cool springs in Portland

First Picnic of 2023

Dear Liza,

Sunday was a not-quite-sunny, not-quite-warm day, but I went to the vegetable garden to pull weeds and pick up the endless piles of Camélia blooms that drop on my plot. By the time I got back to the house, I was all warmed up. So when Auntie Bridgett suggested a picnic, I was all for it!

We made some egg salad, grabbed apples, celery, crackers, and our picnic blanket. The neighborhood was very azalea-forward with almost neon colors.

We noticed that the ground was damp, so we chose a table on the high ground. We kept our jackets on.

Still, the park was pretty, green, and scented with four o’clocks and tulips. An excellent church choir was singing across the road at the Laurelhurst Club, which made everything special.

We enjoyed our simple lunch as the crows and squirrels came by.

As we ate, however, the clouds got cloudier and the breeze got breezier. We finished up with a square of chocolate, packed up our slim supplies, and took a turn around Firwood Lake on our way home. The fireplace felt good as we settled in to watch the Giants play the Brewers.

Love,

Grandma Judy

A Soggy Start

Dear Liza,

Well, I finally gave in. Even though it is still very rainy, and more than a little chilly, I took my little red wagon and walked down to Portland Nursery to get some starts for my vegetable garden.

I wore my coat, scarf, hat and gloves just as I have all winter. But I wanted to get started!

The nursery still had their tomatoes in the greenhouse, so I let them wait until later. I got a small set of red oak leaf lettuce from Planetwise. Their green oak leaf did very well for me last year. I also picked up some Early Yellow Prolific squash and Sweetie Pie pumpkin seed packets.

I saved the receipt from the nursery. I’ll try and keep a running total of what all the ‘free’ veggies cost! The seed packets got wet in my soggy pocket, so I pulled out a long plastic trough, planted them , and put them out by the side of the garage. They’ll have a week or so to sprout before going in the plot.

Once I walked back to the Blair Community Garden, I set the red lettuce in the shelter of the Camellia next door to wait for some drier weather (predicted for Sunday).

I noticed that the lady next to me, who has taken over the badly neglected plot, is already taking steps to make it perfect. I am very impressed.

Other folks are preparing in their own ways…. Some have cover crops still doing well, and others are beginning to turn back the burlap. Spring is soggy, but summer is coming!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Cuke Sprout Sighting!

Dear Liza,

I feel like I have been waiting FOREVER for my garden to really take off. The radishes, lettuces and carrots have finally poked their tiny green heads above ground, but the cool cloudy weather, along with some shade from a nearby camellia bush, isn’t giving them any inspiration to really GROW.

Frankly, I’m getting just the tiniest bit impatient….

And then, making a stop by on the way to the grocery store, I saw this. This intrepid, stalwart zucchini sprout, lifting his little green towards our lukewarm sun.

I also noticed my itty bitty lavender plant has sent up some buds. They are getting blue and smell great! Maybe we are gonna see some growth after all.

Come on, sunshine! Gimme an “S”! Gimme a “U”! Gimme an “N”!

Love,

Grandma Judy