Karl reminded me that today is the real Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts, before it was moved to a Monday holiday. The nineteenth of April, seventy-five, hardly a man is now alive that remembers that famous day and year.
The Circle Garden Clear, as everything else, needed weeding, mostly clover that seems to love this fine spring weather. I dug out that last patch of grass, clover and other volunteers up to the valley oak and laid down Preen mulch. Mike suggested weed whacking but that seems to me to just defer the issue. The ground was dry and hard to the shovel, but I persevered. I left a grid of small green plants that may be a primrose patch that rooted underground and is struggling back to life. Mike seemed to see buds on those plants. I will wait a bit longer and see how the plants grow.
I weeded and cleared the final length of the ice plant strip on the back slope. The plants closer to the Citrus Box were the last imbedded and are true survivors, even showing blooms when I freed them from the intruding grass and thistle. I will borrow Mike’s gas-powered weed trimmer and clear more of the grass off the back slope next week, when the weather is forecast to be cooler.
The monkey flower and California native iris are exploding in the front yard in Oakland, and the snapdragon and trailing petunia are already blooming in the back. I also found three last tangerines.
A Year at the Snake 