly trampled by errant moose, bicycle tires, or stray husbands trying to install new second-story windows atop a plant crushing aluminum ladder. Now I just need to find out how to artfully drape moose-repelling razor wire in a tree canopy…any tips?

 

Goals in the garden? Enjoying the sunshine?

16 comments:

  1. Congrats on the lengthening daylight hours in your area. I'm sure it is greatly appreciated.

    Happy living ~ FlowerLady

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    Replies
    1. It's an almost imperceptible change now, but the end of February and March will be dramatic. Can't wait for spring!

      CB

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  2. Our short days are bad enough but only four hours of daylight is enough to drive anyone crazy!

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    Replies
    1. I might have been exaggerating. We could have five. And we're already pretty crazy to begin with.

      CB

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  3. You've got worthy goals, indeed, Christine. I want to see a photo of razor wire moose repellent, okay?

    I'll venture a prediction that maybe, perhaps, you'll have a WHOLE WEEK of flip-flop weather, eternal optimist that I am. This is, after all, the season for dreaming. Cheers and keep warm.

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    Replies
    1. Don't torture me, Grace! Though you may be right in your prediction. I saw a teenager in flipflops yesterday...it snowed again today. So denial works, I suppose, for the youthful. If we have another cold summer, I'll just wear sandals into fall.

      CB

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  4. Good luck! It sounds like your goals are reachable. Especially since you didn't add expectation for the perennials to make it over the winter. That is the part of the goal that kills me every time.

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    Replies
    1. I don't have any perennials in the ground yet, so none to kill off. Boy, that is a depressing admission.

      CB

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  5. Excellent goals! Any ideas yet what the tree and perennials will be?

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    Replies
    1. Some ornamental grasses, for sure. I am a sucker for that group of plants. The tree needs to be interesting at least three seasons of the year, so that limits things a bit. Any ideas?

      CB

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  6. I am always so grateful when I read your blog. I have 14 hours of sunshine now and never less than 9, I have none of the gardening challenges that regularly face. How do you manage to stay positive?

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    1. I sound positive? I definitely have my grumpy, Alaska-hating days. I guess it boils down to having lived here almost forty years, I've gotten used to the dark and cold in winter. Not that I wouldn't enjoy a respite in December in the form of a warm vacation!

      CB

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  7. The attitude of my co-workers is almost GIDDY with the increase of daylight!! YIPPPPPY!!!!

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    Replies
    1. I've been grinning and laughing for no reason. A sign of spring to come! Or illness of some sort.

      CB

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  8. Did I hear you say - LACK of snow? Good grief, I knew this winter was weird but lacking snow in Alaska seems downright nutty.

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  9. Christine, I trust you're enjoying more and more light every day. I chuckled about the sandals; I'm a sandals person too. I wear them with thicker and thicker socks until it finally snows, and then I continue to wear them in the house through the winter. I'm looking forward to being able to take my sandals back out to air in a couple of months. -Jean

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