Ode to (Pestiferous) Spring



Oh, Springy-Spring, how I love you! Especially when you stop raining on me, or trying to blow me into the next suburb with your equinoctial gales.

I was very good this morning and did all my inside chores, and drove the children places before I bounced out into your irresistible sunshine, there to discover anew how very much I love and adore you.

I love how you have generously dedaubed the lemon trees with scale, and some kind of fungal virus with your incessant spring showers. I adore the marvellous variety of exotic weeds you have mischievously planted in my lawn, and the onion weed you have threaded like jewels through the garden beds.



I love the generous spirit which prompted you to invite Jasmine and Ivy in from next door, all eager to hug and embrace the poor, lonely little blueberry plant...



And that brackish pool of muddy water outside the back door that won't go away, the one with the slime that I slip over in amusingly at least once a week? Oh, Spring, you are such a wag!

And something else I admire? Your persistence, and dedication to go where no spring has ever gone before. The red chard, that hearty, hardy plant, the only one in the garden which is never attacked by bugs or blasted by blight, thought it could get away with its rude health, but no, my Spring, you have triumphed. Is it a viral rust, or some hitherto unknown-in-this-garden tiny bug? Whatever it is, my admiration and respect know no bounds.



Thankyou, dear Spring, for your bounteous gifts, and delightful, daily surprises. I can hardly bear it that you are nearly half over...

Comments

Anonymous said…
I love it. (The Ode and the word Pestiferous)

So my comment must likewise be poetic. Sadly it will be prosaic at best, probably more like doggerel.

There once was a girl from Tassie
Who found her garden quite snazzy
Of spring most pestiferous
She was vociferous
Fighting botanical blight until she went spazzy.
Anonymous said…
Things will look a little different in January. ;)

Your gardens look lovely despite their sogginess and interlopers. :)
Jo said…
Lucinda, you clearly missed your true calling as a Romantic Poet. I think maybe the absinthe was responsible...
Jo said…
Thanks Jessie! I can't imagine a time when the weather will stop being wet, but I guess it will... eventually..
Tammy said…
As someone who is now being embraced by Autumn and hoping for the rains which is sometimes bring, I enjoyed reading your greeting to the renewing season.

I shall pass the torch of longer days and overflowing gardens (and the bugs) to you.
Anonymous said…
Don't you love how nature is hell bent on covering every square inch of soil? I wouldn't mind, but natures idea of "good ground cover" and mine are 2 completely different and opposite equations. Hey, we have powdery mildew to look forward to in our lingering hot and humid summer ahead Jo, can't wait to read that post ;)
Tanya Murray said…
I had a good chuckle and I recognised that spirit that says if you don't make light and laugh you would just CRY! The weekend really did start to redeem things a bit. At least that "boggy" wet mud smell has disappeared.
Thanks for the hints on the starter. I am only experiencing mild panic that I might "kill" it. When I go to QLD I am going to have to refrigerate it so I'll let you know if I manage to give it the kiss of life after a week.
Thank you so much for Sat buff and puff, I loved the afternoon and the stories and friendship it brought. x
oh jo, lordy you have me laughing ! it is so TRUE!! and i love lucindasans' comment!
as i say, Mother Nature just likes to remind us who's in control here... :-) happy gardening!
jo, i have just seen this - goodness, your fence! on your vegies! i hope you are okay. the winds have been diabolical down here as well; hopefully they are over.

you ARE amazing!
Barbara Good said…
Too funny Jo. I've just been out weeding my front garden, the bobcat did a pretty darn splendid job of getting rid of the weeds... and every other living thing... out the back. Just left the mud, much to the delight of Miss Two and Miss Four, and nicely compacted soil. I'll be breaking my back next weekend trying to reserve that one. Despite the 'joys' of spring, your garden does look wonderful still, onion weed and all.
Jo said…
Tammy, thanks for passing that torch - I do look forward to longer days and sunshine, mostly sunshine.
Fran, don't mention the powdery mildew, noooo..
Tanya, loved meeting up with you on the weekend. So much fun! Good luck with the sourdough.
e, the fence turned out to have missed all the veg. A miracle!
Barbara, so much fun to play in a new garden. Wishing you all good things for it, including a strong back!
Unknown said…
Oh, im loving coming in late with comments. I get to read your hilarious post and then the amusing comments following. Oh i agree, there is always a nice surprise each time i go out there. My chard went to seed and went from being about 2ft high to almost 7ft. It was like a Triffod. The stem was almost 5cm thick. All good compost. The surpise was that as i pulled it out, i found hidden behind a beautifully formed nest with 5 bantam eggs in it. Still fresh - bonus!

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