The weather in California has been less than stellar this winter. Yes, I know, boo-hoo; tell that sob story to the east coasters who endured multiple blizzards. And yet, I can’t recall more consistent rain in the 11 years that we’ve lived here. So the weekend weather forecast — mid-70s and sunny — had me a little bit excited. I took my bike in for an overhaul. We bought plants, bags of garden soil, new shovels and some sort of mega-hoe that could be used as a very dangerous weapon if self-defense were required.
Saturday has not disappointed. I started the day with my usual sneak-out-before-the-3-year-old-wakes trip to Apex Pilates for stretching and core strength training, followed by a family trip to the farmer’s market. It’s starting to feel like spring at the market. Asparagus, lettuce, early tomatoes and some utterly fantastic strawberries are filling the aisles. In just a few short weeks the nectarines and corn will appear, and summer will be officially underway.
My favorite rose bush, may she rest in peace.
The remainder of the day was spent in the garden. After consulting with a horticulturalist about my roses — a dozen plants that had fallen victim to every known disease and pest — it was decided that the best approach was to pull them out and start over. Any disappointment that I felt at the prospect of losing them vanished as I wrestled with enormous roots, dangerous thorns and creeping, crawling aphids. Sorry, roses, but I think we might be better off without you.
The roses will be replaced with tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, onions, carrots and a watermelon plant that could either be the coolest garden item ever or a complete and total garden-takeover disaster. Time will tell.
I finished the day with one broken shovel, rose scratches on all exposed skin, a lightly crispy sunburn on my shoulders and back and that general muscle soreness that comes with a long day of physical work.
Earlier this evening, I was working (yes, I know, it’s Saturday night). I was lamenting the fact that I couldn’t quite get the big ideas in my head to materialize into something useful on paper. A friend pointed out to me, in no uncertain terms, that the reason why things weren’t working out was because it’s Saturday night and I shouldn’t be working. Ah. Yes. Perhaps she’s right. So in honor of that little thing called balance (oh, and weekends), I’m going to try to avoid working until Monday morning. Let’s see if I can do it.
Save one of the jalapenos for me!