Take three!

Here I am on my third attempt at getting the first blog of spring written. What! The third attempt? The first week of spring should be a joyous occasion for gardeners! So, why is this my third attempt? Shouldn’t the first blog of spring be a no-brainer and write itself? Why yes . . . and no. My first two attempts were written a while ago, but under different circumstances than what we find ourselves in today. I have saved these for another day. Look for them next year. While I may find it frustrating to write three blogs in order to get this one, I think that it is for the best.

A changed world

This past week and a half or so, the entire world has changed. Much of it is under lockdown. Many people have had to stay at home and practice what is called social distancing. The NCAA Basketball Tournament has been cancelled. Broadway is closed. The NBA and NHL suspended their seasons indefinitely. The start of the MLB season has been postponed. The government issued executive orders shutting down all social gatherings of large groups. Restaurants are open for take-out only. Schools, libraries, churches, and many of our favorite gathering places are closed for the next few weeks. The country is navigating its way through this pandemic we find ourselves in, commonly known as the Coronavirus.

Another time . . .
Another place . . .
And what if?

Nothing in recent memory can be equated to what we are experiencing now. The last pandemic that was of this magnitude was back in 1918-1919 when the Spanish Flu wreaked havoc worldwide. Millions of people worldwide suffered back then. The ravages of what happened back then are still being felt today. In my own family, I lost my paternal Great Grandmother and my Great Uncle Alonzo during the Spanish Flu outbreak. I look back and wonder, what if Alonzo’s brother, Joseph (my grandfather), was stricken as well? Or, what if Alonzo was the sole surviving baby boy instead of Joseph? I owe my entire existence to the fact that Joseph survived while so many others didn’t. My wish for this pandemic is that it will pass quickly and not be anywhere nearly as bad as what has been forecast.

Cancellations – Cancellations
And more cancellations

Of the five rose societies that I belong to, the New England Rose Society has cancelled its March and April meetings. The Cape Cod Rose Society has cancelled its March meeting. The Connecticut Rose Society and the Rhode Island Rose Society have both cancelled their April and May meetings, as well as their June Rose Shows. The Connecticut Rose Society has also cancelled its June meeting and Founders Day Celebration. The Yankee District has cancelled its Spring District Convention, and the ARS has postponed its June National Conference and Rose Show until late August.

I never thought that I would see so many events cancelled/postponed, and see the state that the country is in. The millions of people worldwide that have been quarantined is mind-blowing. But, with all that is going on in the world today, one thing that we can count on is the strength and perseverance of the American people. Optimism is the key to getting through this, and once we do, we will be a better country because of it.

What can we do as we wait?

Now that everyone is home and has plenty of time on their hands, what can one do while we are waiting for the world to reopen? Of course we can go outside and be in our gardens and get them ready for the season. There are no restrictions in this regard. And, while we’re at it, why not invite our children (and grandchildren) to be with us to help out? They’re home with us, bored, with no place to go. How many of us can trace our love for gardening to being with our parents and grandparents and helping them in their gardens? Somewhere along the line we stopped doing these things together, and let our children entertain themselves with their electronic devices.

We also let their social lives dictate how we run our lives. Our own social clubs, rose societies, and gatherings had to adapt along the way, and the next generation didn’t necessarily follow us to the rose garden. We can seize this opportunity and be with our children/grandchildren to show them firsthand how important and therapeutic it can be to garden and be one with the Earth. Children love to help out and be with us. If they aren’t able to go to soccer/baseball/dancing, and any number of extra-curricular activities, they may discover that they enjoy our hobbies just as much as we do, and maybe our hobbies won’t be a thing of the past and become extinct. Instead, we will have a new generation interested in keeping the love of gardening going for many years to come.

Trying Something New

How about sitting down and writing an article (or two) about roses and your experiences growing them? As the editor of two newsletters, I can attest the procuring new and interesting articles on rose culture can be the most frustrating part of doing a newsletter. While we all love getting our newsletters and reading them, how often do we contribute? We always use the excuse that we don’t have the time to do it. Well, now we do.

How about creating that new raised bed that you’ve always been contemplating? Getting outside and making it might be just the ticket? Or, maybe create a bed at ground level as well? And, you can get some exercise at the same time, too. We’re banned from many of our local gyms and need a way to get our exercise. What better way is there to get exercise than working in our gardens? Why not recruit our children/grandchildren to help us? They can watch the plants grow, and remember how they helped make this happen. These memories will last for decades. The time that they spend with us now will become the special remembrances of mom/dad/grandma/grandpa, that will long outlast us.

What I’ve Been Doing

This past weekend I have six yards of soil/compost mix coming to revitalize one of my beds. Currently, there are wild orange daylilys growing there. I have started removing the daylilys and replacing them with old garden roses that will have free reign to sucker at will. Then, I will be including some modern daylilys and other perennials to augment the roses that will (hopefully) bloom when the roses are done. I think that they will add the right type of character that is needed for my 230 year old home.

Look for blogs coming your way about my experiences updating the bed. Until then – stay safe. Turn off the 24 hour news programs that thrive on negativity by picking the worst in society and exploiting it. The time is now to get out there and enjoy yourself and your gardens. Be thankful for what you have. And, remember to bring the little ones with you. Enjoy!

Epilogue

I originally composed this story with an English-made Osmiroid fountain pen fitted with an American-made Esterbrook stainless steel nib. Both the pen and nib are from the 1960’s. The ink flows really nicely with this combination. I use this pen combination daily in my work, and it was inked up and ready to go when I first started working on this blog.

I also wrote a letter with it as well to my former music teacher who taught me how to play the oboe. It was on my list of “to dos” that I’ve been meaning to do while I still can. With the reduced workload while much of the world is under quarantine, I was finally able to get to it. As I get older, I regret not reaching out to more former teachers sooner. I encourage all of you to do something like this as well. You don’t have to reach out to one of your teachers. Just someone special to you. It may make their day to hear from you.