seed

 On Monday, most of the "steering committee" of Ginkgo Organic Gardens met to plan the approaching season.  We learned that we had more money in various garden accounts than many of us had though. Hopes quickened that we might be able to make much-needed repairs in the garden that we had been delaying. Some of us spent the money several times over in our heads during the course of the meeting. We talked of replacing our fencing; regrading the washed out area in the back of the property; and replanting the front garden.

I brought out the seed packets that I had been storing in the crisper of my refrigerator. Dave distributed seed catalogs. Susan took notes as we described projects.

In the middle of March, we will meet at the Kilbourn Organic Greenhouse to start our tomato and pepper seedlings. Meanwhile, a few of us agreed to start broccoli and cabbage at home, hoping for better results with these crops this year if we start our brassicas indoors early.

This afternoon, I laid out 48 fiber pots of De Cicco Broccoli and Copenhagen Market Cabbage, arranging them on windowsills in my condo. I poked holes a quarter-inch deep in potting soil that was still chilled from being out on the back deck. I then dropped in the tiny seeds, listening to Kate Bush singing about snow, thinking about winter and spring.

and on my pillow
dead leaves
and bits of twisted branches
and frozen garden

Snow Storm

As mild as this winter has been, Ginkgo wears it well.
While the rest of the city trudges through the glop dropped overnight, Ginkgo bats an eyelash and strikes a pose.