It Won't Be The Same

 

In the middle of January I began leafing through the garden catalogs. But the Calf Canyon fire erupted from beneath its burial under snow April 9 and joined with the Kermits Peak fire inadequately put out and awakened by wind. It was clear this was not going to be a normal spring. The flowers, wild and domestic, seemed in a rush to bloom and die. No spring rains came over the mountains to moisten the ground.

It was not yet May and the snow no longer graced the top of the mountains. And days when the sky was adorned with smoke instead of clouds. I put aside the garden and seed catalogs, looked at the damage the winds had done to my hoop house, and ran my fingers through the powerery soil in the beds. Then came up with a much downsized plan for gardening in 2022.

I had just sown the sunflower seeds in one bed, and begun an assortment of starts for lettuces and greens when we were evacuated. Eleven days of no water or rain and only wind put quit to that effort. Back home I found the oriental poppies and Colorado Columbines had made a brave start. I took hope and began watering where I had laid down seed before leaving. There sunflower seeds are up. I planted one 4 x 4 bed with bedding plants from the local nursery. And this morning divided up some potatoes which had sprouted while I was gone, and dedicated one small bed to them. Of the five raised beds in the hoop house I will maybe plant one more. Will not brave the winds to cover the hoops with plastic. What I plant and water will have to be tough.

Tough like those who have moved back to their valley homes south of us.