Gardening TheReview Wednesday, April 10,1991 — A12 ‘Valuable commodity’ from beef club Honestly, this weather is just too awful, and there is sweet nothing we can do about it, except wring our hands and pray. Our yard looks more like Elk Lake than a garden, and the wind has just about finished me off ... heartbreak city, that’s what! Almost all the daffodils are lipped over, blooms nearly touch- ing the ground, and the tulips are all leaning madly toward the northwest ... a pot of scilla, newly planted last fall have been a delight, but, no longer ... their lovely faces are now all covered with mud. “himself? (as always) can be relied upon to state, “Time we got away again.” The term “itchy feet’? was created especially for “himself”, and he never lets me forget it. This rain has just got to stop soon so that those of us with clay soil will be able, finally, to dig over the beds and plant a few seeds. This 1s, of course, the time when the value of raised beds is most evident. Although they may be wet, they aren’t sodden the way the rest of the garden is, and to my delight the first planting of garden peas is just poking through, and several rows of spinach are tuming green. The broad beans planted in pots in late February are now up, and can be transferred to the garden whenever it stops raining long enough for me to work onisids | in comfort. I'd also like to get the onion sets in, this coming week, and transpl- ant the Kelsae onion seedlings into rows in the same bed. The sweet peas are longing to get into the soil, but, for the moment they are stuck in their soup tins. The ground where they are destined to be planted is much too soggy to be walked upon, let alone dug over. All in good time, though, and I refuse any longer to Worry about them. “himself” has had success with one rat that we know of. He, who has wonderful powers of observa- tion, spotted it hanging from the edge of the box containing the heating cable. It was dead, but I’m glad he saw it first. Rats cause me to go all weak and feminine. If I’d acci- dently touched it I’m sure my screams would have shattered every pane of glass on the entire Peninsula! I’m not convinced that is, or was, the only rat, so each evening I go out and invert planting trays over all new and delicate see- dlings. I’ve only forgotten once, and it took every bit of moral fibre I still possess to haul myself out of bed, put on a dressing gown, find and don my gumboots, find the flash- light, hang a towel over my head (OF COURSE it was raining!) and gO out there (sure the rat was watching my every move) and The 4-H Beef Club will distribute bags of well-rotted steer manure, free of charge, to all seniors on the Peninsula who would like some’ “RIGHLOCK 0 nod mk De Sleg | NEW FOR 1" HOMELITE FULLY ASSEMBLED! 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Members of the Mafia might call this “‘some kinda deal!” All those of you who wish to benefit from this generous offer should call Fran Kennedy at 652- 0897, or D. Arnold at 658-8772 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and leave your name and number on the tape machines which will record your call. You will then be called back (by a human being) to arrange a time for free delivery of this very valua- ble commodity. Donations will not be refused, of course, and all funds go to the Peninsula 4-H Beef Club. You really have to admire the enter- prise shown by these young peo- ple, don’t you! Ann Laws called to tell us that in Japan a copper coin is put in with tulips to keep them upright. Great hints, these! Thanks Ann! And, before I forget, tomato and pepper seeds must be planted inside this week. 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