Well, hello, February, one month closer to spring and I for one am glad to think that winter is almost over. Oh, we’ll get the odd storm with wind and rain, but not likely any more snow, for which we should be thankful. Annie has already brought me a bouquet of snowdrops, some small daisies and a spray of winter jasmine, a token of things to come, so it won’t be long now. Cher has given me something I’d never seen before: a couple of miniature greenhouses, large enough to start some seeds and I propose to start sweetpea seeds just to give them a head start, I’ll keep them inside until the seeds sprout, and then put them outside, covering the mini greenouses with some Reemay cloth, to further protect the (hopefully) youthful plants.
I got a call from Alice D. to ask if she had brought a chunk of fat into the house when it was frozen, could she now put it back outside. I’d say she could, especially if she kept the fat in the fridge.
Birds that will eat worms probably wouldn’t object to fat that had seen better days and talking about birds, I was shocked to see a flock of 10 robins on the bare ground across the street.
Alice also asked if I’d tell you she has too many house plants and would be happy to share them. Her telephone number is 250-652-1511.
Helen Lang has been the Peninsula News Review’s garden columnist for more than 30 years.