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Garden Bliss & Blunder, Issue #045
March 07, 2025

Mindful March

“This is the month of sudden changes…

In March, winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward.

Something holds and something pulls inside of us too.

We are caught between two forces

and sometimes nearly pulled asunder..

Some days confidence shrinks to the size of a pea

and the backbone feels like a feather.

We want to be somewhere else and don’t know where

- want to be someone else and don’t know who.”

Jean Hersey (1902-1993)

In these very trying and frightening times,

I feel my newsletter ought to be a bit different this month.

The news is everywhere, even though I no longer watch it;

the snow, the darkness and the conversations that go nowhere

can sometimes make me a bit blue -

so I seek tiny positives in every overwhelming moment.

especially memories of my garden….

What works for me and makes the days brighter?

… friends, good coffee, good whisky,

good books, sharpened pencils,

good music

and blank canvases.

As this is my birth month

and I cannot get to the garden

through the mountains of snow,

I am working hard to find ways

to keep both my sanity and my creativity.

I really want this......

instead of this.... sigh

And so, I paint

… wild landscapes that tear my heart open a little

…. a bit of wanderlust?

Not really - it's more a sense of finding other ways

to “see” what is out there

… beyond my window and my snow-garden.

My painting of Loch Etive - Scottish Highlands

from a photo by W. Dobbins

"...a desire to misbehave..."

Anthony Hopkins says:

“I am fully aware of my mortality,

but at 87 years old,

I still wake up every morning

with the desire to misbehave.

Age is not a barrier

when you find passion in what you do.

The real secret lies in keeping your curiosity alive,

continuing to learn

and not letting the fear of time

stop you from enjoying life.

Every day is a new opportunity

to create, to laugh and to show

that it is never too late

to move forward

with enthusiasm and joy.”

And while I am NOT 87…. I agree with him -

and I like to think I could pull this off….

Seriously, I really want to go outside… just to be outside

… to smell the snow melting,

... to hear the rustle of bird feathers as they fluff up to keep warm

… to sweep away the debris little birdy-feet leave

when they pick through the

seeds and peanuts on the deck.

I want to get out my practical paint brush and refresh the deck

and the tables that hold icy cold drinks on a hot day

But It's Time to Consider Weeds

I will keep sketching weed seedlings

because every Spring,

I play the same game :

is this is a weed ?

or a precious perennial ?

Mind you,

every weed thinks it's precious.

My sketch of an Evening Primrose seedling - looks like any precious perennial....

While studying to become a Master Gardener, one of my most impactful assignments was to draw weed seedlings.

If we recognize them as seedlings, we might make better choices about whether to pull or leave.

I am still working on other sketches ; Chickweed, Annual Sow thistle, Creeping Buttercup, Curled Dock, Dandelion and Evening Primrose

Eventually posting them on my site with more info.

Because they are often hard to tell from our precious perennials.

My sketch of a Chickweed seedling

Two Sides to every "dirty" story...

There are times when weeds are very useful and not just for salads... they can tell you what kind of soil you have…

I like this chart below, (despite a spelling error) but please do your own research before you add anything to your soil.

… do a soil test to be certain and better still?

Compost, Compost, Compost…. on TOP of the soil

…. no digging it in… let nature and your judicious watering do that.

It's also time to Prune Oak Trees...

My sketch of new Oak acorns

LOGAN TREE EXPERTS SAY:

“If you have oak trees, now is the time to prune them!

OAK WILT has now been found in Ontario and we are doing our part to reduce the spread.

Oak Wilt is a fungal disease spread by beetles and can quickly kill oak trees. Right now is the perfect time to prune your oak trees while the beetles that carry the fungus are inactive.

We are committed to being responsible stewards of your trees and the environment.

To prevent the spread of oak wilt, we prune oak trees during the approved months of November to April.

Pruning outside of this window can increase the risk of introducing the fungus, which could put your trees in harm’s way.

Logan Tree Experts ISA Certified Arborist, ON-2061A phone: 705-657-6916

2023 Reader's Choice 'Best Arborist' Award 2022 Reader's Choice Platinum Winner 'Best Tree Service' Award 2021 Reader's Choice Diamond Winner 'Best Tree Service' Award

Enjoy Peace of Mind - Trust the Experts.

Logan Tree Experts

Here's some additional information about Oak Wilt

Invasive Species Centre Canada