March and April are clean-up months in Massachusetts, because there is still a chance of frost. I used them to fertilize the daffodil bulbs  (4 lbs of fertilizer per 60 sq ft), mom’s been planting pansies, and we put together eight seed trays of seeds for planting around Memorial Day weekend between us, in light boxes we’ve set up in the basement. Look, pictures!

First up, daffodil bulbs poking their heads up out of the dirt. Then our seed boxes, and seed trays full of potential (and water). Plus two pictures of pansies.

Since I started this post the world has entered May, to my dismay and hurry. I lost two weeks to a throat infection and two more weekends before that to a heavenly vacation in England, which was great but not really helping me keep busy. Our sunflower and tomato babies are outgrowing their space, and if I’m lucky they’ll put up with being inside until Memorial Day weekend, the traditional time to plant in this part of the world. It’s been dry here, with sparse rain and a constant stream of conversation about hoses and drip hoses and while we’re at it, how about adding a water feature back by the dogwood bush? It’s a lovely season with everything leafing, and I’ve been spending the day wrestling with the push mower. Mom’s been making candied violets with egg whites, a paintbrush, and multicolored sugars. There is also a rhubarb cake on the conference table, thus proving why we garden in the first place. I have quince flowers on my desk, that deep red that is hard to capture with words, because it has overtones and undertones and a sense of solidity that defies my attempt to explain it.