Begin Again Finnegan ---Garden Notes – February 22 through March 5, 1975

Bollman House

Try not to be too shocked by what I am about to tell you, but here’s the thing…I changed my mind. This is not similar to “of all the things I’ve lost I miss my mind the most”.  It’s more along the “nothing as constant as change” lines.

When I started the blog I vowed to keep the garden notes in the chronological order in which they were handwritten in Mary & Otto Bollman’s notebook, which began with March 1974.
  But I’m over that.  I am skipping ahead to February 1975 so I can post notes that [loosely] coincide with the current dates.

 

Meanwhile, Look what I found in my garden today. Not a great picture but look closely and you'll see my volunteer lettuces. They are among the volunteer dead leaves and volunteer “ground cover”.  I will concede that while the ground cover is not altogether unsightly, it is of the not-exactly-a-weed-but-not-exactly-what-I-wanted-to-grow-there species.  This is February 21, a cool day following several balmy days - preceded by a long, bitterly cold brutal winter.  Tonight the temperature is supposed to dip so we will see how long the lettuces last.

 Garden Notes – February 22 through March 5, 1975

Things are still pretty quiet in the Bollman garden but very few days go by without some prep work . On February 25 Otto planted tomatoes and peppers.  I think it's safe to assume this means seeds.  I remember they had a cold frame behind the back porch, handmade by Otto of course; that may be where seedlings were started in February.  I know they brought geraniums and other flowering plants indoors to winter over in the basement but so far haven't found any references to where or how they cared for seedlings before setting them out in the garden. On March 5 they dug 3 lbs. of carrots.  Reading back a few pages, they also dug carrots on December 10 but I don't know when the carrots were planted. Granted, some December & January pages are hard to read because they are written alternately in red or green ink, 2-sided on thin pages so the ink bled through. Planting had to be before the ground froze, but did they stay there all winter and not freeze? Did some freeze and these were the superior strain who survived? Let's hear it for the strained carrots!!!

Without further ado I will leave you with the March 1, 1975 words of Mary Bollman:

Real Lion’s Entrance for March- HA!
Weatherman said it would be nice, warm & sunny. HA!

Saturday, February 22, 1975 - Temp 35 - 55

Rained all day and very dark. Otto fixed the lamp and weeded flowers.  Did hand washing, etc. Gave Otto a hair cut. Thundered and lightning.

Sunday, February 23  - Temp 30 – 32

Dark & drizzle and at 6:30 it is freezing rain or very fine snow as it looks foggy & the cars and ground are getting white.

Monday, February 24  - Temp 25 – 30

Snowing  We shoveled this A.M. Cleaned book case with horses. Watered flowers. Got out boysenberries (frozen).

Tuesday, February 25  - Temp 28 – 45

Snow melting with the beautiful sunny day. Very windy. Moved the car and did a little hand washing. Otto pruned and planted all kinds of tomatoes and sweet hot peppers.

Wednesday, February 26  - Temp 29 – 43

Sunny all day mostly. Went to stay with Ruth while moving. Otto dug compost behind house.

Thursday, February 27  - Temp 44 – 22

Sunny most of day. Cleaned dresser & Otto cut down tree in flowering quince. At last he got to it!!

Friday, February 28 – Temp 33 – 27

Sunny & Cool. Went shopping and Otto fixed bench.  Broke up mulberry tree for beams.  I cleaned house & ice box.  He painted bench.

Saturday, March 1, 1975 – Temp 25 – 39

We awoke with snow covering the ground. Beautiful day it was. It was still snowing and had a little snow flower shower during P.M. Otto cleaned alley of leaves & Boysenberry vines. Lovely behind the wall.  Real Lion’s Entrance for March- HA! Weatherman said it would be nice, warm & sunny. HA!

Sunday, March 2 – Temp 18 – 30

Felt cold with the little breeze. Went to church. Came home to chicken dinner and stayed.

Monday, March 3 – Temp 16 – 30

Sunny but cool. We washed and hung in the basement. Excell-Avery & Mr. Kausch came for tuckpointing estimates.

Tuesday, March 4 – Temp 17 – 41

Sunny & cool most of day. In evening seemed warmer. Went to vote. Cleaned street and trying to fill holes on curb. Cleaned the car. Also on business we went. Dug up bricks, too. Raked along north side of gate.

Sunday, March 5 – Temp 28 – 59

Sunny most of the day. I dusted all the walls & ceilings. Otto washed dishes & got dinner. A.M. Otto & I got outside. He dug dirt & filled up places. I found part of the garden dry enough to start spading. Dug all carrots, about 3 lbs.

Time to turn in...again...Finnegan.  Nighty Nite.