Farmer's Almanac Weather Prediction for Ontario: "Warm, rain"
While the first day of spring took place quite a long time ago, today feels like the REAL first day of spring. It is so sunny and mild out. This morning the birds were out on the deck in droves eating up all the seeds in the feeder and chirping away. We have starlings this year! I was under a great deal of stress and emotionally and physically drained, but I still felt a tinge of happiness in my heart because the little birds were outside loving the seeds.
To get my mind off things I went with my friend to the new dollar store down the street called DOLLARAMA to get some cheap plant pots. Of course I came out of there with 18 bucks worth of crap, but it was worth it to get outside and feel the sun on my face and smell the air. This is such a good time of the year because after months of living in a cold, dull, and smell-less world, all of a sudden there are smells and sounds and sights everywhere. It's like coming out of a long coma. I am always most excited to get outdoors to see what plants are just starting to peek out through the soil. While the garden downstairs is a disgusting mess of paper, garbage and an ungodly mess of dog crap (thanks to the many dog owners in my neighbourhood who don't understand the whole stoop and scoop concept!), I was able to look past all that and feel the excitement of spring plants. The bleeding hearts are showing their bright red buds and the variegated grass is already double the size it was last year. Same for the daylilies that have spread out and taken over the space of plants that I can't even remember right now.
As I was walking in the door I noticed that some crocuses had come up and it looked like scilla (planted in memory of my late grandma Scylla Trail) was just starting to show through a patch of grass under our new tree.
I wanted to spend the day sleeping (I'm beyond drained) but since I can't I might go out on the deck to clean up and possibly repot some plants. I'm really glad that spring came along just when I needed it to lift my spirits. I'm really thankful that nature and life manages to thrive even on my sometimes vacant yet loud wasteland of a street.
THE NEXT DAY...
Rather than make a new entry I thought I'd just continue where the above left off. I did spend part of the afternoon out on the deck repotting plants. I repotted all the herbs I purchased at Canada Blooms and a few aloe I bought last month. It was so warm outside. I also tried out my new liquid kelp fertilizer. We'll see how it fares.
In the evening we went book shopping because the new Ready Made Magazine had come out and I wanted to see my article. It's about things to make for your garden with pop bottles. There are so many new garden books out and I want them all. In the end I narrowed it down to one, Rodale's "Seed-Starting Primer & Almanac". I also purchased "Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Cat Care". I wanted a more comprehensive holistic cat care book but couldn't find one. This will have to do for now.
 After dinner we checked out a corner store in the area that always has a huge selection of plants. Well folks, I took home my first orchid! I've wanted to do it for a long time due to my love of epiphytic plants but I had put it off for a few reasons. The first is that I didn't think I could provide the right environment for orchids in my apartment. I have enough trouble with the various tillandsia in my care. While I know that there are many orchids that are easy to care for, I generally not a huge fan of the beginner species. I'm picky. I don't want to have the same white phalaenopsis as everyone else. And of course the third reason is lack of space. However, I did have one empty ceiling hook in a south facing window that was itching to be put to use. The store had an excellent orchid selection and I chose a gorgeous Vanda that was in a hanging basket -- perfect for my window. So I now have an orchid. Figures I'd chose a relatively difficult species.
Looking over the above I wonder if I used rampant consumerism to appease my troubled mind? I'm usually a lot more conscious of falling into those sorts of traps but this last week and a half has been unbelievable to say the least.
Oh and finally my African violets are all in bloom again! I mentioned this in my other journal but I'll say it here again "How is it that life can be so good and so excrutiatingly brutal in the same moment?"
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