Hints of spring

I have learned, over the years, not to give up too soon. This puts me in mind of the recent gospel lesson about giving the fig tree another year. Bare root roses have taught me to wait and wait and wait some more and lo! More often than not I will be rewarded with blooms.

By February each year I look out on a yard that is mostly bare vines, twigs with few leaves, and brown soil. Then buds swell, new leaves start to show on rose canes, and March offers promise.

This evening I took advantage of daylight saving time. I ran a couple of errands on the way home and still had time to water the yard. I had noticed flecks of green on the Santa Rosa plum on the weekend. Well, those green flecks enclose the white blossoms that are about to burst forth, not only on that tree but on the Methley plum as well. And pink blossoms are just about to explode on all three peach trees.

Two brave daffodils, volunteers from a prior year, have come up to cheer me and I have been watching three tulips, also from an earlier year. Tonight, however, I noticed, at last, that a bed of tulips and a bed of daffodils, from this season's planting, are sticking their noses up out of the soil also.

Yes, spring comes to my yard as the vernal equinox approaches in the heavens. Woohoo!

Of course, New Mexico weather being what it is, I now dread both the fierce spring winds and any freezes that are yet to come as that can keep fruit from setting. As was the case last year when I had no fruit whatsoever. Eh bien, on ne peut rien faire. Il faut cultiver nôtre jardin.

--the BB